Tom and Cree just returned from their Ouray Fall Colors Workshop in Colorado and are sharing the highlights with you. Tom says there was more fall color on Red Mountain Pass this year then he has ever seen. Highlights of the workshop were the abundance of color in the groves including so many orange and red aspens this year.
To see photos from our Ouray Fall Colors, check out the trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Tom and Cree will be heading Greece to photograph the fall harvest with 10 lucky photographers. We’ll check out the shipwreck at Zakynthos and watch fishermen bring in their daily catch. After that we are off to Botswana for our annual Africa Workshop. If we are lucky we will photograph Mr. Special – our favorite resident male cheetah at Splash Camp.
Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For September we chose an image from our Greenland Photography Workshop. The image was taken by Eric Lacey in the Greenlandic town of Ilulissat. Eric is a landscape and travel photographer from Boston.
Congratulations to September 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Eric Lacey
Eric sharing his portraits with the locals
The Story…
We were out walking the town of Ilulissat with Tom and Odd. We photographed whatever caught our eye. The colorful buildings were interesting and we tried to compress them. We came down to the bottom of the hill and we could see the water. There was a dog kennel nearby. I was looking at the puppies.
I heard the words, “Take Picture.” I turned around and there were two little girls behind me. I said “Oh, do you want me to take your picture?” and she said, “Yeah!”
So I started taking pictures of her and her friend. I went over and sat down to show them the photos. I started taking more photos and more children started coming out of the houses and they all wanted to have their pictures taken.
The girl who I first heard, was the only one who seemed to have any English skills. She understood me pretty well. I tried to get her name, but I couldn’t understand what she said.
I am very intimidated by taking pictures of adults. But it is very easy for me to interact with children. The interaction with the kids was very unexpected. It was spontaneous. I wouldn’t have asked them to pose, but since they raised it first, I was very willing.
The photo may not be my favorite photo of the trip, but it is the one I will remember the most. I really enjoyed the interaction.
I wasn’t exactly sure what reception we would get in Greenland. I learned that the Inuit are a very proud and open people. They were very respectful. We were in a taxi and the driver said, “We respect everyone who respects us.”
September 2025 Photo of the Month by Eric Lacey
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon R5
Lens: 100-500mm at 100mm
Aperture: f10
Shutter: 1/1250
ISO: 400
Arches of Ice near Ilulissat, Greenland
About Photographing in Greenland
Greenland was never on my bucket list…..until I saw the photos that you and Tom got on your last trip.
The icebergs were phenomenal. The shapes of the iceberg were surprising and beautiful. We got one night of sunset, as opposed to dimer light. Most of my favorite photos came in the sunset. It was an unforgettable trip for us.
The landscape is beautiful but kind of sparse. The tundra is different for those of us who do not get up North regularly.
After showing my photos to other people, they all want to go there now. It is only 3.5 hours from Newark to get to Nuuk.
Fall colors in the tundra near Ilulissat
Eric’ s Tips for Photographing Icebergs
My #1 tip is to shoot wide. I did not own a super wide lens. I bought one two days before going on the trip. I did not think I would use it that much.
In the past I have been disappointed because it makes everything look so small. With the icebergs they are so big, and you can get so close that it works great. I am usually a big scene landscape photographer and use the 24mm range all of the time.
2) Shoot in high speed. Because we were on a moving boat we were shooting very fast. The foreground ice chunks in the scene would move by very quickly. I shot regularly at 10 frames per second. This helped me to position the foreground elements in my final selection.
3) Look for foreground icebergs with a submerged portion. The water is so clear that you can see the definition in the underwater icebergs. Tom brought up a photo during the image review with a beautiful submerged iceberg. This became one of my focuses for the rest of the trip.
4) Not about icebergs, but engage every child you see when walking by.
Iceberg Arch with Foreground Ice
On Eric’s Horizon:
South Georgia, Antarctica, Falklands
South Africa
Peru
Utah Landscapes
Japan
Eric and Kim close to a large iceberg
Workshop Openings:
Join us for more Coastal Photography on the Alaska Kenai Explorer July 7-12, 2026. Calving glaciers, Sea Otters, Whales, and beautiful scenery near Seward and Homer, Alaska. 4 Spaces Available. Learn more
Tom and I celebrate great photos from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For August we chose an image from our Redwoods & Rocky Coastlines Workshop. The image was taken by Suzy Onysko at Lagoon Creek Beach. Suzy is a wildlife and fine art photographer from Ohio. You can see her work featured on Susan Onysko Photography.
Congratulations to August 2025 ‘s featured photographer – Suzy Onysko
Suzy photographing at slow shutter speeds on the beach in Crescent City, California
The Story…
We went to Lagoon Creek in the afternoon and wow it was windy! I started out with a tripod, trying to capture the fast-moving waves and sea spray with the sea stacks in the background, but honestly, I wasn’t feeling it. Then I remembered something from a talk earlier that day: Tom Bol said he loves shooting water at 1 second because it keeps just enough texture to stay interesting. Normally, I go with much longer shutter speeds to get that dreamy, soft, gooey look in water, so this felt totally new to me. And that’s exactly why I’ve traveled with the Bols for 15+ years – there’s always something new to learn!
So I switched my camera to manual, cranked up the f-stop, lowered the ISO, and set my shutter speed to 1 second. Loved it instantly! And best of all – no need for that 10-stop ND filter I lugged along. 🙂 I set a 2-second delay so I didn’t need the cable release, parked myself in one spot, and just played with the waves all evening, timing the shutter to see how different wave patterns would transform the image.
At first, for about half an hour, everything came out in these gorgeous midtone grays – perfect for black and white. Then as the sun dropped, the mood shifted. Suddenly, beautiful golden highlights lit up my moody blue water, and the whole scene just glowed. In this photo, what I really loved was the reflection of the sun shimmering in the sand – such a beautiful combo!
I knew I was onto something when I looked up an hour later and realized I was facing the opposite direction of everyone else. Usually I’m the queen of FOMO, but I was so entranced I didn’t even notice!
Processing was easy in Lightroom. I hit that magical AUTO button, used the Adobe Landscape profile, set a Cloudy WB, and then spent some quality time zapping about a zillion dust spots. Lightroom has really come a long way! My little secret trick was using the Adaptive Sky – Blue Hour Preset. Lightroom thought my waves were clouds (ha!), so by lowering the opacity I ended up with these gorgeous, rich blue tones in the water.
August 2025 Photo of the Month by Susan Onysko
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z9
Lens:100-400mm at 100mm
Aperture: f32
Shutter: 1 second
ISO: 64
About Photographing in the Redwoods
This was my second time on the Redwoods Photo Workshop with TBPW and I can honestly say that it’s one of the most challenging places I’ve ever photographed. The first time you go, you’re just overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the trees. Figuring out how to photograph them so that the images actually capture their scale and power. That’s the tricky part. I don’t think you really understand how hard it is until you’re standing right there in front of them.
Most of the spots we photograph in the Redwoods are low light, which means a tripod is a must if you want clean, sharp files. If you’re not used to shooting with a tripod – practice! 🙂 For me, it’s especially frustrating because most of my photography is handheld or with a beanbag from a safari vehicle in Africa. Switching gears to “tripod mode” definitely takes patience.
The coast in California and Oregon is absolutely lovely. Of course, I always dream of those gorgeous, cloudy, colorful sunsets (and even stayed extra days in Oregon hoping for one!), but alas… Mother Nature had other plans. Oregon was socked in, and other days I had completely clear skies. So, I went the black-and-white route instead. I ended up thrilled with my slow-water images from this trip. The best part is that the photos from my second trip look completely different from my first. That’s the beauty of returning to a place – you never know what magic you’ll find.
Surfline at Lagoon Creek
Suzy’ s Tips for Photographing at the Coast
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of tripods. But… in my opinion, they often make the difference between a snapshot and a wall-hanger. 🙂 At the coast, a tripod really helps when you want to play with different shutter speeds to capture the mood of the waves – whether that’s silky and soft or crashing and powerful.
One of the highlights of this trip was when Cree found some AMAZING starfish for us to photograph. It was so much fun to see during the image showcase at the end how many variations people captured: starfish with soft waves, starfish with crashing waves, starfish close-up, starfish with big sweeping scenes. The creativity was endless!
As for me, the moment I had pulled out my trusty infrared camera and a polarizer I was completely absorbed in photographing tidal pools. I loved the way the kelp and sea plants transformed in infrared – they had this wonderful, otherworldly texture. I guess that means I’ll just have to go back another time for those starfish… not the worst problem to have! 😉
Tidepool in Infrared
On Suzy’s Horizon:
Grand Teton National Park
Ouray with TBPW
Australia
Botswana
Falklands, Antarctica and South Georgia with TBPW
Workshop Openings:
Join us for more Coastal Photography on the Alaska Kenai Explorer July 7-12, 2026. Calving glaciers, Sea Otters, Whales, and beautiful scenery near Seward and Homer, Alaska. 4 Spaces Available. Learn more
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
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
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
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
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 ClarkWorkshop, 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.
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
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 BayousWorkshop, 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
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.
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.
