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 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.
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 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 July we chose an image taken on our Pantanal Workshop for Strabo Tours. The image was taken by Melissa Stanton while photographing jaguars in the wetlands of Brazil. Melissa is a travel and wildlife photographer and has a strong fondness for felines.
Congratulations to July 2024 ‘s featured photographer – Melissa Stanton
Photographer Melissa Stanton
The Story…
We came around the corner and the jaguar was walking down a log. Tom was yelling and dancing around. He is always so excited about cats. I figured I better get ready to take a photo.
It looked like the cat was thinking about jumping into the water. I turned up the shutter speed a bit so I could get it in focus, Then the cat jumped.
It was fun to watch him swim. Cats do not normally like water. To see cats swimming was really kind of cool. Everyone was so impressed with watching the jaguar jump. The jaguar was pretty close to us when it happened. It was definitely cool to see.
I didn’t know that I had such a good picture until I got home and looked at in on the bigger screen.
Photo of the Month – July 2024
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z9
Lens: Nikon Z series 600 mm PF
Aperture: f6.3
Shutter: 1/5000 second
ISO: 1600
Mode: Manual with Auto ISO
About Photographing in the Pantanal
It was great. It was relaxing to be in the boats, riding around on little rivers. Everywhere you looked there were capybaras or caimans or something else.
The drivers were very good at getting us close to the wildlife. We were close but we did not disrupt them.
We were ridiculously close to some of the birds and they did not seem to care. They knew they could just fly away. They also knew that we were not going to bother them so they just went about their business.
The birds were easy to capture. Many of them were perched right near the river. There was a lot of variety between the huge storks and the tiny kingfishers.
I was going through my photos and landed on the Road-side Hawk. I thought he looked so cute. He’s on one foot and is looking right at the camera. This created a connection which I really liked.
Roadside Hawk
The Capybaras looked so chill. They sit around on the banks. Lucas, our guide, said they are stressed because of the jaguars but to us they seemed like the Chill Dudes of the river. The caiman would lie right next to them without a worry. They just look like fun animals.
It was a great trip, fun leaders and companions. I was glad I was able to do it!
Melissa’s Tips for Wildlife Photography
Tip 1
Try to be aware of everything. There were so many birds and animals that I needed to watch my shutter speed. I didn’t want to miss the shutter speed and end up with soft photos.
Tip 2
Shoot in manual with auto ISO. The light conditions changed all the time and using these settings made it easier for me to get it right.
Tip 3
The Nikon 600mm pf lens was amazing. It was very sharp and very light. For 70% of the shots on this trip it was the perfect focal length. A few times I was a little too tight and ended up focusing on just a part. of the animal
On Melissa’s Horizon:
Route 66
Greenland
Moving to Spain in 2025
Antarctica
Melissa photographing hummingbirds in Ecuador
Join us on a workshop this fall! Spaces Open in 2024:
Route 66: Albuquerque to Winslow, Arizona from Oct 23-27, 2024 Learn more
Route 66: Oklahoma City to Amarillo from Oct 18-22, 2024 Learn more
Bosque and White Sands National Park Workshop from Dec 8-12, 2024 Learn more
