Get beyond taking pictures, and instead create beautiful photographs in Yosemite Valley, one of greatest treasures of California. Learn to produce powerful images and develop your “eye” for photography using composition and technique including depth of field, high-dynamic range, and more. Photograph Yosemite’s Horsetail Falls, with February weather ranging from blue skies to winter snow. The post-trip meeting will provide an opportunity to review and critique photos. Students are expected to have a good working knowledge of their cameras, including exposure and aperture. This class is suitable for any format of film or digital camera with manual controls. Class is limited to 9 participants. Visit www.sdnhm.org/itineraries for a complete itinerary.

Classes: Thursday, February 18; 6–9 PM and
Tuesday, March 9, 2010; 6–9 PM
Trip: Thursday, February 25; 8 AM to Sunday, February 28, 2010; 6 PM
$400 per person; Single supplement $230; Optional transportation $200

Open to ages 6 and up.

Visit Scammon’s Lagoon, one of Baja California’s most pristine locales and take a boat ride alongside gray whales. Side trips include stops at Guerrero Negro to visit a bird-filled marsh and Vizcaíno Desert to view ancient cave paintings. Price includes transportation, accommodations, travel insurance, and some meals. Passport and Mexican tourist card ($20–$25) required. Visit www.sdnhm.org/itineraries for a complete itinerary.

Thursday, February 25; 6 PM to Sunday, February 28, 2010; 10 PM
Member $520; Nonmember $570; Single supplement $140; $40 third-person-in-room discount

Leaders: Maria and Esther Mitrani

Members Only!

Open to ages 8 and up.

Get up close and personal with gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon in their winter breeding and calving grounds. Stay at a tented base camp at Punta Piedra. Observe breaching and blowing whales, flocks of shorebirds, and beautiful sunsets. In between whale watching from skiffs and shore, explore mangrove estuaries and the area’s geologic history. Passport and Mexican tourist card ($20–$25) required. Visit www.sdnhm.org/itineraries for a complete itinerary.

Orientation: Tuesday, March 16, 2010; 6:30–8 PM
Trip: Thursday, March 25 to Thursday, April 1, 2010
$1495 per person; Optional transportation $250; Single supplement $250; Deposit $400
Leaders: Museum and Baja Discovery staff