Guyana at California nature photography trade show
-- Top nature photographer due here next month
Guyana Chronicle
January 23, 2007
GUYANA’S attendance at the North American Nature Photography Association’s (NANPA) 13th annual trade show in Palm Springs, California from January 17 to 21 is yielding positive results, according to participants.
Representatives touting Guyana at the booth included local photographer David Fernandes, Wilderness Explorers General Manager, Teri O’Brien, and United States Agency for International Development/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (USAID/GTIS) tourism specialist, Judy Karwacki.
GTIS said the Guyana team also received assistance from Joanne Williams, a professional nature photographer and NANPA member.
NANPA is North America’s only association focused on the field of nature photography. Their mission, GTIS said, is to promote the art and science of nature photography as a medium of communication for nature appreciation and environmental protection.
Every year the trade show attracts 800 nature-related professional and amateur photographers and features some 50 exhibitors. Photographers come together to exchange ideas, experiences, and technical information, as well as discuss ideal nature photography locations.
GTIS said the Guyana representatives attended the trade show to display the country’s photogenic qualities and market Guyana as a nature photography tour destination.
Birds are a popular subject for nature photographers as are large mammals, making the photography market a natural extension of the GTA-GTIS birding tourism programme.
At the booth, Fernandes was the resident local photographer who shared firsthand insights (and samples of his photographs) into what Guyana offers to camera wielding visitors.
O’Brien was on hand to represent Guyana’s tourism operators and field questions regarding the logistics of planning a trip to Guyana, while Karwacki met several nature photography tour operators to introduce them to Guyana.
According to GTIS, Williams recently partnered up with the Guyana Tourism Authority-GTIS project to offer assistance and advice in planning trips for nature photographers.
It is expected that Williams, through her company, Joanne Williams Photo Safari/Tours, will be leading the first nature photography tour to Guyana.
GTIS said she will be travelling to Guyana next month to take part in a birding and natural history product familiarisation (FAM) tour, and is looking at introducing a tour for November 2007.
It said the tourism industry will be invited to participate in a debriefing session at the end of the FAM tour, where Williams will give her assessment of Guyana’s potential as a nature photography tour destination.
GTIS reported that in addition to several travel photographers who found Guyana to be an appealing destination, four nature photography tour operators expressed interest in starting future tours to Guyana, and Neblina Tours, a nature tour operator that features Guyana in their catalogue, said a lot of interest was shown at their booth.
Much of the excitement, it said, came from the fact that Guyana’s amazing birds and nature have rarely been professionally photographed.
Guyana’s Birding Tourism Programme is receiving support from GTIS, a joint project of the Government of Guyana and USAID.