Favorite Photo Workshops/Tours?

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What photo tours and workshops have you taken, and which were your favorites? Which did you not enjoy? Why? When and where did you go, and who organized and led it?

Steve's workshops, of course, are very highly rated, and I look forward to taking my first next year. In the meanwhile, it would be interesting to learn of other experiences people may have had.

Thanks!
Greg Downing (NatureScapes) and Greg Basco (Deep Green Photography) run a joint one in Costa Rica. Both are excellent. Natural Habitat Adventures also runs photo tours. I did their trip to S. Africa and Botswana with Richard de Gouveia (shoots Sony) who was outstanding. I have upcoming trips with Steve Gettle based in MI, Denise Ippolito, and Suzi Ezsterhaus. All have excellent reputations which is why I booked with them.
 
The truth (spoken in grumbles and whispers among amateur photographers) is that some "great photographers" make simply dreadful trip leaders. It's a matter of whether they are able to make the trip about the clients rather than about placing their own greatness on display. Glenn Bartley is an example of a first-rate photographer who makes his trips all about the clients' needs. He will bring out his own camera occasionally to snap a few shots, but basically, he is attending full-time to the people who paid to accompany him.
Absolutely! I've had a couple of trips that I considered bailing on simply because the leader was terrible.
 
Greg Downing (NatureScapes) and Greg Basco (Deep Green Photography) run a joint one in Costa Rica. Both are excellent. Natural Habitat Adventures also runs photo tours. I did their trip to S. Africa and Botswana with Richard de Gouveia (shoots Sony) who was outstanding. I have upcoming trips with Steve Gettle based in MI, Denise Ippolito, and Suzi Ezsterhaus. All have excellent reputations which is why I booked with them.
Wow, lucky you! Wish I could afford the Nat Hab and Suzi Ezsterhaus tours!
 
We recently returned from a trip to Santa Clara ranch in S Texas with Hector Astorga. He's great and we'll travel with him again. Have also had great experiences with Chesseman's - Botswana/Zambia/Rwanda (Tom Murphy), Yellowstone winter (twice with Tom), Alaska Arctic (Hugh Rose). Also did a trip with Hugh (not through Cheeseman's) to Prince William Sound (on boat) and Lake Clark (Coastal Brown bears). Recommend all highly.
They sound wonderful! Thanks for the info!
 
I did Steve’s Costa Rica workshop in 2018 and hope to do his Africa workshop someday.
For the Soutwestern USA, some other regions, macro, critters, post processing, etc.; check the offerings from Arizona Highways Photoscapes https://ahps.org/
The workshop leaders are terrific. These workshops also have special access to places, especially on Indian lands, that are difficult to get to on your own such as the slot canyons, White Pocket, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelley, and Coal Mine Canyon.
Great info - thank you!
 
Matt Shetzer from Colorado is excellent. I have been to Haines Alaska for eagles, Anchorage and then Lake Clark for bears, and Costa Rica for hummingbirds.
I had a Costa Rica return trip planned for 2020, but the virus got in the way. Now I am hoping to go in 2023, and perhaps the Galapagos after that.
Matt organises everything, and in all the trips I have done with him, there has never been one moment of worry or dissatisfaction. He is amazing.
Iain
 
I just did a tour last month with Mike Jackson in Yellowstone. it was great, he seemed to know every rock and vantage point, and was really good about not just showing me what was there in June, but also letting me know how it would change in fall, winter, etc. He did some shooting with me using similar equiptment (wow his photos were better! ) He showed me how and why, explicitly stating some things that I sort of knew interrnally but had not heard articulated so clearly. It was a very worthwhile trip. He is a really nice guy and very skilled as a teacher as well as a photographer. I had sent a PM to one of the Wyoming photographers to ask for a recommendation and was not disappointed. He is at "Best of the Tetons."

Great Thread idea Abinoone, thank you.
Karl
 
I just did a tour last month with Mike Jackson in Yellowstone. it was great, he seemed to know every rock and vantage point, and was really good about not just showing me what was there in June, but also letting me know how it would change in fall, winter, etc. He did some shooting with me using similar equiptment (wow his photos were better! ) He showed me how and why, explicitly stating some things that I sort of knew interrnally but had not heard articulated so clearly. It was a very worthwhile trip. He is a really nice guy and very skilled as a teacher as well as a photographer. I had sent a PM to one of the Wyoming photographers to ask for a recommendation and was not disappointed. He is at "Best of the Tetons."

Great Thread idea Abinoone, thank you.
Karl
Gotta look up Mike! Thanks for sharing!
 
Matt Shetzer from Colorado is excellent. I have been to Haines Alaska for eagles, Anchorage and then Lake Clark for bears, and Costa Rica for hummingbirds.
I had a Costa Rica return trip planned for 2020, but the virus got in the way. Now I am hoping to go in 2023, and perhaps the Galapagos after that.
Matt organises everything, and in all the trips I have done with him, there has never been one moment of worry or dissatisfaction. He is amazing.
Iain
Great recommendation!
 
I'm currently signed up for a Tom Bol Photo Workshop in December 2021. Bosque del Apache and White Sands in NM. A photographer friend of mine recommended Tom and Cree. There are 2 slots left if anyone is interested. And I'll post my comments after the workshop. Here's the link if anyone wants to check them out: https://tombolphotoworkshops.com/2021-bosque-del-apache-and-white-sands/
 
Great topic. Actually I was thinking of proposing a Backcountry Gallery Forum trip limited to members and their families. I was thinking of places where a member could point the group where to go but not actually lead tour. Organizing would be limited to getting everyone at the same spot at the same time hopefully most in the same hotel.

I my case I am planning to go to Morro Bay in November with an expert and again in January just with my wife. Assuming I liked it I was going to propose a BCG Old Farts tour next fall. It wouldn't be limited to Old Farts. It is simply all that I would know about.

Basque del Apache wouldn't need an experienced leader either.

Tom
 
I like the Winter Wings Festival (http://winterwingsfest.org) at Klamath Falls Oregon. It is sponsored by the Klamath Audubon Society. Each year a well-known professional bird photographer makes a presentation and also holds at least one workshop. Tours and various events are held centered on the Presidents' Day holiday weekend. The main subjects for participants are the thousands of waterfowl and hundreds of eagles and other raptors that gather in the Klamath Basin wetlands and farm lands each winter.
 
Only did one photo workshop, Chris Bray Photography. Chris is from Australia and our photo shop was in Kenya. It was a fantastic experience.
 
I have been on two trips with Glenn Bartley, one to Costa Rica and the second to southern Ecuador. I signed up with him for the Pantanal July 2020, but clearly that one didn't happen, and in fact, Glenn has postponed the trip until July 2023. Given the hot mess that is Brazil atm, this was a wise decision, it appears.
Glenn is an excellent photographer, of course, and a terrific leader.

I have been on trips recently with Ken Archer (Colorado grouse tour) and Nate Chappell (Galveston migrants), through Trogon Photo Tours. The Colorado trip was a rip-roaring success in every way; the Galveston trip proved slow in terms of passerine migrants in early May, but that was not Nate's fault.

I am signed up to go with Barbara Eddy to Yellowstone next February. I chose her trip partly because the dates were ideal for me, but also I was really impressed with her brochure/itinerary. I know leaders like to get "followers" who go with them on multiple trips, but I actually like to go with different leaders over time, as each one has something unique to teach or model.

I also have been on multiple "birding tours," which are not really set up for sit-with-your-tripod photography, but more for "run and gun." This is ok with me for some venues, e.g., Northern Ohio in spring Migration, southeastern Arizona, Texas coastal migrants/High Island, etc. You cover a lot of ground more quickly, and you rely on your hand-holdable rig.

The success of a trip can hinge sometimes on the group chemistry exuded by the participants. I have been on trips where this was better or worse, and in fact, I have come to see that "people skills" are a fundamentally important requirement for tour leaders. One real pill of a client can unravel a whole excursion. I hope and pray that I never am that "real pill." So far, so good.
I have done several workshops with Barb Eddy - you won't be disappointed! Experienced in all aspects of field information (light, timing local information - especially this location etc) supporting clients at all skill levels and managing groups. Willing to share any and all information. Good expertise in PS and LR if in need of this.
 
Have done a couple workshops with Hudson Henry out of Portland OR. He does trips to Yellowstone (just done), Tetons, Moab, Michoacan, Argentina, Death Valley, the Palouse (eastern WA, very scenic), OR coast, around Portland. He is more into landscape and milky way, than just wildlife. Very clear that he is there for the attendees, not to get his own photos. Very positive approach in the critique sessions but quite instructional. Very patient with attendees that are learning new skills (like me with Milky Way shots). Has pros as well as amateurs in the workshops. Check out his ATS (approaching the scene) series.
 
My wife Barbara Naden and I took a four-day snow coach tour of Yellowstone National Park in January, 2023 led by Barbara Eddy.

The logistics for this winter trip were complicated as the weather was extreme; we recorded -40 deg f one day and it snowed a lot. Everything went smoothly however due to Barbara's attention to detail before and during the shoot.

Barbara Eddy chose the shoot locations wisely based upon our previously defined preferences and was quick to suggest subjects in real time if we asked. We came out with some lifetime images.

We are considering other tours with her.

Oh-- and she is a very nice and considerate person too!

[email protected]
https://barbaraeddyphotography.com
 
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Took a half day private local area orientation/photo tour with Tom Ganner in Haines, Alaska. He lives there and really knows the all the prime locations for brown bear and bald eagle photography during all seasons. He freely shared his local knowledge and gave me numerous photo tips. A really great guy and very well worth it. His thorough introduction to the local area provided me with the knowledge to have another two very fruitful wild life viewing and photography days in Haines before it was time for me to move on.

Also took a two week trip with Wild Alaska Travel (Laurent Dick) to Kantishna in Denali, Wiseman (Northern Lights), Kaktovic (Barter Island) for Polar Bears, back to Wiseman (more Northern Lights) and Chena Hot Springs. Laurent only takes six people at a time on these tours and runs a really great operation with superb opportunities for wild life photography. He is also always ready to help with photography tips as and when required.
 
In Costa Rica my wife and I did a last minute trip with Juan Carlos Vindas dba Neotropic Photo Tours. He made the lodging arrangements and we traveled in his 4WD vehicle to 5 locations over a 2 week period. He is an excellent wildlife photographer and has lived in the country his entire life. There were only 4 of us in the car and so we could go at our own pace and go to places that could not take larger groups, both in terms of lodging and restaurants and locations (two were at private residences).

Another trip that we enjoyed was one we did with Pantanal Safaris owned and operated by Fabricio Dorileo. We spent two weeks in the Pananal with my wife and the guide/driver with the lodging done by Dorileo who also made sure we had the best boat driver for viewing the jaguars. We paid no more than for a group tour with 20 other people and we were able to photograph more jaguars thanks to our schedule where we were out on the rivers when other boats were heading back so people could eat breakfast or lunch at their hotels.

For use to use a guide it is to gain a guide and an interpreter and a driver in a single individual. Often the group tours will hire a local guide regardless so no need for the group leader who is not adding to the experience. We can also decide how much time to spend at any location and either cover one area in more depth or go to multiple areas and increase the amount and variety of wildlife we can photograph.

I have picked up bugs from other members of the group on all three tours we have done in this manner. Making our own way costs us no more and we can stay at places where there are fewer rooms or less amenities that we don't want like a spa or swimming pool, and we can eat at smaller restaurants and do so whenever we choose.
 
I did Steve’s Costa Rica workshop in 2018 and hope to do his Africa workshop someday.
For the Soutwestern USA, some other regions, macro, critters, post processing, etc.; check the offerings from Arizona Highways Photoscapes https://ahps.org/
The workshop leaders are terrific. These workshops also have special access to places, especially on Indian lands, that are difficult to get to on your own such as the slot canyons, White Pocket, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelley, and Coal Mine Canyon.
Sadly, just received notice that Arizona Highways Photoscapes will cease offering workshops at the end of 2023.
 
I have been on two trips with Glenn Bartley, one to Costa Rica and the second to southern Ecuador. I signed up with him for the Pantanal July 2020, but clearly that one didn't happen, and in fact, Glenn has postponed the trip until July 2023. Given the hot mess that is Brazil atm, this was a wise decision, it appears.
Glenn is an excellent photographer, of course, and a terrific leader.

I have been on trips recently with Ken Archer (Colorado grouse tour) and Nate Chappell (Galveston migrants), through Trogon Photo Tours. The Colorado trip was a rip-roaring success in every way; the Galveston trip proved slow in terms of passerine migrants in early May, but that was not Nate's fault.

I am signed up to go with Barbara Eddy to Yellowstone next February. I chose her trip partly because the dates were ideal for me, but also I was really impressed with her brochure/itinerary. I know leaders like to get "followers" who go with them on multiple trips, but I actually like to go with different leaders over time, as each one has something unique to teach or model.

I also have been on multiple "birding tours," which are not really set up for sit-with-your-tripod photography, but more for "run and gun." This is ok with me for some venues, e.g., Northern Ohio in spring Migration, southeastern Arizona, Texas coastal migrants/High Island, etc. You cover a lot of ground more quickly, and you rely on your hand-holdable rig.

The success of a trip can hinge sometimes on the group chemistry exuded by the participants. I have been on trips where this was better or worse, and in fact, I have come to see that "people skills" are a fundamentally important requirement for tour leaders. One real pill of a client can unravel a whole excursion. I hope and pray that I never am that "real pill." So far, so good.
I have been to Yellowstone with Barbara, you are going to have a great time and bring back some amazing images!
 
Grandnagus50, you will have a great time in Yellowstone with Barbara Eddy. She is very knowledgeable and a great host. If this trip still includes meals, they are excellent. You will be out shooting about 12 hours each day. I’m so jealous, I wish I could go again.
 
Abinoone thanks for starting this. This is a great thread and I'm going to go through it and jot everything down on a piece of paper to refer to! Since 2011 I've been on over 30 photo trips with various leaders. In all of them I've only found one leader that I had a problem with, Josh Cripps (landscape) on a Death Valley trip. My problem was mostly with his co-leader but he was "under her spell," she took a dislike to me and I to her and I left the trip early. I filed that as a learning experience! Gary Hart and Michael Frye are wonderful people to travel with, both very experienced and both very nice people (landscape). I've gone on multiple trips with them. I've gone to Costa Rica twice with Steve (wildlife) and both times were wonderful. I've gone to South Africa (Gregory Sweeney, wildlife) and to Kenya (an independent tour (just two of us) using Best Camping Tours, (also wildlife) and Gregg was great, the Best Camping people were also very good (the jeep driver was excellent!). I spent two weeks in Venice with Tony Rizzuto, Photographer's Breakthrough (street and scenic), a good trip and a good trip leader. I spent time in Cuba with Steve Simon (street photography), another good trip and good trip leader. Max Waugh did a good job on a trip to Yellowstone (wildlife). I also spent a day with Mike Jackson in Teton NP and he was very nice (wildlife). I've only done one Joseph Van Os tour, landscape, to the Palouse, and that was an "interesting" trip due to the people on the trip, one problem person, but the trip went ok anyway, although I've never signed up for one of their tours again. I spent a day with Trent Sizemore in Yellowstone once and I would not do that again. I went to Katmi NP, bears, and Alaska, whales, (this March) with Expeditions Alaska and had a wonderful time, good trip leader and a funny guy! One person I've traveled a lot with for wildlife is Brent Paull, he goes to Yellowstone NP and many other national parks, he is an excellent photographer but can be difficult at times, but I'd still recommend him. Most of these trip leaders were willing to help when asked and the majority of them took shots while on the trip, some did not, some took more shots than others. I don't have a problem with them shooting but do have a problem when they focus on getting a specific shot instead of helping the tour attendees get that shot and sometimes that does happen. I'm going on a trip with Muench Workshops in November to South Georgia for penguins and I'm hoping that turns out to be a great trip.

In keeping with the subject of this thread...I'm setting up two days in Point Reyes with a guide, with an intent to focus on getting bobcat shots. If anyone in the Bay Area or I guess anywhere else, although it's closest to the Bay Area and Central Ca., is interested in joining me please PM me for info. It will cut my cost in half and there would just be the two of us with the guide. It looks like it will be Sept. 6-7 although I'm still waiting for him to confirm that those dates will work.
 
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I attended a photo workshop in the Dolomite Mountains with Andy Mumford in 2022. In addition to his Italian workshops, he also provides workshops in Iceland, Norway, Namibia, Greenland, and Chile / Argentina (Patagonia Mountains). Andy is an accomplished photographer and teacher, bringing high energy to the workshop, and tailors his comments / suggestions to the skill level of the group. The trip was enjoyable with wonderful photo opportunities. The facilities we stayed in were first rate. I will be attending his Patagonia workshop in 2024.
 
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