Tom and Cree just returned from the Utah Desert for their Arches and Canyonlands Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined a group of 10 photographers to photograph landscapes with stunning red rock formations. The variable weather, night sky shoot and morning light at Mesa Arch were all favorites of the tour.
To see photos from our Arches and Canyonlands Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next:
Cree and Tom are taking a few weeks off to photograph eagles in Haines, Alaska. They will be driving over and looking for moose and northern lights along the way. Keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram for updates. We will do our best to answer your emails as soon as possible.
Any upcoming openings?
Two spaces just became available for our popular Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop – March 22-29, 2025. Photograph sloths, Scarlet Macaws and four types of monkeys. Read More
Tom and Cree had a terrific time on their Kenya Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined 10 photographers on a 8 day exploration of the Masai Mara in Kenya. The variety of big cats in action was a highlight for everyone.
To see photos from our Kenya Photo Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
We had a spectacular night of aurora in Alaska on October 10, as did many of you in the Lower 48! Tom just finished a blog post with tips for capturing the aurora: Click here to learn more. If you want to join us on an Aurora Workshop, we have space on our Northern Lights and Iditarod Workshop in 2026
We will be traveling to New Mexico for our next two workshops on Route 66. We will be based in Oklahoma and Texas for the first workshop and in New Mexico and Arizona for the second one. After that we are headed to Arches and Canyonlands to capture beautiful red rock formations and look for the Milky Way at night.
Any upcoming openings?
Our 2025 schedule is close to full. You can always join a waiting list for a trip that is full by sending us a note from our Contact Page
Tom and Cree just finished their Monument Valley Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined 10 photographers on a 4 day exploration of Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation. The variety of photography and inspiring vistas were highlights for everyone.
To see photos from our Monument Valley Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
We will be heading to Africa for the great migration next. Our tent camp is located right on the Mara River where all of the action is. After leaving Kenya, Cree is headed to Scotland to hike the highlands with family. Tom is headed back to Alaska to capture fall aurora in his favorite places.
We will be in remote places for the next few weeks and it may be a bit harder to contact us. We will do our best to respond as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience!
Any upcoming openings?
Route 66 Albuquerque to Winslow: Oct 23-27, 2024 Read more Photograph iconic locations like the WigWam Motel, Route 66 Diner, and Petrified Forest National Park. Learn more about using a speed light to add color and creativity to your images.
We are starting to fill our 2026 Workshops. If something is full and you want to join the waitlist, just send us a message from our Contact Page
Tom and Cree just finished their Katmai Bears Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined 9 photographers on daily flights in small planes to locations all over Katmai National Park in Alaska. Photographing multiple sets of triplet cubs was a highlight for everyone.
To see photos from our Katmai Bears Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
Interested in seeing images from our workshops this Summer? Join us for a free online Summer Image Celebration on Sunday, August 25 at 6 pm MDT Denver time. We will be showing images from photographers on our workshops to Lake Clark NP, Badlands NP, Katmai NP, Nome and the Pantanal. Click here and request a link if interested in viewing or participating.
Any upcoming openings?
Route 66 Albuquerque to Winslow: Oct 23-27, 2024 Read more Photograph iconic locations like the WigWam Motel, Route 66 Diner, and Petrified Forest National Park. Learn more about using a speed light to add color and creativity to your images.
Arches and Canyonlands: Nov 3-7, 2024 Read more An all time classic. Photograph brilliant red rock arches on crystalline blue skies.
Bosque and White Sands National Park: Dec 8-12, 2024 Read more Perfect workshop for photographers who want to improve their birds in flight photography. Photograph the dazzling white gypsum dunes at White Sands National Park.
Tom and Cree just finished their Brown Bears of Lake Clark Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Their group of 10 photographers flew down the remote Alaskan coastline to Lake Clark National Park. Numerous opportunities to photograph bears on the beach digging for clams were a highlight for everyone.
To see photos from our Brown Bears of Lake Clark, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
Our address is new! Please add our new address to your contact list for future mail:
Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For May we chose an image taken on our Badlands Workshop. The image was taken by Jim Seward while photographing bison in Badlands National Park. Jim is a travel and landscape photographer from the Chicago area.
Congratulations to May 2024 ‘s featured photographer – Jim Seward
Photographer Jim Seward
The Story…
I do not have a lot of experience shooting wildlife. First I got some of the iconic shoots of bison but I wanted to get something different as well.
We were on the long road with a fence line. I didn’t like the fence line in the background. On the left side of the road there were a pair of bison standing up but they were not doing much. I saw a little head pop up in the yellow flowers. He was lying down with just his head up. I got down low and shot at eye level.
It was all the things I have learned from taking pictures over the years. I wanted my mid ground to be sharp with interesting bokeh in both the foreground and background. I shot through the flowers to get the effect.
If somebody puts me in the right spot and I have decent equipment, I can take a decent picture.
Photo of the Month – May 2024
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
Lens: Sigma 150-600 mm with 1.4 extender
Aperture: f6.3
Shutter: 1/400 second
ISO: 500
Mode: Manual
About Photographing in the Badlands
I was completely surprised at how much color variation there was. This was especially in the rocks. The yellows and the reds blew me away. Before the trip I had looked at several sites to see what we would be shooting. None of those images did justice to what we actually shot in the park.
It was like shooting sunsets in Patagonia. The colors are so good right out of the camera that you barely need to do anything in post. I just let the colors speak for themselves.
The timing for the green grass in Spring was important. The green grass, yellow rocks and blue sky were tremendous. It is the right time to go to the Badlands if you like color.
These is also a great variety of wildlife. I got a couple shots of the Burrowing Owls. I had never seen them before in my life. I was amazed by their habitat. Just to see it was terrific.
Goin to the abandoned town was as fun as anything in the park. I have used ND filters before in New Zealand, Utah and in North Dakota. The sky was perfect for Cottonwood. With an ND filter I like spending a little more time. It is a more relaxed pace.
With the silo I kept repeating the process over and over to get the right sky. I wanted the clouds moving over my head. I like it when the clouds are moving into the background.
Abandoned Silo in Cottonwood
Jim’s Tips for Landscape Photography
Tip 1
When you are in the field and you think you might be done, wait another five or ten minutes. You might be surprised with a piece of light that breaks through or a change of color. Things can change just when you think it is time to leave.
Tip 2
Don’t be afraid of unusual light situations. On the last morning we had fog roll in. We thought the fog would obliterate everything. However, as the fog moved through the scene it created some interesting photos.
On Jim’s Horizon:
Namibia
Greenland
Oregon Coast and Redwoods
Harris and Skye in the Hebrides
Jim photographing Big Horn Sheep
Interested in joining us in a national park this year? We have space on our Bosque and White Sands National Park Workshop from Dec 8-12, 2024 Learn more
Tom and Cree just finished their Texas Birds in Spring Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They traveled with their group to the South Texas Plains of the Rio Grand Valley. They spent 4 days photographing songbirds and raptors from bird blinds. The group was delighted to photograph abundant Painted Buntings, several types or warblers and several types of orioles.
To see photos from our Texas Birds in Spring Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
Tom and Cree sold their house in Colorado and will be moving back to Palmer, Alaska during the first week of June. They are driving all the way up the Alcan over a period of 6 days. Expect us to have more limited communication during that time. Our new address will be:
Tom Bol Photo Workshops
6342 N Mountain Meadow Trail
Palmer, Alaska. 99645
Any upcoming openings?
Yes! Our schedule was full before but due to a few cancellations, we have 4 workshops with space available this year. Check out our Upcoming Openings Page
We also added some new workshops for 2026 including:
Tom and Cree are headed to Badlands National Park in South Dakota for landscape and wildlife photography. They are hoping for stormy skies in order to photograph lightning using the new Pre-Release technology.
Tom and Cree just finished their Louisiana BayousPhoto Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They traveled with their group to the swamps around Lafayette, Louisiana to photograph the reptiles, trees and birds in the Bald Cypress bayous. Our group were delighted to photograph Barred owls, nesting egrets and Roseate Spoonbills in flight.
To see photos from our Louisiana Bayous Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s next:
Tom and Cree are headed to Badlands National Park in South Dakota for landscape and wildlife photography. They are hoping for stormy skies in order to photograph lightning using the new Pre-Release technology.
What’s new:
Cree just had a two page spread of her Bohemian Waxwing image published in the Spring 2024 Living Bird Magazine. It was the background for a Nikon ad promoting the Z8 camera.
Any upcoming openings? Yes! Our schedule was full before but due to a few cancellations, we have 4 workshops with space available this year:
Tom and Cree just finished their Costa Rica RainforestPhoto Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They traveled with their groups to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica to photograph the animals, flowers and birds in the lowland rainforest. Our groups were delighted with the baby monkeys and abundance of Scarlet Macaws this year.
To see photos from our Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s next:
Tom and Cree are headed to the Bayous of Louisiana for their next workshop. They will be gliding through the bayous on pontoon boats in search of alligators and birds and then visiting a rookery with nesting Great Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills.
Tom and Cree just finished their Iditarod and Northern LightsPhoto Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They traveled with their group to Alaska to photograph the action and pageantry of the Iditarod and then on to Fairbanks for Northern Lights. Our group was surprised how caught up they became in the ongoing race standings. It was also a great year for aurora, with the lights showing up 4 times on the workshop.
To see photos from our Iditarod and Northern Lights Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s next:
Tom and Cree are headed to Central America for their Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop. We will be photographing tree frogs, macaws and 4 species of monkeys in Osa Peninsula.
What’s New:
It’s official! Tom and Cree just bought a house in Palmer, Alaska and will be moving in June. They will continue to offer workshops in the Lower 48 and abroad, just from a different home base. New address coming soon.
Want to join us in Alaska this summer? We have a few openings:
Nome: Arctic Birds and Musk Ox: June 17-22, 2024 – 2 spaces available Click here
Brown Bear Safari: August 13-19, 2024 – 2 spaces available Click here
