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July 18, 2026
7:30 am - 10:30 am
Join us on Saturday, July 18 while we walk the Tanyard Creek trails to look for macro subjects. We will start early at 7:30 with the hope that the dew will still be on the plants. We will meet under the pavilion to discuss macro and close up photography techniques, with and without a dedicated macro lens. Besides bug spray and your camera, the following equipment is highly suggested: a tripod, a mist sprayer, extension tubes, and a big hat that can be used to control the light and maybe your telephoto lens.
If the bugs and flowers are a bust, we can walk the trail and shoot the creek and waterfall. This could be a two for one.
The goal of this session is to expand your photographic skills and widen your perspective of what can be a photograph while enjoying the company of other shutterbugs.
We will meet at the Tanyard Creek Pavillion next to the Parking Lot at 7:30 and head out from there.
LOCATION:
Park entrance off HWY 340/Lancanshire Blvd., Bella Vista, Arkansas.
HOST:
Howard Thompson
Hi, I’m Howard, your host for this macro photography class and walk-about.
My photography journey began more than 70 years ago when I received my first camera as a Cub Scout Christmas gift. In high school, I discovered my father’s fixed-lens 35mm camera and started experimenting with photography, shooting wrestling matches and spending time in the darkroom.
Eventually, I upgraded to a DSLR with interchangeable lenses. That camera became my constant weekend companion and accompanied me throughout my Navy service, where I spent countless hours exploring and photographing tide pools.
In my early married years, I was often teased for stopping every few minutes to get “up close and personal” with LBMs (Little Brown Mushrooms), a fascination that continues to this day.
Now enjoying semi-retirement, I have the freedom to photograph to my heart’s content and use modern digital tools to accomplish many of the creative techniques I once dreamed of doing in the darkroom. I also enjoy producing high-quality prints, though I tend to give most of them away.
While I consider myself an enthusiastic amateur photographer, my interests span a wide range of subjects, including street photography, landscapes, cityscapes, and, of course, macro photography. I’m especially drawn to flowers and the bees that visit them – a passion inspired by my years as a beekeeper.