Yellowstone, the
world's first national park, provides an outstanding opportunity to learn about wildlife
and digital
photography in one of the most wildlife rich and scenic places in the continental United
States. Travel
time
and
costs are reasonable for the opportunity to spend time in such
a unique area.
Our Team
Gary is our
passionate and knowledgeable leader on the Yellowstone photo workshops.
He lives just outside Yellowstone for part of the year and knows the
area well, along with the local photographers and guides. He takes care
of all the details- all you have to do is enjoy yourself. Through his
company called "Eyes of the Wild Photography Expeditions" he has
set up a first-class workshop for wildlife and nature
photographers.
Gary is in his
element when in Yellowstone
Pointing out wildlife on a ridge
Working with a newcomer to photography
In addition to Gary we hire local guides
that have lived in Yellowstone since childhood. Our primary guide is
Nathan Varley. His father worked as a park ranger in Yellowstone for
his entire career, so Nathan knows a thing or two about Yellowstone.
Nathan scanning for bighorn sheep on the far ridge
When to Go
You can enjoy Yellowstone in any season.
In April the snow is starting to melt, the bears are coming out of
their dens, the wolves are still somewhat active, and the huge summer
crowds have not appeared yet. Its a good time to
see the transition of the long winter to the freshness of spring and
the corresponding young animals. We will be there again towards the
beginning of April.
In the background of this April shot
you can see the Yellowstone arches- the main
entrance to the northern part of the park
entrance to the northern part of the park
This is the other side of the same sign in December
In the fall the elk are bugling and
mating, the fall colors are peaking, and the wildlife are in prime
condition in preparation for the winter. Bears will still be active
until they hibernate in October. We plan on a September elk
bugling/mating and fall color trip this year.
Don't be afraid to go in the winter. Its a magical time, and you will have the park almost to yourself. We will send you a detailed list of clothes and equipment so you are well prepared. This is the best time of year to see the wolves because they are quite active, especially as they hunt elk. The bison are also active foraging in the snow and the elk congregate in herds. We plan on a November or December trip this year also.
Don't be afraid to go in the winter. Its a magical time, and you will have the park almost to yourself. We will send you a detailed list of clothes and equipment so you are well prepared. This is the best time of year to see the wolves because they are quite active, especially as they hunt elk. The bison are also active foraging in the snow and the elk congregate in herds. We plan on a November or December trip this year also.
As you can see from our vehicle's thermometer you need your long underwear in the winter!
Weather in Yellowstone can change rapidly in any month. You can go from this.......
..... to this blue sky in a matter of minutes
Even though non-photographers can join
us, and have as much fun as everyone, we go to Yellowstone to shoot. We
shoot every chance we get, and from every vantage point. Even though we
shoot from right inside the vehicle, we like to get out where the
action is.
Gary with his 800mm bazooka
Cheryl sizing up the pronghorn
Dominic scratching the hood of our rental car while nailing a bull moose with the 500mm
CP wondering when those otters will appear
Les looking like he works for Nat Geo
And Marv just having fun!
If you get tired and need to nod out for a few minutes during the day
thats OK, although we might bust you and put you on the web
The Wildlife
We have far too many photos of wildlife to show you on one web page. Here are a few of most people's favorites.to stay away from people.
There are 100 wolves in Yellowstone
proper. With such a big area it is quite a challenge to find them, so
we enlist the help of the people in charge of the Yellowstone Wolf
Project. If they can't find them nobody will!
They use telemetry on the radio collared wolves to locate individuals they know by name
Once found the Wolf Project team keeps an eagle eye on them at all times. They
let us use their spotting scopes and know everything about the wolves in each pack.
Most of the time you will see wolves
from a distance, so bring your binoculars for this trip. We tend to
give them a wide birth because our presence can interfere with their
normal behavior.
This is the alpha female from the Lamar Valley pack at an elk carcass killed just off the road the night
prior. It was taken with the Canon Mark III and 500 mm f/4 lens with the 1.4X TC from 150 yards away.
Sometimes the wolves will cross the
road in front of you. When this
happens the park service requests you
do not stop your vehicle to take photos like these people. The rest of the wolves in this pack might be
intimidated from feeding at the carcass because of this. This is the same alpha female as above, in the
process of joining the rest of her pack after feeding on the carcass for a short while.
do not stop your vehicle to take photos like these people. The rest of the wolves in this pack might be
intimidated from feeding at the carcass because of this. This is the same alpha female as above, in the
process of joining the rest of her pack after feeding on the carcass for a short while.
We watched her from a distance as she walked up the hill, looking back at the carcass to see
which magpies or coyotes were feeding on her elk as she leaves to rejoin her pack. It is not
worth the energy expenditure to chase these scavengers away.
Wolves like it very cold, usually well below zero Fahrenheit. Here she is having a roll in the snow
to cool off because its a balmy 20 degrees.
This is the last we saw of her as she joined the rest of the Lamar Valley pack over the hill
There are many other predators besides wolves. The coyotes are large, so don't mix them up
with the wolves.
They are used to people and will sometimes will walk right past us
Keep an eye on them when they are hunting. They use their keen hearing to find
rodents under the snow. They pounce rapidly, so get ready to focus and hit that
trigger finger in an instant.
The elk are beautiful in their winter coats. We will be visiting in September to see them
during the rutting and mating season.
A perennial favorite are the bison as they move the snow around with their huge heads
When the wind whips up in the winter they become ghostlike
When they reappear they just keep on eating
Please give them wide berth because they are unpredictable, have four wheel
drive in the snow, can easily outrun you, and probably outweigh you by a few pounds
This young bull moose was just outside the park
At
lunchtime we take a break and get a hot meal in Cook city
Its a quaint (and tiny) town with loads of hospitality and good food
Its a quaint (and tiny) town with loads of hospitality and good food
After
lunch we visit Dan Hartman at his cabin/studio to learn about his 30 years of experience shooting Yellowstone wildlife,
see some of his phenomenal
photos, and even shoot the birds and pine martens he attracts to his
feeder.
He
has
a
great setup for wildlife photography on the way to Cook city
We will be shooting from the comfort of his cabin at a feeder just a few yards away.
He gets lots of furred and feathered visitors to keep him company. Can you identify these birds?
We will be shooting from the comfort of his cabin at a feeder just a few yards away.
He gets lots of furred and feathered visitors to keep him company. Can you identify these birds?
The Scenery
Even though our emphasis is on wildlife it is impossible not to do landscape photography in such a majestic setting.We will be staying at the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel inside the park. This is your chance
to get some nice photos of this scenic area.
Winterscapes are everywhere
The light can be magical
Yellowstone abounds with hot springs and geysers because it sits atop a super-
volcano
Old Faithful is still going strong
Evidence still exists from the 1988 fires
We have to be careful about those poop driving conditions!
Workshp Details
Bring or rent a wide angle lens, intermediate zoom, and telephoto. The telephoto should be at least 400mm in length, and will be the lens you use most of the time for wildlife. Typical lenses might include:
18-55mm, 24-70mm, or 24mm-105mm zoom for landscape and general use
50-250mm, 70mm-200mm or 70mm-300mm intermediate zoom
for general use,
landscape and some close wildlife
In place of the intermediate and telephoto lenses you can use a 100mm-400mm zoom.
If wolves are your
thing you need that 500mm,
preferably with a 1.4X TC also.
If you are going primarily to see wolves, and even though we have seen them on every trip, we cannot guarantee you will see them. We make a tremendous effort to find them by working closely with the Yellowstone Wolf Project team. If they cannot find them nobody will. You can increase your odds of seeing and photographing wolves by going during the winter months.
You take care of your airline reservation if you are flying. Those of us from southern California fly from Long Beach, LAX, or Orange County airports on Delta (around $400), connecting in Salt Lake, and then continuing on to Bozeman. If you are flying you can make any reservation you want, but we request you meet us for the second leg in Salt Lake City so we all arrive in Bozeman together.
The Delta flights we routinely take leave in the later morning and eventually arrive in Bozeman in the late afternoon. We will meet you at the airport, take you to a nice dinner, then provide transportation for the 1 hour 20 minute ride to the park. We should get there by 8-9 PM at the latest so you can get a good nights rest for our early start the next day.
At the end of each day we will help you with editing if you bring a portable computer and use Lightroom. Rumor has it there is a photo contest with a prize.
Workshop price is $1500, which includes everything once you land in Bozeman; all transportation to and from the airport in Bozeman, MT, all meals, accommodations, daily transportation to the park, park entrance fees, occasional use of our professional lenses, and all photography instruction.
We accept payment by check only. The workshop fee is non-refundable. Please make checks payable to Eyes of the Wild Photography, LLC. We limit workshops to 8 people for personal attention, and book first come and served.
Please be aware that the weather can change at any time, during any season, so you should bring warm clothes no matter what time of year. We will send you detailed information on what to wear and what to bring when you sign up.