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Allendale, NJ (November 29, 2011) – Leica Camera, Inc., the legendary German camera manufacturer, is collaborating with Seedlight Workshops, developer of environmental photography workshops, to host “Preserving Patagonia: Conservation Photography with the Patagonia Sur Foundation.” Taking place March 3-10, 2012 in Chilean Patagonia, this experiential workshop is led by Conservation Photojournalist Bridget Besaw. Throughout the week, participants learn documentary and travel photography techniques and capture all aspects of the story of Patagonia conservation in breathtaking quality with Leica Camera’s flagship M9 and M9-P digital rangefinder cameras as well as the entire portfolio of lenses.

“We are very excited to partner with Bridget Besaw for this incomparable travel experience,” said Christian Erhardt, Vice President of Marketing at Leica Camera, Inc. “A Leica in hand, participants interpret and capture fleeting moments to document the planet’s natural resources and the people who work, play and steward Patagonia’s impressive and irreplaceable landscape.”

Workshop participants spend the week with Bridget Besaw amidst her six month project of documenting the preservation and stewardship of the Aysén region of Patagonia in conjunction with the Patagonia Sur Foundation. After learning relevant photographic techniques during informative lectures, participants put them into practice in the field. The result is a final portfolio that includes stunning imagery of the vast, pristine wilderness region, one of the last of its kind in the world. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and crystalline lakes near the banks of the El Tigre River and abutting Lago Palena National Reserve, Patagonia Sur Nature Reserve’s “La Estrella” serves as home base for the week.

Designed for both professional and amateur photographers with an interest in travel photography as well as environmental issues, workshop participants have the opportunity to utilize the latest additions to Leica’s storied M-System, the Leica M9 and M9-P. The entire portfolio of M lenses is also available throughout the workshop, including the latest Super-Elmar-M 21 mm f/3.4 ASPH, an amazingly compact super-wide-angle lens.

Workshop leader Bridget Besaw’s work is inspired primarily by her passion for environmental protection. Her projects have tackled issues such as development threats to northern Maine’s wilderness, loss of working farmland in New England and climate change research and prevention in South American and Indonesian forests. As a newspaper and magazine photographer, Ms. Besaw has won numerous national press awards for her work in publications such as Newsweek, Time, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, Business Week, Smithsonian, National Geographic Adventure and Nature Conservancy Magazine. She now produces imagery, multimedia, exhibits and books for environmental organizations and teaches photography workshops. She has also published two books, Wildness Within, Wildness Without and From the Land, in partnership with environmental organizations.

Class size is limited to 12 students. The 8-day/7-night workshop costs $5,800 per person and includes transport between Puerto Montt, Chile and La Estrella and all food, beverage and lodging. Transportation from origin city to Puerto Montt, Chile is not included.

For additional information and to register, please click here or email Reservations@PatagoniaSur.com.

About Leica Camera:
Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, technology and experience. It is at once an extension of art, knowledge and philosophy, providing a state-of-the-art optical experience in a precision, hand-made photographic instrument. Leica Camera has a simple mission: to provide users with an incomparable experience, an instrument that defines an unsurpassed heritage and sets a standard of excellence for the industry to meet.

About Seedlight Workshops:
Seedlight workshops use advocacy photojournalism to elevate environmental awareness through the creation of powerful imagery that reminds the viewer of the importance of protecting the planet. Seedlight workshops connect photographers with a passion for the environment to environmental organizations with urgent, compelling stories that need telling. Photographers are partnered with local and global environmental organizations working at the heart of the story. Each workshop focuses on creating effective visual media projects while helping environmental organizations to better utilize visual storytelling in their work.

About Patagonia Sur:
Patagonia Sur is a for-profit conservation venture that invests in, protects, and enhances scenically remarkable and ecologically valuable properties in Chilean Patagonia. An innovative blend of conservation + capitalism, Patagonia Sur seeks to deliver competitive financial returns to investors by preserving pristine ecosystems and the traditional culture of Patagonia in perpetuity by developing and nurturing a diverse portfolio of self-sustaining and environmentally sensitive businesses. www.PatagoniaSur.com