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April 30 - May 7, 2024 - Accepting Applications

Let’s head out to photograph birds!  Where?  Ecuador, of course!  To the Chocó Cloudforest!

Ecuador is slightly larger than Colorado – but about 1 out of every 5 bird species in the world lives or passes through this cauldron of biodiversity.  It is the forth highest nation in the world for bird diversity, with over 1,500 species.  And Ecuador has 25% of the world’s cloud forests!

"We are delighted with our photos, those birds are absolutely spectacular and you helped us come away with new ideas, many wonderful memories as well as outstanding images."
Dick and Sue R

Check out some images from our past Ecuador Birds Photography Adventures here!

2024 Rates

$6,200 Double Occupancy, each
$6,800 Single Occupancy

$800 with Application
$1,600 2nd Payment 1 Sep 23
Final Payment 15 Jan 24

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And, the hot spot is the Chocó Bioregion, especially in northwest Ecuador!  Ask a birder… ask a conservationist – this region is so very special that it is on the must list for birders and the “oh, we have to save this” list for conservation!  About 25% of the plants and animals in the Chocó are endemic – found no place else on earth!

 

And the cool thing is that the infrastructure to take you to find birds has just reached the threshold where we can both take good care of you – and promise that you’ll come home with outstanding bird images!

The key to accomplishing this is that small family farmers have been cooperating with conservation groups and small-scale tourism enterprises to set aside natural areas in a number of biological zones. When you show up to photograph birds, the funds go directly to protecting birds and habitat on these small farm operations! 

 

We have done our own conspiring, with our friend and guide Pancho, to build an itinerary that weaves together visits to a variety of habitats, to produce opportunities to photograph some amazing species that previously were just fancy names on birders checklists!

You may recognize some of these names… Cock of the Rock, Golden Tanager, Golden Naped Tanager, Flame Faced Tanager, Black Chinned Mountain Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Moss-backed Tanager, Glistening Green Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager,  Cinnamon Flycatcher, Choco Toucan, Crimsom-rumped Toucanet, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Tiny Hawk, Rufous-crowned Antpitta, Giant Antpitta, Barred Puffbird, Umbrella Bird, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Oil Bird, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Blue-backed Conebill, Toucan Barbet, Turquoise Jay… the list just goes on and on. 

And, did we mention hummingbirds?  There are more kinds and shapes of hummingbirds than you thought existed!  Fun names, too, like Shining Sunbeam, Violet-tailed Sylph, Buff-tailed Coronet, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Brown Violetear, Collared Inca, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Purple-chested Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, and Booted Racket-tailed Hummingbird.

 

While the focus is on birds, you can’t go to the cloud forest without photographing butterflies!

There are also waterfalls.  And, we’ll do some night walks to find nocturnal creatures like spiders and…

We have arranged a special session for photographing hummingbirds with multiple flashes. You don't need to bring any equipment to make this happen. We will set up the flashes and provide you with a trigger. The timing is up to you!

There is a lot to learn in a setup like this. We'll explain how each flash contributes to the image design - and the thoughts that go into its placement. We'll be bringing our own special backgrounds to make these images look different (and we think better) than many of the flash shots you see coming out of other workshops!

When you leave, you'll have both new skills and some great images to share!

You will come back with so many images of birds, butterflies, blossoms, and more!  The challenge will be to figure out what their names are!

April 30-May 7, 2024

Price includes all local transportation, lodging for 7 nights (close to the action), most meals, English-speaking local guide, photography guide/instructor, prep materials.

Flights to and from Quito, Ecuador (our base camp for this adventure) at your own expense.  Extra nights at the beginning or end at your own expense.  Alcoholic drinks at your own expense.  Tipping is expected and your responsibility.

This will be a small group, 5-7 people. 

While the adventure will not be terribly demanding, you will need to be able to manage your gear (including long lens and tripod) on forest trails (Ecuador is not flat!).

 

Nature Photography Adventures

Wild Adventures

Calendar

About Our Adventures

About Us

Contact Us

Nature Photography Adventures Calendar of Adventures

2024

We're headed back to the Galapagos with a new yacht and new itinerary. Join us in 2024 - and we'll explore favorite haunts and add new landings and vistas. Giant tortoises, flightless frigates, 3 kinds of boobies, land and marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals, flamingos, and the northernmost penguin in the world. The list goes on and on! Truly an inspiring experience - ties the Serengeti in client feedback as the "most life-changing" experience of their lives.
Full
Apri19-29

Borneo
Private Adventure

Explore the wilds of Borneo. Rainforest filled with unique birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects. Sun Bear. Orangutan. Proboscus monkeys. Langurs. Pygmy Elephants. 8 kinds of Hornbills. Trogons. Broadbills. Fish owls. Kingfishers. Not the same versions of these one might find elsewhere! Giant Flying Squirrels. Pangolin. Clouded Leopard. The list goes on - and this itinerary gives you both a great experience and outstanding photography opportunities.
Full
Jun 20-30
The Great Migration of wildebeest and zebras reaches Tanzania's Northern Serengeti in late July or early August. Rains furthern north, in Kenya's Masai Mara beckon the herds - and the route involves crossing the treacherous Mara River where crocodiles await. We've timed this safari to put you at the right place at the right time to capture the drama - and so much more as we explore the areas around the Mara, the Central Serengeti, Tarangire National Park, and the fabled Ngorongoro Crater!
Space Available
Aug 19-30
Journey with us into the wilds of Ethiopia to visit a number of ethnic groups that have clung to the old ways. We'll learn how each group sees the world differently - and how it shapes their personal actions and looks. We'll make amazing artful images of the peoples, their worlds, and the natural world around them. This is a wild adventure - we'll be journeying to where few people go - and tourism infrastructue is available. Check out the itinerary here.
Limited
Space Available

Oct 6 - 20

Ice Caves. Glaciers exhibiting their winter "blues". Frozen Waterfalls. Outstanding icebergs and bits on black sand beaches and floating in both fresh and salt water. Unique ice formations. And, the opportunity to photograph the Northern Lights with great foregrounds. This is an adventure you don't want to miss. Join us!
Space Available

Nov 5 - 14

2025

Timed to meet the great migration in the Serengeti, our safari takes you to some of the great parks and protected areas in northern Tanzania in search of lions, zebras, giraffes, cheetah, hyenas... Of all our itineraries, anywhere in the world, this one has the best reviews - and is a real life-changing experience! If you'll only be making one photography foray into sub-Saharan Africa in your life - this is the trip!
Space Available

Feb 2-14

Lions and leopards and cheetahs! Oh my! This two week safari is dedicated to putting us in great positions to photograph cats in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. And, our design lets us "hang out" with the cats until something interesting happens! Timed for when the grasses in the Serengeti are turning green and the game is fat - when cats are in their prime. Read the description and secure your space before its gone. We'll come home with great images and many memories and stories!
Space Available

Feb 16-Mar 1

Borneo! Rainforests. Orangutans. Gibbons. Pygmy elephants. Proboscis monkeys. 420 species of birds, including amazing hornbills and kingfishers, brightly colored little birds, pheasants, and the ancestor to the modern chicken. Carnivorous plants. Sun bears. The list goes on and on. We've built an itinerary that takes you into the canopy, on trails by foot, on rivers by boat, and out on night safari. This is not an adventure you want to miss!
Limited
Space Available

Jun 15-25

Our Drones Photography Group is at it again! Back to Iceland to visit a number of unique sites, looking for great places, away from people, to position our drone cameras to capture unique angles. This time we'll find some great "interior" locations, some thermal features, some wild coastlines, and some exciting rivers. Waterfalls are always part of the game in Iceland - you'll be able to position your drone where no person has ever put a camera before. Bring your drone and come create great art with us!
Limited
Space Available

July 7-16

Join us for an exclusive opportunity to witness and photograph the interesection of the world's largest sockeye salmon run and a scores of hungry bears. Based in a private lodge on Lake Clark, each day we'll fly out to a spot where bears are gathered to catch and feed on salmon traveling upstream to spawn. Bear to bear interactions are constant. Fishing techniques are exciting to photograph. The scenery is outstanding. We are likely to include a day at Brooks Falls, dependent on salmon runs. Small group. An active wild adventure.
Space Available

Jul 31 - Aug 7

Join us in Brazil's Pantanal for a wild adventure that features both jaguars and an amazing array of birds, reptiles, and mammals. The Pantanal is the only place in the world where one can reliably find and photograph jaguars - as they are nocturnal hunters everywhere else. The birds here are fantastic - this is one of our favorite places to photograph flying birds (we can help you build your skills). Add in close-up encounters with giant river otters and so much more. Join us for this wild adventure!
Space Available

Aug 11-23

Turkey sits at a geographical crossroads, which means that, over history, many cultures have passed through Turkey, each leaving a distinct imprint on the culture and the archaeological record. Let's explore some of the great archaeological wonders - while putting ourselves in great positions make exciting art with cameras. Mosques, Fairy Chimneys, Ephasus, Istanbul, Aphrodisia, Pergamum, Assos and so much more.
Limited
Space Available

Sep 21 - Oct 5

2026

To sit quietly in a bamboo thicket with a gorilla family, interacting with eye contact, observing, and making compelling images is truly a life changing experience. Venture out into the wilds of Rwanda with a small group to experience photographic encounters with wild gorillas, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, golden monkeys, and much, much more. Fitness level is necessary to accomplish this adventure. Dates are tentative until we secure permits.
Space Available

Jan 8-20

Timed to meet the great migration in the Serengeti, our safari takes you to some of the great parks and protected areas in northern Tanzania in search of lions, zebras, giraffes, cheetah, hyenas... Of all our itineraries, anywhere in the world, this one has the best reviews - and is a real life-changing experience! If you'll only be making one photography foray into sub-Saharan Africa in your life - this is the trip!
Space Available

Feb 9-21

Join us in 2026 as we'll explore favorite haunts and add new landings and vistas. Giant tortoises, flightless frigates, 3 kinds of boobies, land and marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals, flamingos, and the northernmost penguin in the world. The list goes on and on! Exciting landscapes. So much to learn about geology, biology, and evolution.Truly an inspiring experience - ties the Serengeti in client feedback as the "most life-changing" experience of their lives.
Space Available

Apr 17-27