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.

Sometimes, nature photography opportunities fall in your lap. On the first day of September, I found myself on a small pond where the largemouth bass exhibited the strangest behavior.

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.

As soon as the Everglades nature photography workshop concluded, some of the guests opted to continue the adventure with the manatee extension. A four-hour drive up Florida’s West Coast took us to the central coast town of Crystal River.

On one of the early mornings of the nature photography workshop, dozens of birds flocked and jockeyed for position around a small pond that was full of endemic fish species. Since there was plenty to eat in this one spot, that’s where all the birds congregated. The action was non-stop.

Across the frozen meadow, we see a coyote in a deliberate gait, bounding its way across the snow in a smooth and deliberate fashion. Up the hill, just mere yards away from us, another coyote emerges. Undoubtedly, he’s the mate of the female who hunts the river bottom down below. It’s mating season, and the canines are paired for the duration. Right now, however, survival, not love, is on their mind. So they hunt.

Dressing for the cold is really subjective - different strategies work for different people. In this Hackberry Farm nature photography video workshop, I walk through how I dress for the cold. When I am out taking pictures, I want to keep my core warm. The thought is that if your core is warm, the warm blood flows to your extremities, and everything else stays warm.

In the January 2026 issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, I was asked to write an article about wildlife photography. In this article, I gave my best and most succint tipe for being successful. Below is the article. Just click on the image to open the article and flip through the pages.

Being a good wildlife photographer is a lot about patience. Patience is a virtuous habit that y ou should adhere to and will make you a better wildlife photographer. In this Hackberry Farm nature photography video workshop, I talk about the value of patience and why taking your time is a good thing.

Out in the water, while it’s still too dark to pick out individual shapes, you can hear the murmur of thousands of snow geese that are beginning to stir. Last evening and through the night, the geese landed in the shallow water and stood there en masse to rest through the night. Roosting in the water is an adaptation that allows the birds to hear any predators sneaking up on them. It’s a big aquatic alarm system of sorts.

On this quiet December morning in the Desert Parks of the Southwest nature photography workshop, it's just a nondescript river that provides a beautiful point to the canyon counterpoint anchored in the composition. The river offers a softness to the hardscrabble rock that dominates Big Bend National Park. This stop is a good beginning for our nature photography workshop.

Just as soon as one Caddo Lake and East Texas Autumn nature photography workshop ends, the next one begins. Mid-November is the ideal time to see fall colors at Caddo Lake. Upon the arrival of a new group, it’s not long before we are back at the lake, embracing an unusual autumn in an out-of-the-way place in East Texas.

As the water calms around us, the sky to the east starts to lighten. First, pink tinges the wispy clouds floating through the eastern sky. Soon, the sky gradiates from deep blue to orange. On the Caddo Lake and East Texas Autumn nature photography workshop, scenes like this are common - and welcome.