Martin Ross
Photography
Nature Photography
Presentations
More About Martin Ross
During his years living in Vancouver, Martin was very active on the photography presentation circuit, delivering many nature photography seminars in the Lower Mainland and also as far afield as Yukon, Alberta and Washington State. However, after moving to Cranbrook, BC, to become the manager of Fort Steele Heritage Town, his new, relatively remote location in the Canadian Rockies meant that travelling to give in-person presentations was no longer feasible. But now that online ZOOM presentations have become possible and accepted in our post-COVID world, he is delighted to be back sharing his love of photography and nature with others.
Martin is a long-time individual member of the Canadian Association for Photographic Art (CAPA) and a very active, remote member of the Lion's Gate Camera Club in Vancouver.
Outside of photography, Martin has honed his presentation skills through many seasons of work as a park naturalist with Parks Canada and BC Parks, through his studies leading to a Master of Education degree, and through a second career in international education.
About Presentations
Currently, the three nature photography presentations below are available for booking and a fourth is in production. Since Martin is based in Cranbrook, it is usually most convenient for these presentations to be delivered online. However, with some advance planning, in-person presentations can often be arranged. Martin's upbeat presentations include "something for everyone" and are enjoyed by photographers of all skill levels. Typically, each presentation is organized as beads of instructional information strung together by an engaging storyline .​
The Nature of Impact:
Demystifying the wow factor in nature photography
In photography, impact is an elusive quality that separates eye-catching images from ordinary ones. Yet, as obvious as impact can be, it often defies explanation and simply slips through our fingers as we attempt to analyze an image. This presentation looks beyond the smoke and mirrors of impact and reveals the very practical, underlying elements that work together to create the wow factor of great nature photographs, with applicability to photography in general.
Brown Bears and Puffins:
A Photography Adventure in Alaska
Martin recounts a wildlife photography trip to Alaska to world-famous Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park and to St. Paul Island in the middle of the Bering Sea. Brown bears congregate at Brooks Falls each summer to feast on spawning sockeye salmon. The presentation documents their fishing techniques and raw, dramatic social interactions.
​
St. Paul Island is home to tufted puffins, fur seals, and arctic foxes. Woven into the story are discussions of key wildlife photography and post-processing techniques such as sharpening and noise reduction.
Wing Tips:
Bird Photography on the Gulf Coast
Martin showcases the top bird photography hotspots along the Texas/Florida Gulf Coast during the spring breeding season when birds are dressed in their finest plumage of the year. The tour includes a stop at a well-known bird-photography ranch. Along the way Martin provides game-changing bird photography tips with special emphasis on subject recognition and tracking, the pros and cons of editing with AI, and techniques to expand your post-processing vision.