Birds in Focus: An Evening with Two Santa Barbara County Bird Photographers

Join us for this special event featuring two 30-minute illustrated presentations by Santa Barbara County-based photographers – John Callender and Sophie Cameron – followed by audience questions. We are fortunate to have a number of exceptional bird photographers in our community and plan on presenting events with many of them in future Birds in Focus programs.

John Callender will explore how birding led him to photography, driven by the desire to document sightings, study the finer points of identification, and get feedback from experts about challenging species. He’ll discuss how digital photography has transformed his own birding, including examples of his own photos, the evolution of his gear and techniques, and lessons he’s learned along the way.  Sophie Cameron will show a selection of bird and wildlife photos she’s taken over the past seven years and talk about her work as a bird ambassador and naturalist. We’ll also learn about her top birding adventures, favorite birding spots and spark bird.

John Callender has been birding casually since his childhood in the 1960s. Around 2018, some encounters with experienced birders got him excited about taking his birding to the next level. The fun of low-key competition via eBird rankings motivated him to chase species he’d largely ignored until then, which led to a deeper engagement with other local birders. He’s grateful to be part of the enthusiastic and welcoming Santa Barbara birding community, including the Santa Barbara Audubon Society and the local Christmas Bird Counts. He’s co-founder of Carpinteria Birdwatchers, which holds monthly meetings and outings in the Carpinteria area.

Sophie Cameron grew up in Santa Barbara exploring the outdoors and fostering a curiosity for all things nature. She attended UCSB to study Biological Sciences and now works as a Naturalist. She also researches bird migration and teaches a field course on birding through the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. She loves spreading the joy that birds bring her with everyone she meets and cherishes all of the adventures that being a birder and wildlife photographer have provided.