Tom and Cree just finished their Costa Rica RainforestPhoto Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They traveled with their groups to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica to photograph the animals, flowers and birds in the lowland rainforest. Our groups were delighted with the baby monkeys and abundance of Scarlet Macaws this year.
To see photos from our Costa Rica Rainforest Workshop, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s next:
Tom and Cree are headed to the Bayous of Louisiana for their next workshop. They will be gliding through the bayous on pontoon boats in search of alligators and birds and then visiting a rookery with nesting Great Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills.
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 Indonesia Workshop. The image was taken by Richard Epter during a photo shoot in a rice paddy near Malang on East Java. Richard is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Augusta, Georgia.
Congratulations to February 2024 ‘s featured photographer – Richard Epter
Richard Epter in Indonesia
The Story…
I remember that we got to sleep in. We left at 4am which was later than the days before. I had no idea what we were going to see because I had never been to a rice paddy before.
When we got there, we walked through some fields and then the view opened up. It was twilight and we were just starting to see light. In the distance I could see terracing. I could’t see much beyond that because it was cloudy and too dark.
There was a short wall made of mud on our right. The walls were a foot think. I thought it was gorgeous to see that. Terracing has always been fascinating to me. Earlier on the trip we saw terraces on the sides of mountains and I was amazed at how steep they were.
During the shoot, I learned how the local men in the rice paddies make the walls. They dig up mud, push it to the edge of the paddy and manually build up the the walls, layer by layer. It all happened right before us.
In my photo there are tiny rice plant shoots in the foreground. Rice is one of the few aquatic crops other than taro. The image shows a lot of water with the rice plants just starting to grow. As they grow they don’t need as much water.
I found it very interesting that on the downhill edge of each paddy, there was a small 6 inch gap that drained the terraces. This allowed the entire field to drain slowly throughout the day.
As the sun rose I could see a huge mountain in the background. I was so surprised to hear that it was Mt Semeru. Semeru is the the same mountain we had photographed days early with volcanic gases escaping. We were on the opposite site of the volcanic massif. It was not just a coincidence. That was fantastic to see and photograph both sides.
When we were walking back from the shoot, I was looking for an angle that really accentuated the lines of the terraces and the reflection of Semeru. I used a low perspective to get the entire mountain in the reflection.
It wasn’t until I got on the computer that I realized what I had. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was,
Photo of the Month – Malang Rice Paddy with Mt Semeru by Richard Epter
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z9
Lens: Nikon 24-120
Aperture: f11
Shutter: 1/13 sec
ISO: 64
Mode: Manual
About Photographing in Indonesia
This was my first time to Indonesia. It has so much natural beauty. The people were so nice everywhere we went.
The only volcano I had ever seen was Haleakala in Hawaii a long time ago. All of my pictures were blown out then. I did a much better job this time around.
Our sunrise shoot at Semeru was very impactful for me. It was interesting to be so close to an active volcano. You never know what it is going to do. That is exciting in and of itself.
This was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The gases were spewing perfectly to catch the colors of sunrise in the clouds. The sun started strolling down the sides of the volcanos and brought out all of the volcanic ridges.
Every day in Indonesia was exciting. We never knew what we were going to see.
The monkeys and orangutans in the wild made it feel like we were on the set of Tarzan. The skills of the guides were terrific. They could see and hear things that none of the rest of us could. They were fantastic. They would point out a kingfisher on a limb and I couldn’t even see the limb! It helped me learn to train my eye.
This was one of the most adventurous trips I’ve ever taken.
Mt Semeru at sunrise
Richard’s Tips for Travel Photography
Tip 1
Take an extra minute or so to access the angle of view. Try moving up and down to change your perspective. A foot to the left or right can also make a hug difference. When I squatted down, I was able to get the entire reflection of Mt Semeru in the photo.
Tip 3
Don’t worry about taking too many frames. Shoot at a high frame rate, especially if you are on a moving boat. I tend to shoot wildlife at 20 frames per second. This really helps capture more images where the animal is looking right at you. This makes a more engaging shot.
Tip 4
Use the lowest ISO that you can. I learned this from Tom in Indonesia. Now I try to use ISO 64 when I can to keep the noise low. Noise reduction software can make a big difference, but it’s even better to start with a low ISO.
Tom and Cree just finished their Indonesia Workshop and are sharing the highlights with you. They traveled with their group to Borneo and East Java in Indonesia to photograph the colorful people, places and animals of the area. Our group enjoyed the interactions among orangutans and were astonished at how human-like they were.
To see photos from our 2024 Indonesia: Orangutans and Volcanos, check out our trip report by clicking here
What’s next:
Tom and Cree are headed to Alaska for Northern Lights and the Iditarod. We will be photographing the “Last Great Race” in three different locations and then searching for aurora in Talkeetna, Healy and Fairbanks, Alaska. As part of our route, we drive right by the entrance to Denali National Park.
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
Tom and I celebrate great images from workshop participants by selecting a Photo of the Month. For December we chose an image taken on our Bosque and White Sands Workshop. The image was taken by Tim Crull during a stunning sunset at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. Tim is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Indiana and he loves grizzly bears!
Congratulations to December 2023 ‘s featured photographer – Tim Crull
Tim Crull at White Sands National Park
The Story…
When we arrived at the Roosting Pond, there were only a few ducks there. We could hear cranes from a distance and we started to see them flying towards us.
We needed the right sky color. Then we needed the cranes to fly right in front of it.
I began tracking multiple groups of cranes. Sometimes the cranes were not close enough. Othertimes they overlapped and did not look as good. I just kept trying until I got what I wanted. Just keep shooting.
Everything has to come together to get the right shot. I waited until I got an odd number of cranes with just the right separation between them.
Photo of the Month – Trio of Sandhill Cranes by Tim Crull
EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: 600 mm
Aperture: f4
Shutter: 1/1000 sec
ISO: 500
Mode: Manual, auto ISO
About Photographing in White Sands
I had never been there before. I’ve been to other sand dunes like in Death Valley. The white sand makes it really amazing.
I went two days before the workshop but could not get in early. Going with a workshop means you can get in before sunrise. This makes all the difference in the world.
It’s all about the light there. The sand reflects the different colors in the sky like no where else.
Sunset at White Sands National Park
Tim’s Tips for Photographing at Bosque
Tip 1
You need the right weather. Keep going back until you get it. A sunset with red or orange is what you want.
Tip 2
Shoot a lot. You won’t know the position of the birds and groupings until later.
Tip 3
Practice tracking birds with your camera and lens before you go.
Tip 4
The first day the 600mm felt like it was too much. But that was really all I used for the rest of the trip. The 100-500mm Canon lens was what I used in White Sands, in addition to the 24-105mm
Tip 5
Experiment. Try some slow shutter speeds. I shot the Snow Geese at 1/30th of a second and that was new for me.
Snow Geese at 1/30th second
On Tim’s Horizon:
Bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska
Iceland
Chilkat, Alaska for Bald Eagles
Denali National Park
Northern Lights
Tim at Bosque with his Canon 600mm
Tom and Cree just returned from a family vacation in the jungles and beaches of Mexico. Great to relax and enjoy sunsets with Spotted Eagle Rays swimming by us.
We are finishing up a very successful 2023 year. Thank you to all of you who joined us on trips this year. We hope to see you again in 2024: 2024 Schedule and 2025
Tom and Cree just finished their Bosque and White Sands Workshop and want to share the highlights with you. They traveled with their group to two locations in New Mexico to photograph thousands of birds in flight and capture dazzling pink skies on white gypsum sand dunes. The photos were so good this year, we decided to add another workshop there in 2024..
To see photos from our 2023 Bosque and White Sands Workshop, check out our trip report, click here
What’s New:
This year is the peak of the 11 year cycle for Northern Lights Photography. That means the displays promise to be dazzling for night photographers. Three spaces available on our Northern Lights and Iditarod Workshop in March 2024. Learn more
What’s next:
Tom and Cree will be taking a break for a few days in the jungles of Mexico. They will be at home for the holidays and then working on a few Online Classes for January.
Tom and Cree just finished their Chilkat Eagle Photography Workshop and want to share the highlights with you. They traveled with their group to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Haines, Alaska to photograph more than 3000 eagles. Expect to see this trip again in 2026.
To see photos from our 2023 Chilkat Eagle Workshop, check out our trip report, click here
What’s New:
Tom’s recent portrait with the new Nikon Plena Lens from our Route 66 Workshop will be published in the next few weeks. Our two models from the photo shoot should be happy to hear this.
Interested in joining us in Alaska to photograph northern lights? Three spaces on our Northern Lights and Iditarod Workshop in March 2024 are open. Photograph Northern Lights from Talkeetna, Fairbanks and right outside the boundary of Denali National Park. We follow the Iditarod for three days and learn all about photographing sled dogs in action. We even fly out to one of the Iditarod checkpoints to get closer to the action. Learn more
If you are interested in travel and wildlife photography, we have just one space open up for our Orangutan and Volcanos in Indonesia Photo Tour. Learn more
What’s next:
We will be in Monument Valley scouting for future trips for the next week. We already have a record 35 people on the Interest List for this workshop. We are glad so many of you want to join us.
We hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tom and Cree just finished their Ecuador Cloud Forest Photo Tour and want to share the highlights with you. We used three different techniques to photograph hummingbirds and were dazzled by the variety of large and small perching birds. The trip was so successful that we are looking into a new session in 2025.
To see photos from our 2023 Ecuador Cloud Forest, check out our trip report, click here
Want to join us in Ecuador in 2025? We are considering adding a session from January 11-18. Send us a note if you are interested, contact us here.
Drop in on our Image Celebration tonight, August 10 at 5 pm Denver time to see work created on our workshops during the last 4 months. Send us a quick note to get the Zoom link: send us a note.
In August we will be out of the office for most of the month. We will be canoeing on the Green River through Canyonlands and in Arctic Alaska, scouting and working on material for Nikon. The best way to contact us will be through email, creetbp@gmail.com
Tom and Cree just finished their Arizona Hummingbirds Workshop and want to share the highlights with you. The birds were very active both during summer temperatures and just after the evening monsoon rains. It was great to be at the Santa Rita Lodge again, with beautiful light in Madera Canyon and a visit or two from the local coati.
To see photos from our 2023 Arizona Hummingbirds, check out our trip report, click here
Our next bird workshop opening is Texas Birds in Spring and there are 3 spaces available: click here
We are on their way to Ecuador for the Ecuador Cloud Forest. They will be photographing beautiful hummingbirds, tanagers and toucanets in the misty jungle. If you would like to join us for a future Ecuador Cloud Forest Workshop, join the interest list or ask to be on the waitlist for 2024, contact us here.
In August we will be out of the office for most of the month. We will be canoeing on the Green River through Canyonlands and scouting a fall workshop in Arctic Alaska. The best way to contact us will be through email.
Tom and Cree just finished their Brown Bears of Lake Clark Workshop and want to share the highlights with you. Spring cubs and roosting puffins were the highlights this year. Cold wet weather meant we had diffuse light for the trip and the bears stayed active all day. This is a great workshop for photographers interested in both bears and puffin, with very little walking to get to either.
To see photos from our 2023 Brown Bears of Lake Clark Workshop, check out our trip report, click here
Cree and Tom are on their way to California and Oregon for the Redwoods and Rocky Coastlines Workshop next. We’ll be looking for foggy, sun beams illuminating the forest canopy.
