In the age of the Internet and digital media, ecologists have unprecedented opportunities to communicate directly with diverse audiences. Visual media play a central role in engaging the public in science, and photography is a particularly valuable tool for dissolving technical language barriers between stakeholders. Not all images are created equal, however; but a few basic artistic and technical skills can turn snapshots into purposeful imagery. The goals of this workshop are to enhance your digital photography skills, both in the artistic and technical realms (bring your camera!), and to promote the use of visual media in ecologistsf dialogue with the public and policymakers. These goals will be addressed through lectures, an instructional in-the-field workshop UT Austinfs Brackenridge Field Laboratory, small-group discussions, and take]home materials. The workshop will begin and end at the conference center, but our hands-on field exercises will help participants improve their photographic and visual communication skills and allow them to experiment with specialized photographic equipment provided by the organizers. Participants will leave with a greater ability to (1) pre-visualize the images they need to tell a story; (2) capture well-designed, informative images on a regular basis; and (3) share ecological research through photography. NOTE: This workshop is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Part 1 focuses on image capture; Part 2 focuses on using images to communicate through traditional and new media. Participants will gain the most from this series by enrolling in both parts, but each part is self-contained and may also be taken independently.