Tom and Cree just returned from their Ouray Fall Colors Workshop in Colorado and are sharing the highlights with you. Tom says there was more fall color on Red Mountain Pass this year then he has ever seen. Highlights of the workshop were the abundance of color in the groves including so many orange and red aspens this year.
To see photos from our Ouray Fall Colors, check out the trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Tom and Cree will be heading Greece to photograph the fall harvest with 10 lucky photographers. We’ll check out the shipwreck at Zakynthos and watch fishermen bring in their daily catch. After that we are off to Botswana for our annual Africa Workshop. If we are lucky we will photograph Mr. Special – our favorite resident male cheetah at Splash Camp.
Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For September we chose an image from our Greenland Photography Workshop. The image was taken by Eric Lacey in the Greenlandic town of Ilulissat. Eric is a landscape and travel photographer from Boston.
Congratulations to September 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Eric Lacey
Eric sharing his portraits with the locals
The Story…
We were out walking the town of Ilulissat with Tom and Odd. We photographed whatever caught our eye. The colorful buildings were interesting and we tried to compress them. We came down to the bottom of the hill and we could see the water. There was a dog kennel nearby. I was looking at the puppies.
I heard the words, “Take Picture.” I turned around and there were two little girls behind me. I said “Oh, do you want me to take your picture?” and she said, “Yeah!”
So I started taking pictures of her and her friend. I went over and sat down to show them the photos. I started taking more photos and more children started coming out of the houses and they all wanted to have their pictures taken.
The girl who I first heard, was the only one who seemed to have any English skills. She understood me pretty well. I tried to get her name, but I couldn’t understand what she said.
I am very intimidated by taking pictures of adults. But it is very easy for me to interact with children. The interaction with the kids was very unexpected. It was spontaneous. I wouldn’t have asked them to pose, but since they raised it first, I was very willing.
The photo may not be my favorite photo of the trip, but it is the one I will remember the most. I really enjoyed the interaction.
I wasn’t exactly sure what reception we would get in Greenland. I learned that the Inuit are a very proud and open people. They were very respectful. We were in a taxi and the driver said, “We respect everyone who respects us.”
September 2025 Photo of the Month by Eric Lacey
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon R5
Lens: 100-500mm at 100mm
Aperture: f10
Shutter: 1/1250
ISO: 400
Arches of Ice near Ilulissat, Greenland
About Photographing in Greenland
Greenland was never on my bucket list…..until I saw the photos that you and Tom got on your last trip.
The icebergs were phenomenal. The shapes of the iceberg were surprising and beautiful. We got one night of sunset, as opposed to dimer light. Most of my favorite photos came in the sunset. It was an unforgettable trip for us.
The landscape is beautiful but kind of sparse. The tundra is different for those of us who do not get up North regularly.
After showing my photos to other people, they all want to go there now. It is only 3.5 hours from Newark to get to Nuuk.
Fall colors in the tundra near Ilulissat
Eric’ s Tips for Photographing Icebergs
My #1 tip is to shoot wide. I did not own a super wide lens. I bought one two days before going on the trip. I did not think I would use it that much.
In the past I have been disappointed because it makes everything look so small. With the icebergs they are so big, and you can get so close that it works great. I am usually a big scene landscape photographer and use the 24mm range all of the time.
2) Shoot in high speed. Because we were on a moving boat we were shooting very fast. The foreground ice chunks in the scene would move by very quickly. I shot regularly at 10 frames per second. This helped me to position the foreground elements in my final selection.
3) Look for foreground icebergs with a submerged portion. The water is so clear that you can see the definition in the underwater icebergs. Tom brought up a photo during the image review with a beautiful submerged iceberg. This became one of my focuses for the rest of the trip.
4) Not about icebergs, but engage every child you see when walking by.
Iceberg Arch with Foreground Ice
On Eric’s Horizon:
South Georgia, Antarctica, Falklands
South Africa
Peru
Utah Landscapes
Japan
Eric and Kim close to a large iceberg
Workshop Openings:
Join us for more Coastal Photography on the Alaska Kenai Explorer July 7-12, 2026. Calving glaciers, Sea Otters, Whales, and beautiful scenery near Seward and Homer, Alaska. 4 Spaces Available. Learn more
Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For August we chose an image from our Redwoods & Rocky Coastlines Workshop. The image was taken by Suzy Onysko at Lagoon Creek Beach. Suzy is a wildlife and fine art photographer from Ohio. You can see her work featured on Susan Onysko Photography.
Congratulations to August 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Suzy Onysko
Suzy photographing at slow shutter speeds on the beach in Crescent City, California
The Story…
We went to Lagoon Creek in the afternoon and wow it was windy! I started out with a tripod, trying to capture the fast-moving waves and sea spray with the sea stacks in the background, but honestly, I wasn’t feeling it. Then I remembered something from a talk earlier that day: Tom Bol said he loves shooting water at 1 second because it keeps just enough texture to stay interesting. Normally, I go with much longer shutter speeds to get that dreamy, soft, gooey look in water, so this felt totally new to me. And that’s exactly why I’ve traveled with the Bols for 15+ years – there’s always something new to learn!
So I switched my camera to manual, cranked up the f-stop, lowered the ISO, and set my shutter speed to 1 second. Loved it instantly! And best of all – no need for that 10-stop ND filter I lugged along. 🙂 I set a 2-second delay so I didn’t need the cable release, parked myself in one spot, and just played with the waves all evening, timing the shutter to see how different wave patterns would transform the image.
At first, for about half an hour, everything came out in these gorgeous midtone grays – perfect for black and white. Then as the sun dropped, the mood shifted. Suddenly, beautiful golden highlights lit up my moody blue water, and the whole scene just glowed. In this photo, what I really loved was the reflection of the sun shimmering in the sand – such a beautiful combo!
I knew I was onto something when I looked up an hour later and realized I was facing the opposite direction of everyone else. Usually I’m the queen of FOMO, but I was so entranced I didn’t even notice!
Processing was easy in Lightroom. I hit that magical AUTO button, used the Adobe Landscape profile, set a Cloudy WB, and then spent some quality time zapping about a zillion dust spots. Lightroom has really come a long way! My little secret trick was using the Adaptive Sky – Blue Hour Preset. Lightroom thought my waves were clouds (ha!), so by lowering the opacity I ended up with these gorgeous, rich blue tones in the water.
August 2025 Photo of the Month by Susan Onysko
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z9
Lens:100-400mm at 100mm
Aperture: f32
Shutter: 1 second
ISO: 64
About Photographing in the Redwoods
This was my second time on the Redwoods Photo Workshop with TBPW and I can honestly say that it’s one of the most challenging places I’ve ever photographed. The first time you go, you’re just overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the trees. Figuring out how to photograph them so that the images actually capture their scale and power. That’s the tricky part. I don’t think you really understand how hard it is until you’re standing right there in front of them.
Most of the spots we photograph in the Redwoods are low light, which means a tripod is a must if you want clean, sharp files. If you’re not used to shooting with a tripod – practice! 🙂 For me, it’s especially frustrating because most of my photography is handheld or with a beanbag from a safari vehicle in Africa. Switching gears to “tripod mode” definitely takes patience.
The coast in California and Oregon is absolutely lovely. Of course, I always dream of those gorgeous, cloudy, colorful sunsets (and even stayed extra days in Oregon hoping for one!), but alas… Mother Nature had other plans. Oregon was socked in, and other days I had completely clear skies. So, I went the black-and-white route instead. I ended up thrilled with my slow-water images from this trip. The best part is that the photos from my second trip look completely different from my first. That’s the beauty of returning to a place – you never know what magic you’ll find.
Surfline at Lagoon Creek
Suzy’ s Tips for Photographing at the Coast
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of tripods. But… in my opinion, they often make the difference between a snapshot and a wall-hanger. 🙂 At the coast, a tripod really helps when you want to play with different shutter speeds to capture the mood of the waves – whether that’s silky and soft or crashing and powerful.
One of the highlights of this trip was when Cree found some AMAZING starfish for us to photograph. It was so much fun to see during the image showcase at the end how many variations people captured: starfish with soft waves, starfish with crashing waves, starfish close-up, starfish with big sweeping scenes. The creativity was endless!
As for me, the moment I had pulled out my trusty infrared camera and a polarizer I was completely absorbed in photographing tidal pools. I loved the way the kelp and sea plants transformed in infrared – they had this wonderful, otherworldly texture. I guess that means I’ll just have to go back another time for those starfish… not the worst problem to have! 😉
Tidepool in Infrared
On Suzy’s Horizon:
Grand Teton National Park
Ouray with TBPW
Australia
Botswana
Falklands, Antarctica and South Georgia with TBPW
Workshop Openings:
Join us for more Coastal Photography on the Alaska Kenai Explorer July 7-12, 2026. Calving glaciers, Sea Otters, Whales, and beautiful scenery near Seward and Homer, Alaska. 4 Spaces Available. Learn more
Tom and Cree just returned from their Texas Birds in Spring Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Two sessions of photographers joined us in the tip of Texas to photograph vibrant songbirds from photo blinds. Highlights of the workshop were photographing the Painted Bunting and Greater Roadrunner.
To see photos from our Texas Birds in Spring Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Cree and Tom are in Lafayette, Louisiana this week with a group of photographers. They will finish their streak of bird photography workshops with a stop in Ohio for Spring Warblers.
Any upcoming openings?
We have 2 spaces available on our Texas Birds in Spring Workshop next year May 11-16, 2026. This workshop requires minimal walking and is the perfect way to become a better bird photographer.
Ouray Fall Colors : September 28-August 2, 2025 2 Spaces Available. The best of Colorado’s aspen forests just in time for brilliant yellow foliage.
Tom and Cree just returned from their Costa Rica Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Ten photographers joined them in the rainforest of Southern Costa Rica to photograph spectacular mammals, birds and reptiles. Highlights of the workshop were photographing the Fiery-billed Aracari and seeing a Northern Tamadua Anteater.
What’s Next: Cree and Tom are off to Tucson next week for their Tucson and Saguaro National Park Workshop. They will be joining 10 photographers to photograph the Sonoran Desert and it’s magnificent backlit cacti at sunset.
Any upcoming openings?
Just one space left on our Louisiana Bayous Workshop May 7-11, 2025. Explore the cypress swamps by boat looking for herons, egrets, spoonbills and alligators. Photograph nesting Great Egrets chicks at a private rookery. This trip is already full in 2026.
Ouray Fall Colors : September 28-August 2, 2025 1 Space Available. The best of Colorado’s aspen forests just in time for brilliant yellow foliage.
Tom and Cree just returned from their Iditarod and Northern Lights Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Twelve photographers joined them in Alaska to photograph spectacular aurora and the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Highlights of the workshop were photographing a solar substorm aurora display and getting so much access to the iditarod mushers.
To see photos from our Iditarod and Northern Lights Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Cree and Tom are off to Costa Rica next week for their Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop. They will be joining 12 photographers to look for sloths, monkeys, macaws, anteaters and lush tropical foliage at Crocodile Bay on the Osa Penninsula.
Image Celebration: Winter Images – Please join us for our next Happy Hour Image Celebration. This is your chance to show 3 of your recent images from this winter. March 19 at 6 pm MDT Denver. Click here to request the Zoom link. Feel free to invite all your friends and fellow photographers as well!
Any upcoming openings?
Two spaces opened on our: Louisiana Bayous Workshop May 7-11, 2025. Explore the cypress swamps by boat looking for herons, egrets and spoonbills. Visit a rookery and photograph nesting Great Egrets chicks
Ouray Fall Colors : September 28-August 2, 2025 4 Spaces Available. the best of Colorado’s aspen forests just in time for brilliant yellow foliage.
Tom and Cree just returned from their Baja Whale Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Nine photographers joined them on the Sea of Cortez and San Ignacio Lagoon to photograph Blue Whales, Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, dolphin and plenty of seabirds. The experience of touching a wild whale and being so close to them was a highlight of the workshop.
To see photos from our Baja Whale Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Cree and Tom are headed off to photograph the Iditarod Sled Dog Race and to look for Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska. Our group will be flying into Ruby, Alaska this year to see the race in progress.
Image Celebration: Winter Images – please join us for our next Happy Hour Image Celebration. This is your chance to show 3 of your recent images from this winter. March 19 at 6 pm MDT Denver. Click here to request the Zoom link. Feel free to invite all your friends and fellow photographers as well!
Tom and Cree just returned from Finland and their Finland: Winter Magic Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Eleven photographers joined them in Finnish Lapland to photograph aurora at night and to explore the Finnish forest during the day. The dazzling aurora displays and novel modes of transportation were highlights of the workshop.
To see photos from our Finland Winter Magic Photo Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Cree and Tom are headed to Baja to photograph whales and sea life leaping out of the water. A highlight is sure to be touching Gray Whales from our small fishing boat.
Aurora Photography: Free Zoom Presentation – please join us for our next Happy Hour talk on Aurora Photography. Tom and Cree will walk you through all the settings, gear and techniques for capturing the aurora. February 11 at 6 pm MST Denver. Click here for the Zoom link. Feel free to invite all your friends and fellow photographers as well!
Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For January we chose an image taken on our Bosque and White Sands Workshop. The image was taken by Ellie Burns-Brookens while photographing the “Blast Off” at Bosque Del Apache NWR. Ellie is a landscape photographer from Oregon who is quickly becoming a wildlife photographer as well.
Congratulations to January 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Ellie Burns-Brookens
Ellie in White Sands National Park
The Story…
I don’t shoot birds very well. We had a practice session where we were just learning about our equipment. I knew I needed help getting the right settings. Steve Glass helped me get the right Canon settings. Tom did a presentation that showed us what we were looking for with birds in flight. Tom’s hints included light coming through feathers, groups of birds and specific behavious. That helped me understand the goals.
I knew that I needed to just see those situations and shoot. With landscape photography I take my time and try different compositions. The pace is much faster with wildlife photography.
We shot for quite a while that morning. I started by taking close up photos of Snow Geese. I tried to capture bird behaviour and then started working on birds that were taking off and landing.
Tom often starts yelling random things. He said “Try to get them flying through the sun”. This made no sense to me in the beginning. I was wondering “What exposure should I use?” “How do i do this?” Then I just started looking for groups of geese flying through the sun. I kept tracking them and pushing the shutter.
January 2025 Photo of the Month by Ellie Burns-Brookens
In this photo, I loved the silhouettes, especially the one with the tattered wing. In order for me to be successful with this king of shooting, I needed a combination of knowing when to start shooting and knowing what to looking for. Normally, I would never have shot into the sun without Tom’s hint. A tiny bit of skill, Some luck. And the right suggestion at the right time.
Now I am in Hawaii shooting albatross in flight….very hard! I feel like I know what I am looking for. The camera is behaving. I feel like I have learned a lot. It will be a long time before I feel like I am really good at it.
I am using Photo Mechanic now to go through all my new bird images. This is the least edited photo I have ever done. It was all in the camera. I added a slight vignette and brought down the highlights.
Okay…..I guess you can shoot into the sun.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon R6
Lens: Canon RF 100-500 at 500mm
Aperture: f7.1
Shutter: 1/1250
ISO: 100
Mode: Manual, Auto ISO
Sunset with Sandhill Cranes at Bernardo Refuge
About Photographing in Bosque
I learned a lot more about wildlife photography. The last time I shot birds was in Patagonia and they were condors with 9 ft wing spans.
The colors in Bosque are stunning in the sky. You have beautiful light for the background to the wildlife.
We knew the geese and cranes would be coming to certain areas for roosting at night and take off in the morning. The ponds are managed for that. The wildlife is so abundant that you get a chance to practice a lot. There are so many behaviors to see. Combine that with incredible skies and it is just magical.
I didn’t realize the Sandhill Cranes were so colorful. They are quirky birds that make weird gestures. They move their necks in funny ways. They are very different from other birds that I have photographed.
I love the feeling and the noise when all the cranes come in at once. You can hear them coming from a long way off. It is very exciting. I didn’t think bird photography would be so exciting.
About Photographing in New Mexico
I loved photographing in White Sands. It felt a lot like photographing in the Palouse. I practiced looking for shape and light. This was different for me as a landscape photographer. I was looking forward to that.
I did a workshop in the Palouse and for the first few days I could not see it. I could not see the shapes and lines. This came back to me when we were in White Sands. I was always looking for beautiful opportunities with layers and V shapes. Intersecting lines and curves. The intersecting layers reached all the way to the mountains and it was so pretty.
The other thing that was available was finding a single standout subject, like the yucca, to contrast to the sea of shapes and color. I tried to keep it very simplistic. I used my telephoto and made sure I had just a few layers in the foreground. I put the yucca on the right on purpose to balance out the hills on the left.
Landscape in White Sands National Park
Ellie’s Tips for Photographing in New Mexico
Tip 1
Go with Tom and Cree. They know the locations and the bird behavior. It is the perfect workshop to learn to shoot birds in flight. I could never have done it on my own. I knew what to look for and had plenty of time to practice in the field.
Tip 2
I was amazed at the colors. I love lenticular clouds. I have never seen a bright orange lenticular cloud like that before. In White Sands, the sand reflects the beautiful color of the clouds. I don’t know of any other place where the light is like the light in New Mexico.
Tip 3
These are great locations for trying new creative techniques. Sometimes you get stuck in a photography rut and want to be more creative. These are great places to try thinking differently. Shoot flying things flying through the sun. Shooting shapes and simplicity in the dunes. This workshop got me jazzed up again. I am inspired to try more new things.
Sandhill Crane Behaviour in Bosque NWR
On Ellie’s Horizon:
Iceland
Botswana – first time to Africa
Ireland and Scotland
Orkney and Shetland Islands
Ellie photographing the Blast Off in Bosque NWR
What’s coming up?
Happy Hour: All About Aurora – Join Tom and Cree for a free online presentation on photographing the Aurora. February 11 at 6 pm MST Denver time. Click here to ask for the link
Where are Tom and Cree? We are headed to Finland for a Northern Lights Workshop and then on to Baja to photograph whales with a group. Both temperature extremes on these two workshops
Workshop Openings? Interested in photographing whales and iceburgs in Greenland? One space just opened in August. We also have openings for Costa Rica and Spring Warblers in 2025.
Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For November we chose an image taken on our Arches and Canyonlands Workshop. The image was taken by SaraLynn Lehner and edited by her husband Dave Lehner while photographing at the Garden of Eden in Arches National Park. Dave and Saralynn are wildlife and landscape photographers from Colorado Springs.
Congratulations to November 2024 ‘s featured photographer – Saralynn and Dave Lehner
Saralynn and Dave in Castle Valley, Utah
The Story…
Saralynn: It took my breath away. I am not normally a person who likes deserts. I was thinking this scene is magnificent. How do I record this to capture the feeling after we leave?
I wanted to be sure I had my settings right. I am still learning the camera. I tried different apertures. I was thinking about exposure comp and asked myself “Do I want it lighter or darker?” Because I get so easily excitable, I had to think about my breathing. I was hand holding the camera and wanted to be still, so I took some deep breaths.
I took a whole bunch of photos. I moved to the left to get the arch in the frame. I felt very satisfied that I got it. I played with a variety of settings to make sure I captured the scene just right.
In the past I have not used my playback enough. On this trip I used playback all the time. I was walking back to the car and saw some tourists from India. They asked what we were photographing and I showed them my camera back. They said, “Oh my gosh, that looks like a painting.” That’s when I knew I really got it.
November 2024 Photo of the Month by Saralynn Lehner
Dave: I like using just one tool to edit. I found PhotoShop much easier to use than Lightroom and it really meets my needs. The editing was pretty straight forward. I masked the sky separately from the mountains. I brought the whites down a bit in the landscape because the mountains and clouds were bright. I added texture to the red rocks. This brought out some of the lines in the rocks.
I did a very minimal edit on the color. I did not want to effect the pink sky because Saralynn really captured it. I did not want to lose any of the red orange on the rocks. I really just stuck to changing the textures in the scene. I did remove a few minor road signs.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon 100-400 at 360mm
Aperture: f5.6
Shutter: 1/320th
ISO: 640
Mode: Aperture
The Garden of Eden in Arches National Park by Saralynn Lehner
About Photographing in Arches and Canyonlands
Saralynn – I loved it. I was so surprised at how beautiful the rocks and the arches were. This was especially so when the sun came out. Monument Valley was beautiful too. Arches had so much more. There were formations all over the place and the snowy background added to it. I fell in love with Moab. It surprised me.
Dave – This was my third time going to Arches. I have always been impressed with the arches and the sky behind the arches. The highlight of this trip was the recent snow on the LaSals.. They looked so crisp and clean. They looked like they were on a Coors Lite commercial.
Saralynn – We have plans to go back in late February or early March. You could spend so much time in the park and it is only 8 hours from our house. You can shoot the formations from so many different angles. We want to spend some time at Delicate Arch and Double Arch.
Dave – Mesa Arch was on my wishlist and we nailed it. I loved our angle on the right side of the arch.
Mesa Arch at Sunrise by Saralynn Lehner
Lehner Tips for Photographing in the Utah Desert
Tip 1 Saralynn
Include the iconic features. It donned on me that I was taking so many photos and yet, I did not have any of the arches in them. The snow on the LaSals and the sun distracted me. I took two steps to the left and was able to include the Turret Arch in the image.
Tip 2 Dave
Walking down the road just a bit will really change the perspective on the scene. Walk up the road and then walk in the opposite direction. Going the other direction will bring other opportunities. Keep looking for images as you walk.
Tip 3 Dave
Every day is different with the weather in November. It was a blessing for us. It gave us new opportunities every day. ND filters can add a moody element to changing weather.
Tip 4 Saralynn
When other people are photographing from a different spot, walk over and see if there is something there. Maybe they are seeing something different. Keep an open mind to others’ point of view.
On Team Lehner’s Horizon:
Bosque & White Sands National Park
Tucson & Saguaro National Park
Iceland
Redwoods National Park
Ouray, Colorado
Acadia National Park
Vietnam
Team Lehner in action
What’s coming up?
Bol Holiday Gift Guide – Everyone welcome! Join Tom and Cree online for our free annual gift recommendations for photographers. December 1, 2024 at 4 pm MDT Denver. Click here to get the free link.
Tom and Cree are headed to Bosque del Apache and White Sands National Park next. A last minute space opened up on the Dec 8-12 workshop if you would like to join them Click here for details.
