Brazil 2018
I had the great pleasure of meeting Dale in August 2019 on a trip that he led to the Brazilian Pantanal with an extension to Iguazu Falls. And what a wonderful trip it was! As an inexperienced photographer, I was the least accomplished in our group and Dale adeptly integrated my need for extensive instruction into his management of the group as a whole. Throughout the course of the trip, he taught me in a progressive fashion with one day’s photography building on the practices and accomplishments of the prior. I also enjoyed the vigor that he brought to his teaching, balancing a willingness to repeat foundational concepts which slipped through the cracks in my brain with the expectation that I engage in the process of learning and assume responsibility for some degree of retention. Aside from the photography, Dale’s guiding skills were impressive and he shared his knowledge of the fauna, local environment, and larger world of ecology and conservation with passion, commitment, and extensive foundational knowledge. And to boot, he’s a good teller of stories and great company with whom to share a caipirinha! Bottom line: I learned a heap, got a bunch of photos that look like they were taken by a “grown-up” photographer, had a blasting good time, and have already planned future trips with Dale which I anticipate gleefully.