As part of the weekend’s Wild Coast Film Festival in Astoria, photographers gathered Friday at the Riverwalk just outside the Bowline Hotel for a guided photo walk.

Professional conservation photographers Morgan Heim and Gretchen Kay Stuart were on hand to teach attendees about how to photograph the intersections between wild nature and urban life. Both photographers are local to the region and were able to give insights into the animal life that populates the mouth of the Columbia.

Sea lions received the most photographic attention initially with their expressive faces and aquatic acrobatics.

The photographers then headed east on the Riverwalk, stopping every few moments as Heim or Stuart would point toward some waterfowl that had previously gone unseen by the other photographers. The group made a 180-degree turn at Pier 39 after stopping to take photos of the sea lions that line the docks there.

Over the course of the blustery and cold walk, attendees spotted a plethora of wildlife including cormorants, bufflehead ducks and bald eagles. The walk helped kick off a weekend filled with film screenings and panels showcasing stories about the natural world.