Hob nobbing with other nature photographers is one the best parts of attending a NANPA conference. Talk about total immersion in hob nobness. I spent the week before the conference photographing in the ever popular, Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, with dozens of other wildlife photographers. Some of these photographers were big names and highly published shooters. It was fun to meet and reconnect with many of them. On Wednesday I was heading up to a pre conference photo tour led by David Muench and Tom Till. Just the chance to meet with these icons was all I needed to sign up for this wonderful morning, which started well before sunrise. We all met at 5:00am in the Hyatt lobby and with all the excitement no one was even late. Amazing when you consider there were at least 40 of us. As we pulled into to the parking area of the Petroglyphs there was no sign of daylight or David Muench.

It didn't take long before he showed up and the group was now ready to go a field. Tom Till, Michael Francis (NANPA's current president) and Bobby Harrison rode the bus with us and patiently gave us all the information we would need for the morning. When Mr. Muench showed up he gave some insight into the day like, the rocks are very dark, and we should underexpose. We unloaded the bus and were off to the Piedras Marcadas area of Petroglyphs. They call this area the Alcove and it has some of the highest concentrations of images in the park. The hike in goes past a housing development and is only about a quarter mile or so. When we got in to position, we were around an area with some great "rock art". As dawn began to brighten the sky, the anticipation of the clear golden sunrise light hitting the rocks and petroglyphs was exciting.

Some cameras started snapping very early, some with flash others with long exposures. They were taking advantage of Tom Till's advice, he said, "I would start shooting well before sunrise with some long shutters to take advantage of the shadowless, even lighting of this time of day." David and Tom were a little disappointed there were no large format shooters in the crowd. Every one of us used 35mm that morning. They had anticipated having some large format people to help and coach. There seemed to be a very small number of larger format photographers at the conference overall. I wonder what the ratio is between 35mm and larger.

With drawings in the shape of people, animals and scenery, there were lots of photo opportunities for us all. I tried to juxtapose the full moon setting with some petroglyphs in the fore ground. Using a split neutral density filter to help even the brighter sky and darker rocks helped bring the exposure into a realm Velvia slide film could handle. Others were envisioning their own creations. I'd love to see all the different photos taken from our morning, you know there are as many different visions as there are photographers.

As we continued to shoot, the sun began to rise and the light was wonderfully warm. The two rangers, Diane Souder (Chief of Interpretation and Outreach) and Dr. Mathew Schmader (Assistant Superintendent for Open Space) answered questions and gave us information about the area. Like, how this rock out-cropping housing the petroglyphs is in downtown Albuquerque. A basaltic outcropping from an ancient volcanic flow, which is a very spiritual area for the native tribes that used the area and still use it today. We were told how the Indians would use this east-facing slope for their carvings. It holds warm morning light during the winter and the dark rocks help absorb the heat which melts the snow.

It is not easy managing a park in a city and this region is literally in the heart of Albuquerque. A large freeway is being proposed in the area and many housing developments are already built right up against the Monument. The park is being cooperatively administered by the City of Albuquerque (Open Space Division) and the National Park Service. After a half hour of sunlight and shooting the different rocks, we walked around the trail another half mile to the middle canyon. This spot had similar rock possibilities but there were some different compositions and more hand print images carved to photograph. Our movement helped spread people over the area so we could do some more close up work with out being in someone else's viewfinder. The leaders were very helpful and we were able to ask one on one questions in between our shooting. After an hour of sunshine we walked back to the bus. The sight of a roadrunner sunning itself on a rock helped many of us see the wisdom in that, and we began to peel off our warm layer after the 1.2 round trip hike.

The next stop was at the Boca Negra Canyon of the Petroglyphs. Boca Negra has three paved hiking trails and the city charges a parking fee of $1 on weekdays and $2 on weekends. There are restroom facilities, an information station and picnic areas. By now the sun was up and getting harsh, but there were still photos to be taken. Since this trip was over filled they decided to offer a second trip so everyone could participate. This group left the hotel a couple hours after us and we met up with them here. So their first stop was our second stop. This gave us a little time to listen and speak with the leaders as a group again, before we photographed this "new" area. It also gave the second group a chance to meet with the excellent leaders. Our leaders were very open and calmly answered many questions, both photo and environmental in nature. David gave us a taste of his love of the land and the spiritual side of his photography. Tom was forth coming about his environmental work back home in Utah as well.

Their photography is more than just pretty pictures; it involves a commitment to environmental causes as well. Both men talked about the romantic side of shooting nature but said the reality is often a lonely camping trip. A camping trip spent waiting for the light and chasing storms. The clean, clear air after a storm is sought after by both masters. These conditions produce a much nicer, cleaner scenic shot. At 11:00am our day in the field had come to an end and we headed back to the Hyatt to unload the bus and say our goodbyes. The hob nobbing wasn't over however; it was just beginning, as this was a pre conference trip and a great beginning to a wonderful summit!

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Jeffrey Rich graduated from Humboldt State University in 1983 with a BS in Wildlife biology, in 1985 with a BS in Biology and completed his life science teaching credential in 1986. Since that time Jeff has been teaching science. He is currently teaching at Stellar Charter School in Redding, CA. Jeff's love of the outdoors stem from his northern California upbringing.

This enjoyment of nature, with his biology background has proved to be a perfect complement in producing stunning nature photographs. A self-taught nature photographer, Jeff considers himself more as a photonaturalist producing artful images of mother nature. He is a wildlife and bird photography specialist with photos published in most major birding publications, Birder's World, Living Bird Quarterly, WildBird and BirdWatcher's Digest. Jeff also has published a number of articles on the avian world. Currently he is writing a monthly column for Northwest Travel Magazine called "Watchable Wildlife".

In addition to birds many other nature photos have graced the pages of various publications. Audubon Magazine and books, National Wildlife magazine & books, Ducks Unlimited, Nature Conservancy, Northwest Parks and Wildlife, National Geographic World and many others. Jeff has been teaching nature photo workshops and tours since February 1991 and these are always a great adventure with great photo opportunities. He is a perfect nature photography instructor with his extensive background as a naturalist, teacher and nature photographer.