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July 2025: Photographer of the Month

Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For July we chose an image from our Iceland: Puffins and Waterfalls Workshop. The image was taken by Stuart Litoff on Grimsey Island. Stuart is a landscape and fine art photographer who also photographs wildlife. You can see his work featured here.

Congratulations to our featured photographer for July 2025 – Stuart Litoff

The Story… 


This was the second day of shooting puffins. I knew I had gotten some okay shots the day before. But I hadn’t gotten any good shots with the fish in their beaks. That was my goal for the second day.

Before the shoot Tom had talked about soft backgrounds and soft foregrounds. I had that on my mind. When I saw this cliff area with the cloud behind it, I kept my eye on the bird that was there. At first it was standing with it’s head in profile, then he slowly turned his head towards me. I was shooting at 30 frames per second so I had a lot to choose from. I liked the way this one looked the best.

I also really wanted a flying puffin with fish. I haven’t found one yet that I like in the images I have reviewed so far.

I enjoy wildlife photography. I don’t like doing it for an entire trip. I can be overwhelmed by too many photos to sort through. I took 3000-4000 pictures of puffins. That was a lot for me. But this was one of the latter shots of the day, so maybe I would have missed this if I had quit earlier.

I use Photo Mechanic to sort images. But I want to see them all. I want to see what I shot. I find that there are surprises in all directions. A photo that I did not think would be good, could turn out to be really good. For this photo I was able to go through a range of images with slightly different head positions.

July 2025 Photo of the Month by Stuart Litoff

EXIF Data:

Camera: Fuji X-H2S

Lens: Fuji 100-400mm lens at 400mm

Aperture: f6.4

Shutter: 1/2000

ISO: 3200 (auto)

Shutter Priority

About Photographing in Iceland

I love Iceland. This is my third trip there. I went there for the first time 10 years ago with Tom on a Strabo trip.

I love the landscape. I love that there aren’t a lot of people there. It is different than a lot of other places. The people are also really nice.

It was great to explore the north, the Highlands and the West Fjords on this trip. That was all new to me.

Sun Voyager Statue on the Coastal Walkway

I had a late flight out on the last day and decided to grab my camera and go out for a walk on the Coastal Walkway. I had seen images of the Sun Voyager sculpture before but did not know where to find it. Just as I arrived at the sculpture I was getting some breaks in the cloud layer. I had my super-wide lens on 6-12mm.

I found the composition to be challenging. I couldn’t get the entire sculpture in, so I focused on including more of the sky instead.

I exposed for the sky instead of the sculpture. I was pleased how the sculpture turned out in post processing.

Icelandic Foals

Stuart’ s Tips for Photographing Wildlife

Tip 1

For me, I have to work at being patient and forgiving. If birds are moving a lot or flying it is hard to get a good photo. I have to try not to get frustrated with the results and just keep working at it.

Tip 2

When there are multiple animals close to each other, I really look for interaction between animals. Those are the best shots. This is when you can capture emotion.

When we arrived at the field with the foals in it, there was a group of seven horses, including a stallion. The Icelandic horses are very friendly and came right over to us. I focused on the connection between the two foals.

On Stuart’s Horizon:

Greece

India, Nepal and Bhutan

Scandinavia

Peru

Scotland

London

Workshop Openings:

Join us for Iceland: Puffins and Waterfalls in July 2026…. 1 Space Available More details

Also going back to Iceland in 2028. Join the Interest List

Check out other openings on our Upcoming Workshops Page

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Trip Report: Iceland: Puffins and Waterfalls

Tom just returned from the Iceland: Puffins and Waterfalls and we are sharing the highlights with you. Tom led a group of photographers to the coast and the Highlands of Iceland to capture both wildlife and landscape images. Highlights of the workshop were the abundance of puffin on Grimsey Island and the variety of waterfalls all over Iceland.

To see photos from our Iceland: Puffins and Waterfalls Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Tom will be heading to Greenland with two groups of photographers to photograph dramatic icebergs and Humpback Whales in the middle of August. Cree will be back home working on the schedule for 2028. Where would you like to go in 2028? Let us know

Any Upcoming Openings?

Our Iditarod Workshop for 2026 is starting to fill up. Photograph Northern Lights and the Last Great Race during the best month for winter photography in Alaska. Rental packets available for warm clothing and boots Read more

Our new workshop Alaska Kenai Explorer has space available: July 7-12, 2026 Calving glaciers, whales, snow capped mountains, eagles and more. This is a workshop with easy walking. Read details

Happy Summer!

Tom and Cree

Photo by Carolyn Johnson
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Trip Report: Redwoods & Rocky Coastlines

Tom and Cree just returned from their Redwoods and Rocky Coastlines Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Ten photographers joined us in Redwoods National Park in California to photograph the largest trees on Earth. Highlights of the workshop were photographing beams of light coming through the foggy canopy and sea stars on the coast.

To see photos from our Redwoods & Rocky Coastlines Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Tom is currently in Iceland with a group photographing puffin and some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. He says the puffin are everywhere! Cree is back in Alaska planning photo workshops for 2028. Where would you like to go in 2028? Let us know

Any Upcoming Openings?

Our new workshop Alaska Kenai Explorer has space available: July 7-12, 2026 Calving glaciers, whales, snow capped mountains, eagles and more. Read details

Our Iditarod Workshop for 2026 is starting to fill up. Photograph Northern Lights and the Last Great Race during the best month for winter photography in Alaska. Read more

Happy Summer!

Tom and Cree

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Trip Report: Bears of Lake Clark

Tom and Cree just returned from their Bears of Lake Clark Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Nine photographers joined us in Lake Clark National Park in Alaska to photograph Brown Bears in their natural habitat. Highlights of the workshop were photographing bears courting in the meadows and clamming on the tidal flats

To see photos from our Bears of Lake Clark Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Cree and Tom are traveling with a workshop group to Redwoods National Park in California to photograph their favorite forest in the world. They just returned from the “Top of the World” Utqiavik (or Barrow) where they photographed eiders and other arctic birds in the midnight sun.

Any Upcoming Openings?

Our new workshop Alaska Kenai Explorer has space available: July 7-12, 2026 Calving glaciers, whales, snow capped mountains, eagles and more. Read details

Our Iditarod Workshop for 2026 is starting to fill up. Photograph Northern Lights and the Last Great Race during the best month for winter photography in Alaska. Read more

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

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Trip Report: Tetons Photography Workshop

Tom and Cree just returned from their Tetons Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Nine photographers joined us in Grand Teton National Park to photograph rugged, snow capped peaks and surrounding fields of flowers. Highlights of the workshop were photographing a mother moose and her calf and going to the Jackson Rodeo.

To see photos from our Tetons Photo Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Cree and Tom are traveling to Lake Clark National Park to photograph lBrown Bears in Alaska. This continues to be one of our most popular workshops. We hope to find spring cubs this year and watch a rematch of ping pong between Tom and David the lodge owner!

Any Upcoming Openings?

Our new workshop Alaska Kenai Explorer has space available! July 7-12, 2026 Calving glaciers, whales, snow capped mountains, eagles and more. Read details

Our Iditarod Workshop for 2026 is starting to fill up. Photograph Northern Lights and the Last Great Race during the best month for winter photography in Alaska. Read more

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

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May 2025: Photographer of the Month

Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For May we chose an image from our Monument Valley Workshop. The image was taken by Joan Carroll in Mystery Valley. Joan is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Fort Worth. You can see her work featured on Fine Art America.

Congratulations to May 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Joan Carroll

Joan photographing texture in the sand dunes at the Totem

The Story… 


That was one place where everyone was all gathered. You pointed it out to us and said it was perfect for forced perspective.

A forced perspective landscape was something I had not done before or even knew about doing. I moved around to get what I thought was the best composition. When I started to develop it, I cropped off part of the bottom. In the Image Review someone else showed a similar photo with the bottom included. I was glad I had cropped mine.

True confessions: I eliminated a tree up on the right side to the right of the green tree. It was a dead tree. It was nice to have the green tree in the composition, but I did not want to have a dead tree in the scene. I used generative fill to remove it.

During the editing process, I had been working on some other photos and I was becoming overwhelmed with the color of the rocks. I decided to try black and white for this photo. I liked the effect right away. I used the Adobe Camera Raw profiles and chose the one with the most contrast. I wanted the edges of the ripples to stand out.

May 2025 Photo of the Month by Joan Carroll

EXIF Data:

Camera: Nikon Z9

Lens: 14-24 mm Nikkor at 15mm

Aperture: f6.3

Shutter: 1/800

ISO: 400

Aperture Priority

About Photographing in Monument Valley


We can’t talk about Monument Valley without talking about the ride up to Hunt’s Mesa. Despite my back issues and the cushion I brought along….I just love that kind of ride up a very rough road. I thought it was great.

I wouldn’t love it so much if I didn’t trust the driver so much. They have driven the road so many times. I assume they know what they are doing. They know how to get up the rocks, when to speed up, when to slow down. It was fun. I liked it.

I enjoyed Carl Phillips. I enjoyed his willingness to share his culture with us without having to be probed. He had great stories to share with us and added a lot of detail. I found the people that we dealt with in the hotel, in the stores, in the restaurant to be very friendly and hospitable. Much more so then what we see in other places in the United States. I found the hospitality to be quite nice.

The land is just spectacular. You cannot really say too much about how beautiful it is. The sunrise shots, the star shots, they were just spectacular.

It was great to get into Honeymoon Cave and see the ruin. It was cooler there and breezy. It was a very peaceful place. When we went up into the cave I had to carry my entire backpack with me. The (Moki) steps going up into the cave where spaced perfectly. After the first 4 steps it was easy.

We did so much on this workshop that I keep forgetting everything that we did.

Anasazi Ruin in Honeymoon Cave

Joan’ s Tips for Landscape Photography in Monument Valley

Tip 1

Stand next to Tom or Cree and see what they are photographing. Sometimes we need a little guidance.

Tip 2

Sometimes when I go places I don’t spend enough time looking for alternatives. I take a photograph and just stay there and photograph it over and over. This time I wanted to walk around and look for nearby places. At one point I found a curving pattern of white on a wall in in Mystery Valley. I was glad I had walked around to find it.

The Totem at sunrise

Tip 3

I hear people talking about not starting to photograph right away but to look at the scene and get a feel for what it is all about and how to approach it. Sometimes we get anxious and just run out and start shooting. I wanted to try this in Monument Valley.

Tip 4

Get the postcard shot but then look for other ways to photograph the landscape. Different angles, shoot with a filter. You can always do better. I need to consciously remind myself to do that.

On Joan’s Horizon:

Grand Teton National Park

Iceland in the summer

Greenland

Greece

Antarctica and South Georgia

Workshop Openings:

Join us in Monument Valley in 2027 Aug 30-Sept 3: Space Available More details

We have two last minute openings for our popular Ouray Fall Color Workshop Sept 28-Oct 2, 2025. Photograph dazzling yellow aspen leaves in the Colorado High Country. Read more

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Trip Report: Monument Valley Photo Tour

Tom and Cree just returned from their Monument Valley Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Ten photographers joined us in heart of the Navajo Nation to photograph sweeping desert vistas with colorful buttes and spires. Highlights of the workshop were photographing from Hunt’s Mesa and exploring Mystery Valley.

To see photos from our Monument Valley Photo Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Cree and Tom are traveling to Grand Teton National Park to photograph landscapes, wildlife and the Jackson Rodeo. They will finish the month of June with their very popular Lake Clark Bears Workshop.

Any Upcoming Openings?

Just Added: Alaska Kenai Explorer July 7-12, 2026 Calving glaciers, whales, snow capped mountains, eagles and more. Read details

Join us in Monument Valley in 2027, August 30-September 3, 2027. Four spaces left

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

Photo by Joan Carroll

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Trip Report: Louisiana Bayous 2025

Tom and Cree just returned from their Louisiana Bayous Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Eight photographers joined us in heart of Cajun Country to photograph moody Bald Cypress, alligators and a variety of wading birds. Highlights of the workshop were photographing in fog and seeing so much wildlife.

To see photos from our Louisiana Bayous Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Cree and Tom are Ohio with a small group of photographers photographing the spring Warbler Migration. They will finish the month with a landscape workshop in Monument Valley.

Any upcoming openings?

Just Added: Alaska Kenai Explorer July7-12, 2026 Calving glaciers, whales, snow capped mountains, eagles and more. Read details

Also in Alaska: Travel to Alaska next March and photograph the Last Great Race – the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Photographers will learn to mush a sled, photograph dogs in action and wait for aurora to light up the sky at night. A true Alaska Adventure. Read More

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

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Trip Report: Texas Birds Photo Workshop

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.

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

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April 2025: Photographer of the Month

Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For April we chose an image taken on our Texas Birds Workshop. The image was taken by Ed Miron at the Laguna Seca Ranch in Texas. Ed is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Fort Collins, Colorado.

Congratulations to April 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Ed Miron

Ed in the bird blinds at Laguna Seca Ranch

The Story… 


Well, the story was you told us we might see a Scissor tailed Flycatcher. I looked on the map and saw the very limited range where you could see these things. So I knew it was pretty special.

I was concentrating on photographing a cardinal that was out to the left. Cree pointed out a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the right. It was just on a branch as I recall. I just wasn’t quick enough and then it flew away. But then it, it did a loop and came back and I had a second chance. And this time I was more prepared and I got the shot.


Prepared for me was changing the camera to pro capture mode. I also had to switch on the tele-converter. I increased the shutter speed to 1/4000th of a second. Someone who’s very skilled could do it very quickly but it probably took me a little longer.

The flycatcher looped around and came back a third time and that’s when I really nailed the shot. So I had a wonderful lens and I had a very cooperative flycatcher.

When I got the camera, I saw a YouTube video on the Pro-capture feature and it was interesting. I played with it just a little with our bird feeder like a year ago in our yard at home. After that, I never had a reason to use it. I knew before this trip I would use it. And I revisited and I saw that the Olympus has three different Pro captures, a dizzying array of settings. And then at the Texas Birds Workshop it was pro capture Boot Camp.

We spent half a day devoted to capturing birds in flight. I was so fortunate that the flycatcher came in the day after we had so much practice with Pro-capture. I felt like I was up to speed.

Pro-capture is a game changer for birds in flight.

April 2025 Photo of the Month by Ed Miron

EXIF Data:

Camera: OM System 1 Mark ii

Lens: 180-300mm with 1.2 built in teleconverter

Aperture: f5.6

Shutter: 1/4000

ISO: 4000

Manual Priority with Auto ISO

About Photographing from the Bird Blinds in Texas


The bird blinds were just unbelievable. I mean, the birds come to you and they come in a flurry. And it’s so well thought out. The placement of the bird blinds. The fact that you have some blinds just for morning use because the sun’s behind you. Then other bird blinds you just go to in the afternoon. The blinds are really thought out with photographers in mind.

I loved the fact that they have this wide area of a hundred yards of a cleared field behind the perches. You could get great bokeh. I think it took more skill designing the bird blinds and setting them up then to take good photos in them . I mean in a way, it’s a little bit like cheating because it just seems too easy.

Before the workshop I spent a morning photographing a Marsh Wren in Fort Collins. They’re hard to photograph. They like to stay hidden in bushes . They’re very skittish when they come out. It took a lot of time and I got one great photo. In the bird blinds you really get a lot of good photos quickly.


So I think a birder would be in heaven there. Somebody who’s not a birder would also really like the trip because they would get a lot of fantastic photos of birds that would emotionally resonate with anybody, even if you know nothing about birds.

I walked away knowing a lot more about birds.

Green Jay on a perch with Blue Plumbago

Ed’ s Tips for Photographing Birds

Tip 1

You really want to have the best longest lens you can get, even if you have to rent a lens. It was much more important to have a longer lens for birds then it was for bears.

Tip 2

Patience. Sometimes the blinds were insanely busy and some times they were slower. You don’t control the birds so flexibility and patience is important.

Northern Cardinal courtship behavior

Tip 3

Having a knowledgeable birder with you will help you get better photographs. Having you and Tom call out the names of birds when they entered the area kept us alert. We learned what behavior to look for like the mockingbirds attacking the raptors. And then, the cardinal behavior between the male and female giving it food. Also the puffing up of the Bronzed Cowbird.

Tip 4

When you are in a bird bling you are alert, you’re in the moment. You have to pay attention. It is exciting. You may just have seconds. Your adrenaline is really up. It is incredibly fun!

On Ed’s Horizon:

Ohio Warblers

Greenland

Nome, Alaska

Lofoten Islands in Norway

Where are Tom and Cree? We will be traveling to several locations for workshops in May: Louisiana, Ohio and Monument Valley. We will do our best to return your messages as soon as possible!

Workshop Openings?

Join us for the 2026 Iditarod! We have space available. Photograph the Last Great Race and fly into the remote Iditarod Checkpoint of Rainy Pass. We’ll photograph aurora at night if it is out! Read more

We have two last minute openings for our popular Ouray Fall Color Workshop Sept 28-Oct 2, 2025. Photograph dazzling yellow aspen leaves in the Colorado High Country. Read more

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com