Capture fantastic fall colors and wildlife images in the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and surrounding areas. This is a bucket list adventure with seven nights, eight days of gorgeous landscapes, and adrenaline-pumping wildlife opportunities.
Workshop Leader: David Downs
Timed to coincide with peak fall colors and the annual Elk Rut, the opportunities for fantastic landscape and wildlife images should be endless. This small group workshop has a 3:1 participant-to-leader ratio to maximize instruction time and one-on-one guidance. This also allows transportation to be nimble enough for quick U-turns to seize the fleeting opportunity for certain wildlife.
What’s Included:
- Three nights of individual room Lodging @ Jackson Lake Lodge near the heart of the park & many of our shooting locations, minimizing travel times where possible. Who wouldn’t like an extra 1/2 hour of sleep in the morning? For those willing to share a room, a discount is available. Contact us for more information. If you bring a non-participating travel companion, they are not charged to share your room. Gratuity for room service staff is not included.
- Three nights of lodging at Gray Wolf Inn & Suites in West Yellowstone.
- On our last night before departure, we have one additional night of lodging in Jackson, WY, at Flat Creek Inn.
- Transportation to and from Jackson Hole Airport and during the workshop. We’ll use a vehicle designed to handle the sometimes rough roads we’ll traverse, but provide comfort for those inside. Each car will hold 3 participants and a workshop leader. There will not be room in the vehicles for non-participants.
- There will be pre- and post-workshop Zoom sessions to prepare for the trip and gain editing instruction. Editing tips and instructions will also be shared with those interested during the workshop as the schedule permits.
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided during the workshop, when we have time to eat. Non-participant travel companions are welcome to attend, but their meal costs are not included.
- Logistics planning to get you to the best locations at the best times for incredible landscapes, exciting wildlife opportunities, and abandoned structures. Some will be iconic; others will be more obscure, but with great photo opportunities.
- Bring water and snacks while out photographing during the workshop.
- Permits & Park Fees
What’s not included:
- Transportation to or from Jackson Hole Airport & your point of origin.
- Meals/drinks at meal times not specifically listed as included.
- Transportation for non-participants.
- Meals/drinks for non-participants.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Lodging outside of workshop dates.
- Souvenirs or personal purchases.
- Any form of travel insurance.
Workshop dates
Group 1 - Thur, Oct 2, 2025, at noon - Thur, Oct 9, 2025, at 11:00 AM [Sold Out]
Location
Jackson, WY, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, and the surrounding area.
Workshop topics
- Capturing wildlife, landscape composition, filters, exposing for brilliant fall colors, and panoramas.
Additional workshop details
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Location/Lodging/Meal information
For our first three nights, our base will be out of Jackson Lake Lodge in Jackson, WY. The cost of this is covered by your registration fee. Although the cost per night is a bit higher than options in Jackson or Teton Village, the proximity to the best shooting locations minimizes overall travel times & maximizes sleep times (which are still shorter than most of us are probably used to).
The price includes an individual room. If you are willing to share a room with another (same gender) participant, there is a $400 discount per participant on the registration price. Shared rooms are available on a first come first serve basis. If there is no one else wishing to share a room, the full individual room price is required.
The next three nights will be at an Airbnb in West Yellowstone and will be our base of operations as we tour America's oldest state park. Expect some of the most awe inspiring vistas and locations along with a tremendous variety of wildlife opportunities.
On our last night we will stay in Jackson at an Airbnb then get up early the next morning for our last sunrise opportunity before heading for the airport.
Look for a pre-workshop Zoom about 4 weeks before the workshop to get into more precise details.
Physical Requirements
Although we will not be doing any hiking of significance during this workshop there are a few things to be aware of:
- We will be climbing in and out of vehicles many times a day. It might not seem like much but over the day it can get a bit tiring. Take care each time you must get in or out to avoid falling.
- In a few places we may be at lake shores and as always, getting to the ideal spot may involve clambering across rocky, slippery uneven ground. Always take care as you may slip and break something....like your camera.
- In some spots we may stop for a while to roam through the aspens for that iconic shot. It will likely be damp and lots of potential tripping hazards. Take your time and move carefully.
- In some locations we may be parked very near a significant drop off so be careful where you walk despite the incredible views in front of you.
- We will always maintain a safe distance from any wildlife we are photographing.
Agenda
Agenda is subject to change based on instructor's evaluations of weather & road conditions. We will make every effort to place you in optimal fall color and/or wildlife locations under optimal weather and lighting conditions each day.
Day 1 we will visit the Liberty Burger in downtown Jackson for introductions and Agenda Review. Afterwards we'll get checked into our lodge rooms before heading out for an initial drive looking for wildlife and a couple of iconic locations. After sunset we will return to the lodge for dinner.
Over the next three days we will hit each sunrise and sunset and likely most of the hours in between exploring the area looking for iconic and unique shots as well as many wildlife opportunities as we can find. We are also planning on at least one night sky shoot if the skies cooperate. Depending on weather we may find ourselves trying to catch a nap here or there to recharge the batteries. The 4th day we will end the day in West Yellowstone at our Airbnb and grab dinner at a local restaurant.
On days 5, 6 and 7 we will catch sunrise and sunsets at various locations in Yellowstone looking for maximum opportunity based on weather and lighting. Around noon on Day 7 we will head south to Jackson, stopping along the way to check out locations for wildlife before checking into our rooms for the final night and a nice dinner in Jackson.
Day 8 will be an early out the door for sunrise followed by our last drive looking for wildlife opportunities. We will return to Jackson Airport about 11:00 so plan flights accordingly.
There will be a pre-workshop Zoom meeting about 4 weeks prior to the workshop to get into details.
Transportation
Each participant will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the workshop in Jackson, WY. While in Jackson, we will be providing transportation for participants. You can fly directly into Jackson Hole if you prefer and we can pick you up and drop you off. If you are bringing a non-participant travel companion, they would need their own transportation during the week unless their intent is to simply relax at the lodge or Airbnb
Recommended photography gear
| DSLR or Mirrorless camera with a wide-angle/large aperture, an ultrawide zoom for night sky, a middle zoom (24mm-70mm) for panoramas and a telephoto lens for wildlife and panoramas. I highly recommend renting a long telephoto (at least 400mm) if you do not have one. We will discuss lens selection in more detail during the pre-workshop Zoom Meeting as well as tips for shooting from a vehicle. A sturdy, lightweight tripod with a ball head and level indicator. A remote shutter trigger or cable release. An extra battery and extra memory card. A Circular Polarizer Filter. Neutral Density Filters. |
Other recommendations
Fall weather in Jackson is unpredictable. Expect highs in the 60's and lows below freezing. Although there may be a bit of rain, it's not the rainy season. There may be snow fall at times. Dress in layers and bring gloves and ear coverings. Plan on getting into shallow water so waterproof footwear such as hiking boots is recommended. We’ll cover in more detail during pre-workshop communications & Zoom session. |
Pro Tips
Shooting wildlife, particular those that are moving, requires a steady hand and a thorough understanding of your camera's focusing system and shutter release to enable a high frames per second rate. Study these areas of control intently and know how to change your focusing modes quickly.
Reserve your spot!
Important info! We encourage you to create an account when you register so that future workshop forms will be prepopulated with your data. Shortly after registering, you will receive a confirmation email and a separate email allowing you to pay your registration online. You are not fully registered until your payment is received.
If you pay a deposit of $1,500, the second payment of $2,000 is due on April 1, 2025, and the final payment of $2,000, or your balance owing based on coupons/credits, on July 1, 2025. All payments are subject to our regular cancellation policy.
