Tom and Cree just returned from their Tucson & Saguaro National Park Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. Ten photographers joined them in the Sonoran Desert to photograph landscapes, cactus, birds and blossoms. Highlights of the workshop were photographing backlit cactus at dawn and seeing so many desert birds at our blind.
To see photos from our Tucson & Saguaro National Park Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Cree and Tom are off to Texas next week for their Texas Birds in Spring Workshop. They will be joining 8 photographers to photograph rare south Texas birds like Green Jays, Pyrhuloxia and Bobwhite Quail.
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 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 I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For March we chose an image taken on our Iditarod and Northern Lights Workshop. The image was taken by Nancy Lehrer on the frozen Chena River at the Fairbanks start to the Iditarod. Nancy is a California street photographer who uses creative inspiration when she tries new genres.
Congratulations to March 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Nancy Lehrer
Nancy on the Chena River in Fairbanks, Alaska
The Story…
I looked at my pictures from the ceremonial start two days before and they were lousy. I said, “I have some practicing to do.” In many of the photos the whole bottom part was just snow. The focal patterns weren’t working. It was good practice for the next session.
The first few mushers that came through hadn’t decided where to pass us on the river. We kept running back and forth, from one side of the river to the other. It was just like the 50 yard dash. This was good for me. I had to think about where I wanted to be every time I changed positions.
With each musher going through I got more dialed into figuring it all out. I set up a button for “start tracking” on my Sony and it was finally working for me. By the time Dane Baker came through I was getting more comfortable with the settings. I knew it was Dane Baker because of his big red beard. Cree had told me on the first day to study the line up and learn who was who.
Dane had a great big dog in the front. Most of the dogs came through with their ears back and this dog had it’s ears straight up. That’s the way photography is. If you are working at something, all of the sudden just the right sequence will happen. The dog had the right coloring, his ears were up and he was out in front.
It was the perfect day for this kind of photography. There was never too much direct sun like in Southern California. The sun came out and then clouds would move through and cover everything up. We did not have to deal with high contrast.
We were belly down in the snow. This made it easy to hold a 100-400mm lens. I don’t often shoot with big lenses. We were right next to the tracks from the dog sleds. It wasn’t an outrageously cold day. You could not have asked for a better set -up for first time Iditarod shooter. It felt like we had the place all to ourselves.
March 2025 Photo of the Month by Nancy Lehrer
EXIF Data:
Camera: Sony A7R5
Lens: 100-400 mm
Aperture: f5.6
Shutter: 1/4000
ISO: 1600
Aperture Priority
About Photographing in Alaska in Winter
First of all, it could have been a whole lot colder. If you aren’t from a cold climate, you have to guess what kind of clothing, gloves and shoes will work. The cameras seemed to be just fine in the cold. There used to be a day when cold was an issue for cameras but it is not anymore.
I had been to Northern Japan in the winter the year before. I knew that most of my gear would keep me warm. That was comforting. We were fine. The biggest challenge is trying to move with all the clothing on. You feel less agile.
You have to compensate for the fact that everything is white around you. I ended up using positive exposure compensation on overcast days.
You can’t step off the trail two steps to your right or you will go from hard packed snow to waist deep in the snow. The zoom lens got a little more use for me because of this.
Ice Checkers at the Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks
Nancy s Tips for Photographing the iditarod
Tip 1
I asked myself, “How do I document this activity, that is so unusual”. Most people never see a dog sled race. That was one of the things that was so unique about going to Ruby. We were the only people there who were not locals or involved in setting up the race.
I was surprised about how open the mushers were to us being around them and the dogs even during the race. At first I was afraid to get close and used my zoom lens. I started getting closer and nobody told me to get back. That was surprising to me. They were in the thick of the race but chill about it.
It is a lot like street photography. Be where you want to position yourself. If they are accepting of it, keep doing what you are doing and assume it is going to be okay.
Tip 2
The Mushers’ Gala was the funnest thing I did on the whole trip. I heard from Cree that there would be a Meet & Greet. I thought that it sounded boring so wanted to make it more fun. I wanted them to sign something more personal than an autographed poster. I decided to buy an Instax Camera and have them sign their portraits. It was fun for me. I got a lot of great feedback from the musher when they saw their pictures. They all got a kick out of it.
I am going to make a book out of my photos. The Instax photos will be a big part of it. It is hard to recognize the mushers on the sled aside from things like brainds for Anna Berrington or Dane’s red beard. The Instax photos show them having fun and has details of their faces. They all have big smiles in their portraits.
Nancy’s Photos of Rookie of the Year contenders
Tip 3
Don’t be afraid if you don’t know anything about dogs. I think it helped me experience what was going on around me. I didn’t have pre-conceived notions of how dogs behaved. I didn’t try to pet them. I just noticed what they were doing.
On Nancy’s Horizon:
Japan – Cherry Blossoms
Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Latvia, Poland
China & Russia
What’s coming up?
Where are Tom and Cree? We are at home in Palmer, Alaska after a week full of colorful birds and wildlife in Costa Rica. Next they will be heading to the cactus forests of Tucson, Arizona and then on to South Texas for bird photography.
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. Read more
We have one last minute opening for our popular Louisiana Bayous Workshop May 7-11, 2025. Cruise through the cypress swamp on a flat bottom boat photographing beautiful swamp scenes. Photograph Great Egret chicks at a private photo session at a remote rookery. Read more
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 I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For February we chose an image taken on our Baja Whales Workshop. The image was taken by Marni Nagy off the coast of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Marni is a California photographer who owns a business that makes custom camera straps: Capturing Couture
Congratulations to February 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Marni Nagy
Marni at San Ignacio Lagoon
The Story…
For this image I had my 150-600 lens all the way out. A guy named Bertrand was in the front of the boat and would not move. So I moved to the left side of the boat. The whale jumped another time right before the picture that I got. It was wavy and bumpy. I found it was easier to stabilize the camera shooting from the side of the boat.
It was dumb luck to get the boat in there. With wildlife photography you are just lucky most of the time.
I was shooting pretty quick. Tom had us up at over 4000th of a second for shutter speed. It was pretty sunny, so ISO was not a problem.
The boat gives the breach context and scale. In my new job I am always asking my media folks to give me more context. They submit close up images of race cars. I always want to see the track or something in the background for context.
February 2025 Photo of the Month by Marni Nagy
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: Sigma 180-600
Aperture: f6.3
Shutter: 1/5000
ISO: 4100
About Photographing in Baja
Baja was great. Whales galore. The whales were so close that they filled the frame. It was hard to get context because we were so close.
There were some behaviors that I did not even know I wanted to get. I was very happy to get a shot of the “golden rainbow” feeding behavior that creates a rainbow when the whale spouts.
The Sea of Cortez side was all about the different kinds of animals. I had never seen dolphins like that, They were small and black with stubby little noses.
The sealions had so many expressive faces. I took photos of everything we saw: Great Blue Herons, kingfishers, jellyfish. The sea lions had the most personality of all.
I always have a bit of gear envy on these trips. Most people had the new stuff. I was super impressed with the quality of the images from my Nikon d850. After holding it up for so long shooting whales, I started to think about how to create a small tripod support system to help with the weight. A mono pod might have helped.
I was sceptical that we would really get to pet the whales. On the second day we were headed back. The boat slowed down. Everyone was saying “Come on, come on.” The whale turned around and came to out boat. It was just magical. We all willed the whale to come over.
When I photographed the Blue Footed Boobies, they were getting bounce light off of the bird poop on the rock. It made everything really bright. I waited until the birds were doing something interesting with their heads. That was my first time photographing Blue-footed Boobies. They have weird little eyes. They look a bit creepy and have interesting feathers.
Blue-footed Boobies
Marni’ s Tips for Photographing in Baja
Tip 1
Sunscreen.
Tip 2
The shots I like the most are the images with some background in them. I was on a workshop once with Joe McNally and he said, “Take a picture that can’t be shot in a zoo”. A whale with the Baja coastline in the background is definitely not from the zoo
Tip 3
Don’t throw anything away. I didn’t lock the pelican shot in the camera. It was brighter int he camera and I brought the exposure down in Lightroom. It was the shape of the water that made the shot for me.
Brown Pelican on the Sea of Cortez
On Marni’s Horizon:
Patagonia
Iceland
Finland
Galapagos
Baja Workshop
What’s coming up?
Happy Hour: Winter Image Celebration – Join Tom and Cree on March 19 at 6 pm MDT Denver time to see what everyone has been shooting lately. Submit your 3 favorite images from this winter and settle in for a photo expo. Click here to ask for the link
Where are Tom and Cree? They are in Alaska right now photographing in the arctic. The weather looks good and aurora activity should be high this week. Next up they will be heading to Costa Rica with 12 photographers to explore the rainforest and photograph sloths, monkeys and macaws.
Workshop Openings?
Last minute opening for Louisiana Bayous, just one space May 7-11, 2025 also just one space left for August 22-29, 2025 Greenland.
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 Cree just returned from New Mexico from their Bosque and White Sands Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined two groups of 10 photographers to photograph otherworldly landscapes flocks of waterfowl in flight. The stunning sunsets and ample opportunities to perfect “birds in flight” techniques were both favorites of the tour.
To see photos from our Bosque and White Sands Photo Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s Next:
Cree and Tom will be celebrating the Holidays in Palmer, Alaska with their son Skyler. There will likely be some birding outings and hopefully some opportunities to photograph Northern Lights.
Image Celebration: Best of 2024 – You are all invited to this annual event! Join Tom and Cree online for a free celebration of everyone’s top 1 or 2 images from 2024. January 10 at 6 pm MST Denver. Send in your best one or two images for 2024 and be ready to share details. Contact us for the link. This will be recorded and available afterwards.
Any upcoming openings?
By popular demand we are offering two online PhotoShop classes from January 6-10. A few spaces open on each. Here are all the details
Two of our 2025 Workshops have openings.
Two spaces just became available for our popular Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop – March 22-29, 2025. This is also a wonderful option for non-photographer spouses or friends. Read More
Three spaces are available for our Spring Warblers Workshop May 13-20. This once only workshop is perfect for bird photographers in one of the best places for spring warblers in the US.
Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season with friends, family and loved ones!
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.
