Photo of the Month July 2022

At Tom Bol Photo Workshops, we celebrate great images created on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For July we chose an image from our Glacier Workshop created by Eric Lacey. Eric traveled with us to the North American Indian Days in Browning, Montana. We hope you enjoy Eric’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to July 2022 ‘s featured photographer – Eric Lacey

Portrait of Eric by Kim Lafleur with a f1.2 portrait lens

The Story… 

I was looking for an opportunity to photograph a Native American person. I wanted to minimize all the distractions in the background. I was paying as much attention to what was in the background then to what the boy was doing.

Everyone at the event was phenomenally cooperative.

I took 4 or 5 photos with the boy standing in this position. I liked this one the most. He looks contemplative.

Photo of the Month July 2022

Aperture of f2.8: The tepees in the background give it a sense of place. I wanted enough bokeh in the background to blur it but also I wanted the viewer to be able to tell what it is.

Shutter Speed 1/8000: It was a bright sunny day so I shot at a really high shutter speed (1/8000 sec) This is the highest my camera would allow.

Exposure compensation of -1: I always shoot with some negative exposure compensation if I am shooting in aperture mode. I prefer lightening up an image rather than darkening it down in post process. I didn’t want to blow out any of the highlights.

This was the first time I used my mirrorless for portrait work. I was pleased with how it performed. I just love the EVF info and being able to see the histogram in real time. It simplifies the actual shooting.


EXIF Data:

Canon R5, Canon 70-200 RF 2.8 shot at 95mm

F2.8, 1/8000 sec, ISO 200

Aperture Mode, Exposure Comp of -1


Tips for Portraits:

Keep shooting – you will end up with a lot that aren’t great. Increase your keeper ratio by shooting plenty of frames.

Control the background – I didn’t move around the subject much. I knew I wanted the tepees in the background as a frame behind him.

Control the light – we had strong overhead sunlight, so I had to work with that. I softened the light in post. Luckily his headdress didn’t cast too much of a shadow on his face.


Sunrise at Swiftcurrent Lake in GNP

About Photographing in and near Glacier

Glacier exceeded my expectations photographically.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because Glacier is less well known as a national park. The vistas aren’t as iconic. Compare it to Yosemite. Everyone knows about Half Dome and El Cap. I was very pleasantly surprised.

As for Browning and Indian Days, I thought it was one of the best parts of the trip. The photography was very different for me. Aside from the photography, I really enjoyed just watching. The remembrance tributes were really moving.

Taking portraits was a great way to expand my photographic check list. It was something we hadn’t done before. I took hundreds of photos and only had two keepers. It was really a blast!

Eric learned his lesson with this image

My Lesson Learned:

We went out the first morning and we had a beautiful pink sunrise. I thought the shoot was over and packed everything up and headed to the car. As I was walking up the hill, I heard Tom say, “Look at the light”.

I ran back down and unpacked everything. I used my ND grad filter to darken the sky in this image.

I learned that you don’t pack up until you’re sure the show is over!


On Eric’s Horizon:

Pantanal in Brazil

Puffins on Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine

Oregon Coast & Redwoods

Tanzania

Eric and Kim photographing horses on route to Browning, Montana

Where are Tom and Cree?

As you read this we are sailing around the Galapagos Islands with a group on a three masted sailboat. We will be back in the office from August 8-12 and then off to Greenland with Strabo Tours to photograph enormous icebergs in Disko Bay.

Want to join us for an international adventure? We have a few spots open:

New Zealand Sept 22-Oct 3, 2022

Norway Sept 11-18, 2022

Patagonia Nov 29-Dec 9, 2022

We hope you are having a great summer. Thanks for reading our posts!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

Trip Report – Brown Bears and Glaciers

We just returned from our Lake Clark Bear Workshop and are already longing to go back next year. The spring cubs were just wonderful. Take a look at our trip report to see the photos and catch up on what Crimp’s Cub looks like this year.

To see the report, click here

Tom has been busy working on articles for Nikon in his spare time. Check out his new piece on the Pre-release Feature of the Nikon Z9. If you are an Olympus user you probably already know about it. If you are a Nikon user, this allows you to record images before you push the button and capture a burst of activity. Great read! Click here. Most of the images for the article were taken on our Texas Birds Workshops in May

Tom and I will be out of the office for several weeks in August with workshops in both the Galapagos and Greenland. We want to be able to answer all of your questions as soon as possible and will check messages whenever we have coverage.

We will be readily available and in the office from August 8-12. We are also around for the next several days (end of July) if you need anything.

Thanks for reading our posts. We hope to photograph with you soon!

Tom and Cree

Can you tell we love Alaska?

Glacier Trip Report

After postponing for two years, our entire workshop group was delighted to be going to Glacier National Park. We showed up in the early morning for our first shoot and an amazing rainbow appeared over Wild Goose Island. It was a spectacular year to be in Glacier!

Click on this link to learn more and to see images from our photo workshop in Glacier National Park.

We have a busy international schedule coming up from now until December. We are traveling to the Galapagos and then on to Greenland next.

Most of our trips are full but there are a few spaces available on our Lofoten Norway Workshop on September 11-18 Learn more This is the perfect place to cool down after a warmer than usual summer!

We also have a few spaces on our Botswana and Zimbabwe Workshop November 10-22 Learn more We visit Victoria Falls, ground level elephant blinds and boat on the Chobe River.

Thanks for reading our posts. Hope you are having a great summer!

Tom and Cree

What is Coming up at TBPW

Greetings Photographers!

We hope your summer is off to a great start!

We will be returning to Alaska next week for an assignment with the Mat-Su Visitor’s Bureau (Palmer, Wasilla and Talkeetna). One of our shoots will be photographing stand up paddle boarding on a glacier pool. It sounds exciting. We are also looking forward to the annual Alaskan brewery photo shoot!

Arches and Canyonlands

New Workshops for 2024

Over the last few weeks we have been rounding out our 2024 Schedule with a few new workshop destinations. We keep adding new destinations in order to give you plenty of options, both international and domestic. We have space available on both of these:

Arches and Canyonlands Nov 3-7, 2024

Details: This is one of our favorite national parks. Tom has been leading photo workshops and doing assignments in Moab for the last 20 years. Photograph striking red rock formations on blue skies. Explore myriad arches against an iconic western landscape. Learn More

Orangutans and Volcanos in Indonesia February 13-23, 2024

Details:  Join Tom, Cree and Phillip Bartlett on a 10 day adventure to the exotic islands of Java and Borneo. These islands are  part of the country of Indonesia – we will be photographing wildlife from a riverboat, landscapes and taking travel portraits. Learn More

Orangutans in Indonesia Photo by Phillip Bartlett

Openings for 2022

Our domestic trips are all full for 2022. We have a few new openings for international trips. We have been traveling abroad since last November and are finding it easier to travel now that the testing requirement for covid has been lifted for re-entry into the US. We are happy to talk more about international travel with you if you have questions. Click on the underlined links to learn more.

Norway Lofoten Islands – September 11-18, 2022

Botswana and Zimbabwe – November 11-22, 2022

Greenland and Iceland – August 12-21, 2022,


We always love hearing from you! creetbp@gmail.com or (970) 631-9383  

Enjoy your summer!

Cree and Tom

Trip Report: Nome Arctic Birds & Musk Oxen

Five days of sunshine and endless hours of golden light. We could not believe the weather we had in Nome, Alaska for our Arctic Birds and Musk Oxen Workshop. This was the first time we offered this workshop and we are already planning to head back in 2024 for Summer Solstice.

Click on this link to see the trip report images and read about our adventures in Nome.

Interested in joining us in 2024, June 17-22 for our next Nome Workshop? Only one space left. Read more

Thanks for reading our posts. Hope you are having a good summer!

Tom and Cree

Photo of the Month – May 2022

At Tom Bol Photo Workshops, we celebrate great images created on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For May we chose an image from our Texas Birds Workshop created by Carolyn Johnson. We hope you enjoy Carolyn’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to May 2022 ‘s featured photographer – Carolyn Johnson

Carolyn and her daughter Marni in Bryce National Park

The Story … 

The bronzed cowbird was on the perch near the cactus and I was focused on him. The green jay came in and I saw him mid air. I kept the focal point on the cowbird and just kept pushing the shutter button.

At 30 frames per second, you can hardly miss!

This photo happened because of the Sony A1. I was on a photo outing with Artie Morris. He explained all the manual settings to me on an outing to photograph pelicans. The camera has an amazing dot that tracks the birds’ eyes. This feature took all of my frustration out of wildlife photography. In the past, images were never as sharp as I wanted them to be.

Now I can’t decide which mages to delete because they are all good.

Having a gimbal on the tripod also helped. It makes all the difference. I can no longer hold the weight of a longer lens like I used to.

May 2022 Photo of the Month

I decided to send the image of the green jay and cowbird to Bay Photo to get a metal print. Tom mentioned that he liked Bay Photo and especially the metal prints. When it arrived, I liked the result so much that I had 9 more metal bird prints made.

They arrived yesterday and I have them all over my kitchen table to figure out a good layout.


EXIF Data:

Sony A1 with a 200-600 mm lens , shot at 571mm

F6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 2000

Manual Mode, Spot Focus

Male Cardinal and Male Pyrrhuloxia sharing a perch

About Photographing Birds in South Texas

I liked both ranches. The owners were so careful with details and knew exactly what to do to get the birds there.

My favorite bird was Darth Vader – the bronzed cowbird. I loved when he was doing his mating dance. He has the most fabulous color of blue on his wings.

I had never shot from a blind before. I live on 4 acres in the shrub oak in California. My son in law has a back hoe. I think a blind is in my future.

Black Crested Titmouse

Tips for Bird Photography:

Don’t be afraid of using high ISO settings. In the past higher ISOs would create grainy and pixelated photos. The new technology has made it possible to shoot at high ISO settings and still get great photos. I use Topaz Denoise on all the photos I take with high ISO settings.


On Carolyn’s Horizon

Eagles in Chilkat, Alaska

Roseate Spoonbills in Florida

Galapagos Islands

Carolyn in the orchards at Capitol Reef

We are headed to Nome Alaska next with a small group to photograph musk oxen and arctic birds. After that we are headed to the South Dakota Badlands and Glacier National Park.

We have 2 spaces available on our Bears and Glaciers Workshop. It will be prime time for Spring cubs July 11-16 click here to learn more.

Welcome to summer and thanks for reading our posts!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

Texas Birds Trip Report

We just returned from South Texas after two successful bird photography workshops. We photographed songbirds and raptors from two of the best bird blind ranches in the country.

Click on this link to see the trip report images and read about our adventures in Texas.

Interested in joining this summer for one of our favorite bear photography workshops? Two spaces are available on Brown Bears and Glaciers on July 11-16, 2022. Read more

We also have space on our photo tour to the Lofoten islands in Norway, September 11-18, 2022. Read more

Thanks for reading our posts!

Tom and Cree

Photo of the Month – April 2022

At Tom Bol Photo Workshops, we celebrate great images created on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For April we chose an image from our Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop created by Joe Campbell. We hope you enjoy Joe’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to April 2022 ‘s featured photographer – Joe Campbell

Costa Rica

The Story … 

I had been sitting on a log having lunch by myself. I looked around and asked myself, “Where is everybody?” The guides said there was an anteater down the road so I decided to mosey down there.

I went down the road and everyone was shooting from the side by the road. Tom was on the beach side so I went and started shooting near him.

The anteater was climbing down the tree and sat down to rest for awhile. It was like I asked him to pose like that – sitting and enjoying the ocean breeze.

I was telling myself, “This is a damn good shot” How can you miss with a pose like that.

April 2022 Photo of the Month

I like using the ring to set the exposure compensation. With the Nikon Z9 you can see it happen right in the viewfinder.

The ISO on the anteater was 2800. I used Topaz Denoise and it worked fine. It does a great job of removing noise most of the time.

EXIF Data:

Nikon Z9 with a 500 mm pf lens

F8, 1/640 sec, ISO 2800, Exposure Compensation +1.3

Manual Mode, Auto Focus Pattern wide-area small

Eyelash Viper shot with a 500 mm pf lens

This was the best shot I got from the eyelash viper shoot. Eduardo was using his hook to place the snake on the heliconia. I used content aware to remove the hook from the photo. I try to walk around the subject to get different angles and shading.

I recommend changing your position until you find something that works.

I had never really shot snakes before. I plan to do it again.


About photographing in the Costa Rica jungle

It’s hot. It’s sweaty. And it’s worth it.

I like the variety. Without the guides I would not have seen anything. I do not know how they drive and see things way up in a tree at the same time.

The same was true of the river guides. The boat driver would stop and say, “There is a boa in the tree.” How the hell did he see that. I look over and it looks just like a bee’s nest.

The Sierpe River is where I learned that toucans eat more than fruit. We heard a lot of noise up in a tree. We saw several great-tail grackles chasing a toucan. We saw that there were actually 2 toucans. One was distracting the grackles while the other stole a baby grackle from the nest.

It flew off and I was lucky enough to get a shot of the chick in its beak.

I thank the Z9 for that.

A Bare-throated Tiger Heron in the Jungle

On Changing Positions:

We got a lot of shots of the Tiger Heron from right below the tree branch. Jose, the guide, suggested we move to the other side of the tree.

It popped. That was the place to be.


On Joe’s Horizon

Rookeries in New Jersey at Ocean City and Cape May (great egrets, white ibis, night herons)

Machias Seal Island for puffin

Alaska for Grizzlies

Norway for Northern Lights

Joe in Fairbanks – not dressed for the Costa Rican jungle

We are off to South Texas next for two bird workshops at Laguna Seca and Santa Clara Ranch. After that we are headed to to Southern Spain with Strabo Photo Tours – space still available.

We will add another trip to Costa Rica in April 2024 and have a similar workshop in 2023 in the cloud forest of Ecuador, click here to learn more.

Enjoy your spring and thanks for reading our posts!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

Trip Report: Costa Rica Rain Forest

We just returned from the rain forest of Costa Rica after two successful photo tours. We had a wonderful experience amongst the monkeys, macaws and three-toed sloths. We will be heading back in 2024. , If you would like to join us, click here and ask to be on the interest list.

Click on this link to see the trip report images and read about our adventures in Costa Rica

Thanks for reading our posts!

Tom and Cree

Trip Report – Northern Lights in Fairbanks

We had some spectacular aurora this year for our Northern Lights Workshop in Fairbanks. You can read all about it in our illustrated trip report. Click here to see the report.

What’s next: we are headed to Sicily for the next few weeks with Strabo Photo Tours. If you are looking for a warmer destination, consider joining us in Southern Spain for warm weather, flamenco dancing, beautiful Moorish palaces and laughs all around. Four spaces available Southern Spain Workshop on May 13-25, 2022.

Check out our listings for domestic 2024 Workshops, more international trips coming soon.

Enjoy the warmer weather coming up!

Warm regards,

Tom and Cree

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