Tom and Cree just returned from the Greece Photo Tour with Strabo Photo Tours and are sharing the highlights with you. We were very excited to have had two portrait shoots while on the tour. We also really enjoyed the authenticity and hospitality of the people in this more remote part of Greece.
To see photos of the Strabo Greece Photo Tour, check out the trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Tom and I will be heading to Botswana for our annual Africa Workshop. If we are lucky we will photograph Mr. Special – our favorite resident male cheetah at Splash Camp. For the month of December we will be enjoying a break in Alaska while we photograph aurora and spend some time in our favorite spot for Eagle Photography – Haines, Alaska.
Tom and Cree just returned from their Acadia National Park Workshop in Maine and are sharing the highlights with you. Highlights of the workshop were photographing crashing waves at Otter Rocks and trying a variety of slow shutter speed techniques. We even had clear skies for a night shoot this year.
To see photos from our Acadia National Park Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Tom and Cree will be heading to 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 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 just returned from Disko Bay in Greenland after leading two photography workshops and we are sharing the highlights with you. Tom says there was more ice in the water surrounding the town of Ilulissat then he has ever seen. Highlights of the workshop were the abundance of massive icebergs and the variety of moody skies for backgrounds.
To see photos from our Greenland Photography Workshop, check out the trip report by clicking here
What’s Next: Tom and Cree will be heading to the Rocky Mountain High Country to photograph yellow aspen trees with a workshop group at the end of September. For the next few weeks Tom and Cree will be exploring the Alaskan wilderness by canoe. Chances are they will be off grid for awhile.
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 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 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 Cree had a terrific time on their Kenya Photo Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined 10 photographers on a 8 day exploration of the Masai Mara in Kenya. The variety of big cats in action was a highlight for everyone.
To see photos from our Kenya Photo Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
We had a spectacular night of aurora in Alaska on October 10, as did many of you in the Lower 48! Tom just finished a blog post with tips for capturing the aurora: Click here to learn more. If you want to join us on an Aurora Workshop, we have space on our Northern Lights and Iditarod Workshop in 2026
We will be traveling to New Mexico for our next two workshops on Route 66. We will be based in Oklahoma and Texas for the first workshop and in New Mexico and Arizona for the second one. After that we are headed to Arches and Canyonlands to capture beautiful red rock formations and look for the Milky Way at night.
Any upcoming openings?
Our 2025 schedule is close to full. You can always join a waiting list for a trip that is full by sending us a note from our Contact Page
Tom and Cree just finished their Monument Valley Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They joined 10 photographers on a 4 day exploration of Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation. The variety of photography and inspiring vistas were highlights for everyone.
To see photos from our Monument Valley Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s new:
We will be heading to Africa for the great migration next. Our tent camp is located right on the Mara River where all of the action is. After leaving Kenya, Cree is headed to Scotland to hike the highlands with family. Tom is headed back to Alaska to capture fall aurora in his favorite places.
We will be in remote places for the next few weeks and it may be a bit harder to contact us. We will do our best to respond as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience!
Any upcoming openings?
Route 66 Albuquerque to Winslow: Oct 23-27, 2024 Read more Photograph iconic locations like the WigWam Motel, Route 66 Diner, and Petrified Forest National Park. Learn more about using a speed light to add color and creativity to your images.
We are starting to fill our 2026 Workshops. If something is full and you want to join the waitlist, just send us a message from our Contact Page
Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For May we chose an image taken on our Badlands Workshop. The image was taken by Jim Seward while photographing bison in Badlands National Park. Jim is a travel and landscape photographer from the Chicago area.
Congratulations to May 2024 ‘s featured photographer – Jim Seward
Photographer Jim Seward
The Story…
I do not have a lot of experience shooting wildlife. First I got some of the iconic shoots of bison but I wanted to get something different as well.
We were on the long road with a fence line. I didn’t like the fence line in the background. On the left side of the road there were a pair of bison standing up but they were not doing much. I saw a little head pop up in the yellow flowers. He was lying down with just his head up. I got down low and shot at eye level.
It was all the things I have learned from taking pictures over the years. I wanted my mid ground to be sharp with interesting bokeh in both the foreground and background. I shot through the flowers to get the effect.
If somebody puts me in the right spot and I have decent equipment, I can take a decent picture.
Photo of the Month – May 2024
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
Lens: Sigma 150-600 mm with 1.4 extender
Aperture: f6.3
Shutter: 1/400 second
ISO: 500
Mode: Manual
About Photographing in the Badlands
I was completely surprised at how much color variation there was. This was especially in the rocks. The yellows and the reds blew me away. Before the trip I had looked at several sites to see what we would be shooting. None of those images did justice to what we actually shot in the park.
It was like shooting sunsets in Patagonia. The colors are so good right out of the camera that you barely need to do anything in post. I just let the colors speak for themselves.
The timing for the green grass in Spring was important. The green grass, yellow rocks and blue sky were tremendous. It is the right time to go to the Badlands if you like color.
These is also a great variety of wildlife. I got a couple shots of the Burrowing Owls. I had never seen them before in my life. I was amazed by their habitat. Just to see it was terrific.
Goin to the abandoned town was as fun as anything in the park. I have used ND filters before in New Zealand, Utah and in North Dakota. The sky was perfect for Cottonwood. With an ND filter I like spending a little more time. It is a more relaxed pace.
With the silo I kept repeating the process over and over to get the right sky. I wanted the clouds moving over my head. I like it when the clouds are moving into the background.
Abandoned Silo in Cottonwood
Jim’s Tips for Landscape Photography
Tip 1
When you are in the field and you think you might be done, wait another five or ten minutes. You might be surprised with a piece of light that breaks through or a change of color. Things can change just when you think it is time to leave.
Tip 2
Don’t be afraid of unusual light situations. On the last morning we had fog roll in. We thought the fog would obliterate everything. However, as the fog moved through the scene it created some interesting photos.
On Jim’s Horizon:
Namibia
Greenland
Oregon Coast and Redwoods
Harris and Skye in the Hebrides
Jim photographing Big Horn Sheep
Interested in joining us in a national park this year? We have space on our Bosque and White Sands National Park Workshop from Dec 8-12, 2024 Learn more
