Songbirds of Northern NJ/PA: 2026 Photography Workshop

Price: $499

Join Matt for a morning of songbird photography in Northern New Jersey or Pennsylvania. During this workshop, we’ll focus on capturing stunning images of birds such as new world warblers, sparrows, finches, and more during migration. Our goal is quality over quantity, with a focus on shot composition and storytelling.

Available: May 15th - May 25th

Workshop Includes: 4-hours in the field instruction

This workshop runs rain or shine (unless it’s an absolute deluge).

What we may see:

American Redstart
Black and White Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Canada Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler

What you’ll need:

Interchangeable lens DSLR or Mirrorless Camera with a 300mm lens or longer
Plenty of memory cards + batteries
Rain gear (for you and your gear)
Long pants and insect repellent (Deet or Permethrin for Ticks)

Cost: $499 ($100 deposit to secure spot, remainder due 30 days prior to workshop. Over 60 days notice, refundable as credit toward any future workshops. Non-refundable deposit within 60 days of the workshop date.

- Close encounters with migrating songbirds as they sing, forage, and look for territories in the area. Though they will come in close, a longer lens is ideal as these are still small birds. We’ll need as much magnification as possible!
- Some birds may come in close, others won’t. For this reason, I cannot guarantee any particular species. I will do everything in my power to put us in the right spot for a particular species, but if the birds are not cooperative we’ll move on to another spot.
- This workshop is held in a region with multiple parks, trailheads and preserves. We’ll be driving to and from each shooting location and work with various subjects in different habitats. Attendees will follow me in their vehicle unless otherwise stated.
Below, I’ll list some of the species way may see on our outing. Birds that are typically exclusive to or more common in PA bold.
- American Redstart
- Black and White Warbler
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Louisiana Waterthrush
- Blue-winged Warbler
- Prairie Warbler
- Eastern Towhee
- Cerulean Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Magnolia Warbler
- Hooded Warbler
- Yellow Warbler
- Pine Warbler
- Canada Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Indigo Bunting
- Black-throated Blue Warbler
- Scarlet Tanager
- Golden-winged Warbler
- Northern Waterthrush
Camera Gear
- Interchangeable lens DSLR or mirrorless camera with a 300mm lens or longer (The longer the better!)
- Plenty of memory cards and batteries
- Tripod or monopod if needed. Handheld is ideal as we’ll be moving around in some cases.
- Rain sleeve
Non-camera gear
- Sturdy, waterproof hiking footwear.
- Long pants (tucked into socks for maximum insect shielding)
- Insect repellent (I treat my clothes with permethrin, but use what works best for you)
- Rain jacket