Ronn Patterson Owner and Captain of Delphinus
Ronn is a naturalist by profession, a marine biologist by training, a student of whales by practice, a professional photographer by habit, a teacher by inclination, and a writer by requirement. For over twenty-five years he has led natural history trips to such places as Africa, the Amazon, the Andes, Baja California and Mexico, the Galapagos, and Alaska.
Ronn founded the Natural Environmental Studies Program for the University of California Extension at Berkeley. During the fourteen years he directed that program, he also directed biology instruction and founded and directed the UC Extension Photography Program. In his last three years with the University, he was the Chairperson of the Science and Mathematics Extension.
Ronn’s study of whales led him to co-found the Whale Center, an international non-profit whale conservation group. He has also been a whale consultant and biologist for the U. S. Government as well as a delegate to and member of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission.
In 1981 Ronn formed Dolphin Charters to offer travelers a rare combination: the enjoyment and celebration of the earth's wonders and a sound natural history education. From October through late April, Dolphin Charters offers cruises in the San Francisco Bay, Sacramento River Delta, and the Pacific Ocean as well as Mexico and the Galapagos. During the summer, Dolphin Charters offers one-of-a-kind journeys in British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.
Dolphin Charters has brought Ronn's life full circle—back to his college training in marine biology—and incorporated his interests in teaching, lecturing, writing, photography, research, and natural history.
Betty Sederquist
Betty is a popular photo instructor and professional working photographer. She has had a career in Alaska as an editor and acting photo editor for Alaska magazine. She has years of professional experience in both teaching and photography. Betty has joined us in Alaska for the past 10 years and we look forward to her annual photo workshops. For more information on Betty, see her web site at www.sederquist.com or visit her facebook page.
Mark Kelley
Mark Kelley is an award-winning Alaskan photographer. His images illustrate thirteen books and he has sold over a quarter million total photo books to date. Mark Kelley's book Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska is the winner of the 2001 Benjamin Franklin Award – Travel Essay and has sold over 60,000 copies. In his career Mark has spent over 180 days photographing Glacier Bay. Glacier Bay is a World Heritage Site and UNESCO has contracted with Mark to provide photo coverage of their 2014 visit to the area. His image Rainbowed placed first in the 2013 Nature's Best Windland Smith Rice Photography Awards, Outdoor Adventure Category, and will be featured in the Smithsonian exhibit in the fall of 2014. He is also a 2013 NANPA Showcase Tier I winner for Levitating Leviathan, the image he submitted in the 2013 competition.
He lives in Juneau, Alaska with his wife, Jan, their two grown sons, Gabe and Owen, and their Irish Terrier, Rosie.
To see more of Mark's images go to: www.markkelley.com
Barbara Eddy
Barbara Eddy was born in Lorain, Ohio and raised in the rural countryside where she fell in love with nature. At a very early age she found a deep affection for wildlife surrounding herself with diverse pets ranging from raccoons to skunks and other small creatures. She developed an enthusiasm for horses and riding which continues today. When traveling to horse shows as a teenager she acquired her first camera and quickly developed a passion for photography. She soon joined a camera club and began working at a photo processing facility. In 1987, she hired on as a darkroom technician at NASA in Cleveland, Ohio. A highlight of her NASA career was printing images of the space shuttle as well as the Apollo Lunar Missions. In 1990 she began her career as a nature photography workshop and seminar instructor. Since then her photography travels have taken her all over the world leading guests to Africa, Antarctic, the Galapagos, Ecuador, the Falklands, Scotland, Canada, Japan and, of course, locations all over North America. To this day she leads groups to diverse locations worldwide for nature photography. She has co-authored six nature photography (how-to) books. An award winning photographer Barbara's work has been published around the world in such prestigious publications as National Geographic, and also calendar, books and greeting cards.
David Hartfield
David Hartfield is an award winning nature and travel photographer whose work is published internationally. He is the past President and founding member of Carolinas' Nature Photography Association (CNPA.org). He also served as CNPA's Outings Chair for several years and currently serves as the Speaker Chair. He started leading outings and mentoring photographers around the early to mid-1990's. He continues that passion today by teaching photography, leading workshops and photo tours (Coastal Brown Bears, Inside Passage, Yellowstone in Winter, Grand Tetons, Cuba, Charleston, Savannah, etc.), as well as presenting at various camera clubs and organizations. David has done event photography and still images for film and television productions (Extreme Makeover Home EditionTM). David trained with the New York Institute of Photography.
Kathy Durrett
Photo leader Kathy Durrett has lived for 46 years in the Sierra Nevada of Northern California and has an amazing family and group of friends. She loves to let the world see things through her eyes, and photography gives her the means to do that, "taking pictures is a way of telling the story with no words".
She has been teaching photography and taking pictures for over 15 years and has a great passion for her work. Kathy's images have been printed in various magazines locally and internationally, and have won several awards. "I think my favorite activity is to travel and photgraph what I see, when I have a camera in my hands I know no fear". See more of her work at visionsbykathy.com
Darran Leal
Darran Leal is one of the worlds most diverse and traveled photographers. Based on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia, each year he undertakes several major expeditions to regions in the USA, Africa, South America and beyond with new destinations being added all the time.
Darran’s work has been published around the world and is used extensively in books, magazines and commercial products. He has been commissioned by Qantas, Warner Brothers, the Queensland Government, Australia Post, Steve Parish Publishing and many other companies to supply unique images. He has also produced many of his own products, including six of his own books.
Born and raised in Brisbane, Darran’s career started in 1980 as the photographer on Norfolk Island, South Pacific. He traveled Australia extensively in the early 1980’s and worked at locations like Uluru, Kangaroo Island, Perth and in the far north. Darran moved back to his home state Queensland, in Australia in 1995 and has since traveled to many other destinations including Antarctica, Africa and the USA.
Brenda Tharp
Brenda Tharp is an award-winning, widely published photographer, with a diverse portfolio of subject matter. See www.brendatharp.com. She loves photographing wildlife and landscapes, and has a passion for sharing that with others. As a professional teacher for over 35 years, Brenda has conducted numerous workshops, seminars and photo tours and helped hundreds of people make better photographs. She initially did commercial and editorial work, but migrated to stock and fine art photography and tour-leading as her main activities. Her book, Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, was first published in 2003 and revised in 2010; her second book, Extraordinary Everyday Photography, co-authored with pro photographer Jed Manwaring, was published in 2012. Brenda has been a member of NANPA and PSA and has spoken to thousands of people across the USA on the subject of photography and creativity.
"I love the excitement of watching wildlife, and capturing those special moments of nature's beauty. Having done over 11 trips with Dolphin Charters, I can honestly say that I still haven't seen in all - and look forward every year to a new experience to be shared with everyone on the trip."
Don Paulson
In 1997 Don Paulson turned his longstanding passion for photography into a full-time profession. He specializes in nature, travel and stock photography. His images are marketed worldwide by leading stock agencies, and are regularly reproduced in a wide variety of publications. Don's compelling, often colorful fine-art prints are displayed in many corporate collections and public spaces.
Don takes special pleasure in teaching photography. He conducts photo tours and workshops and provides one-on-one tutoring sessions. Don also teaches photography courses at a local college, and is often asked to speak at camera clubs and photography conferences. Learn more about Don at www.donpaulson.com or visit his facebook page.
Richard Foregger
Richard's interest in boating began on Lake Texoma, North of Dallas, Texas while producing marketing films for a local sailboat manufacturer. He earned his Master license in Seattle, WA where he crewed, captained, and taught on every type of power driven vessel from the steam powered Virginia V, a 1920's vintage 120 foot mosquito fleet ferry, to 56 foot Sea Rays for a local marine dealership. He has delivered boats up and down the West coast and even spent two months aboard a 32 foot salmon trawler in Bristol Bay, AK. He is presently the proud owned of a 1960's vintage 39 foot trawler.
A film/video producer by trade Richard is currently working on the development of “CAPTAIN'S LOG, the Boating TV Show”, and also produces video training and marketing programs. He has a Journalism Degree from the University of Houston and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Boston University.
Jed Manwaring
Jed Manwaring is an award-winning photographer who specializes in travel and outdoor photography. His photographs have appeared in a variety of magazines including Alaska Airlines, American Forests, International Wildlife Conservation, Navigator, Outdoor Photographer, Outside, PC Photo, Sierra, Sunset, Via and Wilderness Society magazines. His images have also been used in books, calendars and cards, and his new book, co-authored with Brenda Tharp, titled Extraordinary Everday Photography. He has worked in a variety of challenging situations, including running the Colorado River in a dory, sea kayaking in Costa Rica, llama trekking, and exploring in Italy, Mexico, Alaska, and throughout the west.
"We live in a world filled with wonder and beauty. Through my photography I hope to share this with the rest of the world and to show people what a beautiful and fragile place this Earth really is. I really enjoy helping people to see creatively and make better photographs."
Jed also leads photo tours and workshops in the USA as well as internationally and teaches photography classes at the College of Marin. To see more of Jed's images (including his unique "Lightlines") go to: www.jedmanwaring.com
Buff and Gerry Corsi
BUFF: She grew up in the Midwest and came to California right out of college on a summer vacation and never went back. She worked for the California Academy of Sciences in various capacities for a number of years, eventually running their adult education program and their members' travel program. When she met Jerry she moved to Santa Rosa and they started up their own company, Focus on Nature, Inc., that offered nature photography trips and workshops. They did that for a decade and then Buff retired into wildlife videography, which has been her life ever since.
JERRY: Jerry was born in San Francisco and grew up to be an oral surgeon in Santa Rosa. He and Buff met in a nature photography class offered at the California Academy of Sciences. Once married, they ran Focus on Nature, Inc. together, and when Jerry retired from dentistry, he took up wildlife still photography and has been widely published in books, calendars, and magazines. As a photography duo, they can have it both ways – if the subject is moving, Buff is pleased, if it is posing quietly, Jerry is happy. Together, they enjoy traveling to wildlife hotspots with their video and still cameras.
To access the Corsis' work, do a Google search for "Gerald and Buff Corsi or Gerald & Buff Corsi".
Joseph Ferraro
Joseph Ferraro started fishing at age four and hasn't quit. From sunfish to sailfish, Alaska to New Zealand, fishing has been a life-long pursuit. He's fished commercially for salmon and halibut on the west coast, and in Alaska, has caught all five species of pacific salmon.
You don't have to be an expert fisherman to have a good time, and Joseph can help you improve your skills and learn techniques that have worked for him over the years. His expertise combined with the boat's ability to move to "fishy" areas should ensure a good time and fish will be had by all.
David Wimpfheimer
“Alaska's towering glacial mountains and dramatic coastal forests, inhabited by puffins, humpback whales, bears and so much wildlife has become a spiritual place for me. I'm especially looking forward to sharing Glacier Bay with this Point Reyes Field Seminar group.”
David Wimpfheimer is a professional naturalist, biologist, writer, and photographer who has a passion for birds and the natural history of California. For twenty-five years David’s seasoned focus and wide expertise have enriched nature excursions at Point Reyes and throughout California. As a guide, he has led numerous tours to Alaska, Baja, Scotland and other regions for groups including the Smithsonian Institution, Elderhostel and Wild Wings. David first felt the challenge to capture and share the wonders of the natural world through photography while exploring Alaska and other Western states in 1969. In the early 1990s he returned to Alaska to study seabirds at the Pribiloff islands and shorebirds at Prudhoe Bay. Since then he has led numerous natural history trips to both coastal and interior regions of the state.
Wildlife Special III Point Reyes Field Seminars with David Wimpfheimer 2011
Wildlife Special IV Point Reyes Field Seminars with David wimplfheimer and Jim Braswell 2011
Trip Leaders
Our leaders are trained naturalists with abundant experience providing a fun, informative adventure. Our photo tour leaders are accomplished photographers who enjoy sharing their skill in recording nature on film.