Tag: Iditarod Photography

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April 2026: Photo of the Month

Tom and I celebrate great photos from photographers on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For April we chose an image from our Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop. The image was taken by Melissa Stanton at the Perica Sloth Garden on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Melissa is a wildlife and travel photographer from Chardon, Ohio.

Congratulations to April 2026 ‘s featured photographer – Melissa Stanton

Melissa using her macro lens to photograph a Poisonous Dart Frog

The Story… 

So we were at the Sloth Garden and we had been there for a little while seeing the different sloths. We thought there was a baby in there but had only seen the paw so far.

It started moving and I really hoped it would stick it’s face out. It did! He had his tongue sticking out and he gave us a big yawn. Then he just sat there staring art us.

I shot it at 20 frames a second because it was dark back there. I was hoping to get something in focus. The image I chose was one of the few that were in focus.

I was shooting at 1/60th second on a 600mm lens. I was at 6400 ISO and that was the highest I could get for shutter speed. I had capped my ISO at 6400. I tried to stay as still as I could. It was exciting because it was a cute little critter.

Tom was standing right next to me. I was saying, “Oh my gosh, there’s the paw, there’s the face. Oh, it’s yawning.” I have photographed a baby Two-Toed Sloth a total of one time.

April 2026 Photo of the Month

EXIF Data:

Camera: Nikon Z9

Lens: Nikon 600mm

Aperture: f6.3

Shutter: 1/60th second

ISO: 6400

Aperture Mode, auto ISO

About Photographing on the Osa Peninsula

It is just so beautiful. There are animals everywhere. You can hear them from your room. You feel like you are in nature, becasue you are.

The guides are amazing. They can spot the tiniest birds 8 miles away in dense jungle. They tell us all about the behavious of the animals. They know all the calls they make. Sometimes the guides will imitate the Howler Monkeys call, which is a bit shocking at first. I am sure the Howler Monkeys appreciate that.

Squirrel Monkey mother and baby

Photographing in the rainforest had a learning curve for me. I think I got way better images on the second trip than on my first. I would absolutely encourage people to go back to Costa Rica a second time. I saw a lot of things on the second trip that I did not see on the first. With technology advancing and better cameras, it made it easier to get what I wanted.

I did not see the anteater on my first trip. I did not photograph a scorpion. On the first trip I did not get what I’d consider a usable photo of a Spider Monkey. Now I have the whole monkey collection.

My favorite outing of the trip is between the Sloth Garden and the Macro Day. They are both interesting experiences with very different wildlife. I would never encounter venomous animals on my own. It is nice to be able to photography them with someone who is experienced and do it safely. I am not about to photograph venomous snakes on my own. It is just not happening.

Eyelash Viper on a heliconia stem

Melissa’s Tips for Macro Photography with Reptiles and Amphibians

1) The macro lens was awesome for the tiny frogs. I could get closer to them and let their body fill the frame. I would not have wanted to be that close to the snakes.

2) I used the 100-400mm for the snakes. I recommend that you just keep shooting at 20 frames a second. They keep moving and flickering their tongues.

3) For the frog on the leaf you have to hunt therough the jungle and wait for the sun to come out at just the right angle…..ha ha.

The elusive frog on a leaf shot

On Melissa’s Horizon:

Alaska – Kenai Peninsula

South Africa

Antarctica

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Melissa and Brian at the Perica Sloth Garden

Upcoming Online Events:

Happy Hour – Spring Image Celebration: Join us to celebrate images created by our community of photographers. Send in 3 of your best images from this spring and see what others have created. Tuesday May 19, 2026 at 6 pm Denver time. Everyone welcome! Send a note for the link.

Workshop Openings:

Just 1 Space Left: Alaska Black Bears August 8-14, 2026 Photograph huge Black Bears in Alaska’s coastal rainforest near the town of Wrangell. Cruise the pristine waters in a small boat and photograph whales, sea otters, calving glaciers and flaming sunsets. Read more

Just 1 Space Left: Iceland Puffins and Waterfalls July 23-31, 2026 Walk right up to puffins on the cliffs of Iceland. Photograph some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Read more

Thanks for reading our trip reports!

Happy Spring

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Costa Rica Rainforest 2026: Trip Report

Tom and Cree just returned from their Costa Rica Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. We had terrific mammal sightings this year. We photographed two species of sloths, two species of Dolpins, a mother Northern Tamadua Anteater with a baby and 4 species of monkeys. This is a great location for animal lovers.

To see photos of the Costa Rica Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Tom and Cree are headed to Louisiana and then South Texas next. We have one space available on our Texas Birds in Spring Workshop if you would like to join us on May 11-16, 2026. Great way to improve your bird photography skills.

FREE EVENT: Join us for our free online Spring Image Celebration: May 19 at 6 pm Denver time. Send in three of your best images from this spring and see what everyone else has been photographing. Everyone is invited! Send us a note here for the invite, or leave a comment below requesting the link.

Upcoming Workshops for Tom Bol Photo Workshops

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

Photos of Tom and Cree by Jon D’Alessio

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March 2026: Photo of the Month

Tom and I celebrate great photos from photographers on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For March we chose an image from our Iditarod Photo Workshop. The image was taken by Richard Epter at the official re- start of the Iditarod in WIllow, Alaska. Richard is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Augusta, Georgia.

Congratulations to March 2026 ‘s featured photographer – Richard Epter

Richard and Wendy mushing at the Dallas Seavey Kennel

The Story… 

There had already been a handful of mushers through the starting chute. Jessie Holmes was number 7. We had all talked about who would win this year. He won last year and was a likely candidate for this year as well. When I saw him coming around the curve and at me I started taking frame after frame.

I saw him lifting both of his hands into the air closer to the chute and banner. Then he started getting close to the crowd as he was coming down the hill. He touched one person’s hand and that was the frame I captured.

It was an emotional second. I was thinking, here he is at the beginning of a 1000 mile journey and he is making a connection with the crowd. The dogs were just raring to go. It was electric energy at the beginning of the race in Willow.

March 2026 Photo of the Month

Photographing the Iditarod was a life changer for me. Five years ago I did not even know what the Iditarod was. After we signed up for the workshop, I listened to a book on tape about the race with Wendy. It was all very intense: the challenging trail conditions, the worry for the dogs, possibly going over a cliff or running the dogs into open water. It really changed my idea of the race.

In Anchorage, it was a magical day with the snow. We used high shutter speeds to photograph the teams in falling snow. Taking photos in the snow with fast shutter speed. It was amazing being so close to the sleds in Anchorage. We were down very low to the ground to get eye level shots when they ran past us.

These dogs and mushers who do this race are like Olympians. They train for years. They breed the dogs and live with them. They are like family. Seeing that special bond was one of the coolest things ever.

EXIF Data:

Camera: Nikon Z9

Lens: Nikon 100-400mm at 210 mm

Aperture: f5.6

Shutter: 1/3200

ISO: 1250

Manual Mode, auto ISO

About Photographing at the Rainy Pass Checkpoint

That was amazing. We took a bush plane into Rainy Pass. I did not know what to expect. I had never been to a remote checkpoint before.

As we were flying there, I was looking at Denali on my right. I was looking down and I could see the tiny teams below us. The sleds were surrounded by white snow and magnificent scenery. Everything looked so small within the context of the vast Alaskan Range in winter.

When we landed it was breath-taking. It was a large frozen lake with cabins and outhouses. The planes coming in and taking off were very photogenic as well. Getting to ride on a snow machine was very cool.

It was a tranquil environment. The teams were magnificent coming into the checkpoint. You can read about it, but you have to be there to really understand it.

When they check in they have to show they have all the mandatory gear. The dogs are checked to make sure they are healthy and don’t have snow on their paws. I was relieved to see how much care there was for the dogs at the checkpoints.

Dogs resting at the Rainy Pass Checkpoint

We had gone in front of the officials to get a bit ahead so we could lay down on the ground. There was a person in a blue jacket taking pictures of three teams coming in at once. I wondered if it was normal to see three teams at once. I was laying down a little bit off the trail.. I wanted to make sure I got all three in the frame. It was an unbelievable site. It was lucky to be were I was. I’ll never forget that photo.

Three teams arrive at once in Rainy Pass

Richard’s Tips for Photographing Dog Sledding

1) Shoot wide open with your aperture. Use a telephoto lens. You only have fractions of a second to capture the perfect moments. Shoot at 20 frames a second. You have to be ready with your finger on the shutter, even in cold temps.

2) Decide whether you want the focus to be on dogs in the front, the whole team or the musher.

3) When choosing the best images in post, look for images that are sharp and have great dog expressions. Look for paws that are in the air. The bacon tongues just crack me up.

Bacon tongues on Jessie Holmes’ dogs in Anchorage

On Richard’s Horizon:

Katmai National Park in Alaska

Kenya

Northern Lights in Alaska

Iceland

Richard and Cathy Ahles at the ceremonial start of the Iditarod in Anchorage

Upcoming Online Events:

Happy Hour – Spring Image Celebration: Join us to celebrate images created by our community of photographers. Send in 3 of your best images from this spring and see what others have created. Tuesday May 19, 2026 at 6 pm Denver time. Everyone welcome! Send a note for the link.

Workshop Openings:

Just 1 Space Left: Alaska Black Bears August 8-14, 2026 Photograph huge Black Bears in Alaska’s coastal rainforest near the town of Wrangell. Cruise the pristine waters in a small boat and photograph whales, sea otters, calving glaciers and flaming sunsets. Read more

Northern Lights in Alaska – February 23-28, 2027. Join Tom and Cree at the Chena Hot Springs Resort for aurora photography at the top of a mountain dome. Read more

Thanks for reading our trip reports!

Happy Spring

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Iditarod Photo Workshop: Trip Report

Tom and Cree just returned from their Iditarod Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. We were delighted to have clear weather for our flight into the Rainy Pass Checkpoint this year. We had a glorious scenic flight into the Alaska Range and terrific access to the dog teams when we landed.

To see photos of the Iditarod Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here

What’s Next: Tom and Cree will be at home in Alaska for a few weeks. It looks like there will be a strong aurora event around March 21, and they may head to the arctic for it. After that they are trading in their snow boots for sun hats as they head south to their annual Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop.

FREE EVENT: Join us for our free online presentation on Aurora Photography: March 18 at 6 pm Denver time. Tom and Cree will share our favorite tips for shooting and editing aurora images with the TBPW community. Everyone is invited! Send us a note here for the invite, or leave a comment below requesting the link.

Upcoming Workshops for Tom Bol Photo Workshops

Happy Spring from Alaska!

Tom and Cree

Talkeetna, AK. Mushing
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Photographer of the Month: March 2025

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

Happy Spring!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Trip Report: Iditarod and Northern Lights

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.

Have a wonderful winter!

Tom and Cree

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Iditarod and Aurora: Trip Report

Tom and Cree just finished their Iditarod and Northern Lights Photo 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

Thank you for reading our trip reports!

Tom and Cree

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What’s up at Tom Bol Photo Workshops

We hope your 2024 is off to a great start!

We are in the middle of teaching our two online classes this week. The topic of Artificial Intelligence has been getting plenty of attention. We want to invite you to attend our next free, online Happy Hour Chat on AI. We will be discussing AI in photography and looking at images modified and or created with AI. The session goes from 5-6 pm Denver MDT on Thursday, January 18. If you are an AI user, you are welcome to submit an image to share for the chat. Send an image or request the Zoom link at creetbp@gmail.com.

Sand not snow!

New Workshops for 2026

We have just started adding new workshops for 2026, including our Louisiana Birds and Bayous. Our Antarctica Workshop is already full with 20 people heading to South Georgia, the Falklands and Antarctica with us. We will be adding more workshops throughout the next few months and encourage you to check back frequently. We hope to post our 2026 Chilkat Eagle Workshop next.

Openings for 2024

Our Upcoming Openings button makes it easier to see which workshops have openings in the short term. We have a few openings in both 2024 and 2025. We look forward to seeing you in the field!

Today is the last day for us to take sign ups for our 2024 Northern Lights and Iditarod Workshop. We have a few open spaces if anyone would like to take advantage of peak northern lights season from February 29- March 8, 2024. Aurora, Alaska and some of the best sled dog photography in the world!

Speaking of Alaska, some of you have heard that Tom and I plan to move back to Palmer, Alaska in the next year. The timing is good for us and we look forward to returning to spectacular wildlife and landscape photography year round. Rest assured that we will be continuing all of our usual domestic and international workshops and perhaps adding a few new ones in Alaska.

We always love hearing from you! creetbp@gmail.com  

Cree and Tom