“When we stop again, y’all get out,” I tell the group, preparing them to exit the van we travel in for this nature photography workshop. I spend the next couple of minutes reminding them about bear etiquette and safety and coach them on how far to stay away from the bear. I have to park first, but I want to give the group a head start to photograph the black bear that’s feeding out in the field.

Join us in the Alaskan wilderness for an in-depth field report from the Hackberry Farm Nature Photography Workshop as we track and photograph the breathtaking Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). In this workshop report, we cover real-world night photography fieldcraft, composition strategies under freezing conditions, and the essential camera gear needed to capture vivid auroral displays across the Arctic night sky.

There’s an excited energy that’s palpable amongst the group as we stand in the cold outside the van and stare to the north. Outside, autumn’s grip on the landscape is firm. The colors are past their peak, and the bustle of the native Alaskans hints at them preparing for an extended cold spell. Before we found this spot, we roamed the area looking for an open patch of sky. While technology provides some insight into local weather conditions, it’s not infallible. In fact

A dream 15 years in the making is finally happening—we just officially closed on the property that will become the permanent headquarters for Redlands Ranch in Northwest Texas! In this video, I'm sharing the big news straight from the property just an hour after signing the final papers. We’re turning this land into the ultimate all-inclusive wildlife and night photography destination. Here’s a quick look at what we have planned:

By evening, the skies began to clear, but by morning, they came back again. It’s the unsettled season here in the island country but the weather is perfect for our nature photography workshop. Fall is approaching fast, and the warm waters of the Atlantic Gulf Stream feed moisture that condenses against the ever-present cold-air masses that increasingly press down from the Arctic Circle.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on a real African safari? What kinds of things will you see? What’s the lodging like? What all can you expect? Tune in to our recent nature photography workshop webinar and find out all of the information for you to make an informed decision.

“This is the best trip I’ve ever done,” she says, a little misty-eyed. She’s one of the seven guests on this trip with whom we’ve divided into two Land Cruisers to explore the Tuli Block region on this nature photography workshop. “I never believed I’d see what we’ve seen on this trip.” I can see why she’s emotional. To come to Africa, to come to Botswana; well, it does something to you. For both men and women, the response to seeing big cats and other wildlife in the wild

"After an orientation and high tea, we take to the water to begin photographing wildlife along the Chobe River for the nature photography workshop. This area is famous for elephants, and it doesn’t take long until we see a quartet of pachyderms swimming the river to an island that straddles the Botswana/Namibia border. While the big elephants deftly swim the river channel, the smaller one snorkels across.”

After an orientation and high tea, we take to the water to begin photographing wildlife along the Chobe River for the nature photography workshop. This area is famous for elephants, and it doesn’t take long until we see a quartet of pachyderms swimming the river to an island that straddles the Botswana/Namibia border. While the big elephants deftly swim the river channel, the smaller one snorkels across.

As the sun came up, soft light dappled the woodlands along the Zambezi River. In the understory, impala move about, keeping one eye on each other and another eye on the constant danger that lurks nearby. This vast river bottom in Northern Zimbabwe is home to wild dogs, lions, and leopards, all lurking in the shadows searching for their next meal.

And so it goes for each outing we take on this Costa Rican nature photography workshop. Throughout the week, we photograph the four monkey species found on the Osa Peninsula. It’s like an encyclopedia of New World monkeys: the capuchin, spider, howler, and the diminutive squirrel monkey. Each morning we awake to the sounds of howlers greeting the day - their deep bellowing calls belie their stature.

“If you wait here, he’s been showing up to feed from this avocado tree around 6:30 for the past few days,” says Mario, describing what we should all expect for the next couple of hours. Mario speaks with a thick Costa Rican accent, but his English is more than adequate. For a couple of generations, he’s been kind enough to guide people into the high mountains south of San Jose. Here, the birds of all kinds are numerous, but we’re willing to wait on just this one. We met

Of all the parks to which I’ve traveled, the Smokies are my favorite. Rich in natural and cultural wonders, the Smokies are a symbol of resilience. A century of over-harvesting once left the mountains stripped of trees, but now, the forests abide. Beneath every tree is a story of life in the understory. Here, the smallest insects, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates thrive.

In our new nature photography workshop publication, youʼll see a celebration of all we did in 2025. More importantly, itʼs a celebration for our guests. This is the second year we've done the yearbook, and it's been a success. Whether you contributed images or not, people love the pictures and the stories behind each of our excursions.

It’s a scene that’s played out for time immemorial. The sublimity of the moment is palpable, and each one of us on this nature photography workshop soaks it all in. It’s such a blessing to take a camera in hand and head afield to witness and document Mother Nature’s story. The undulating prairie unfolds away from us for quite a piece until it gives way to ever-growing hills of granite. These Black Hills are legendary in our country’s historical canon. They’ve been a si

Five minutes after we settled into the blind at Redlands Ranch, the birds were already flitting in. “This is the way nature photography workshops ought to work,” I think to myself. I am referring to the no-waiting, constant-action aspect of the blind I built on this property just over two years ago. It’s a phenomenon I suspected would happen when we turned the first shovel of dirt on this hardscrabble piece of Rolling Plains rangelands.

You see it with your eyes, but in your mind, it’s hard to comprehend that such a variety of colors exists in nature. All across the lowlands, technicolor fields of pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, and every color in between beg for at least a little attention from the camera. Despite the relative sameness of the tulips, it’s remarkably easy to pick individual flowers out in which to photograph in this nature photography workshop. Each row is arrow-straight and is meticulou

In that instant, I made my first truly memorable wildlife image. That was the moment it clicked. It was exhilarating. Even though the scene is three decades old, I can recall it clearly. It was a defining moment in my eventual career as a photographer. It was the moment that my pictures became intentional instead of accidental.

“There it goes…” His voice punctuates the near blackness of night. While one of my guests on the Moonlight on the Prairie nature photography workshop is merely feet away from me, he and the rest of the participants are nearly invisible. It’s so dark out here.

Across the vast tan-hued dunes, wind-carved lines undulate. The side lighting accentuates the patterns of light and dark across the sides of each hill. Looking out across the dunes towards the Grapevine Mountains, the same light patterns play over the countless dunes that stretch to the basin’s edges.