We’ll climb towers into the canopy – because you can’t really understand the Amazon until you see where the wealth of the ecosystem is. We’ll explore the forest floor and the fungi and insects that churn the fallen leaves and branches into nutrients to be transported back into the canopy.
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November 24 - December 5, 2026 - Accepting Applications
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Ecuador Amazon
Descending into the Basin
A wild photography adventure!
Featuring cloudforests, rainforests, waterfalls, macros and especially birds!
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It seems, these days, like every time you turn around the word Amazon comes up. Carbon sink. Tipping point. Climate collapse. It’s all so boggling. How does one wrap one’s head around the Amazon?
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The big picture is that Amazonia, the Amazon Basin, is a huge basin that includes the Amazon and some other watersheds that all share a continuous forest. It’s big. It’s roughly a match in size of the contiguous 48 states of the United States.
But, what is it and why is it so important? What is so special? It takes hours to fly over it, north to south, but you still can’t understand it. You can drop in the middle but you literally can’t see the forest for the trees – and once the waters tumble out of the mountains the going is essentially flat. It’s a basin. 
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We have designed a photographic journey to help you understand – and help you explain what you understand to those around you. You’ll come home with amazing images – not just images that document – images that inspire! And images that will push you to expand the limits of your skills and your equipment! Are you up for this?
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We’ll start by crossing the continental divide (of South America) in Ecuador. The pass, near Antisana Volcano, is 14,000 feet above sea level (the mountain is 18,875 feet high). The ecosystem is Paramo – like tundra, sort of. Plants have adapted to endure elevation and huge daily temperature changes. Birds live here – and so does the Spectacled Bear!
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And, just as important, streams start here. As they move down, they merge. They are joined by waterfalls and other streams. The terrain is steep and rugged, and the streams run hard when it rains. 
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Down a couple thousand feet we’ll sense a change in the ecosystem – and find really fun birds to photograph. We’ll continue to work our way downward for several days, with every change in elevation yielding a change in both flora and fauna. We’ll make art from the birds we see, the insects we find, and the forests and waterfalls we witness.
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We’ll make art from the birds we see, the insects we find, and the forests and waterfalls we witness.
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There will come a point when we begin to see beyond the canyons we have traversed – looking out over and into the Amazon Basin itself. That’s when we really start to get a handle on things.
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The water from that pass takes a couple days to reach the flatter floor of the basin – and then a month to cross South America to the Atlantic. Along the way there are so many ecosystems, so many species, so much life, so much beauty.
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Then, suddenly, we’re down in the basin. The water slows. There is “black water” and “white water” – and we’ll experience both. We’ll travel by canoe here (someone else will do the paddling). Exploring, making images, admiring, and yes, wrapping our heads around what is going on and why it is important. We’ll photograph birds and mammals and fish – and the beautiful ecosystems that enabled them to become the species they are.
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We’ll climb towers into the canopy – because you can’t really understand the Amazon until you see where the wealth of the ecosystem is. We’ll explore the forest floor and the fungi and insects that churn the fallen leaves and branches into nutrients to be transported back into the canopy. We'll find clay licks where macaws and other birds come for important minerals.
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And, you’ll begin to grasp what the Amazon is – and to understand all the big words and statistics and fears and hopes the world has for this huge, forested basin. But, just as importantly, you’ll see and make art based on species and patterns that are found nowhere else on earth. Beautiful images – both as photographs and moments etched into your brain.
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You’ll become one of the few people who really “gets” the Amazon – one who can close your eyes and be there. You’ll have images to share and stories to relate.
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When we were scouting for this adventure, we photographed two species that are not yet documented by science. An owl, with a small territory and few known pairs, that is not yet designated a species. And a coatimundi that isn’t dressed like a coatimundi should be – and had only been observed for a few weeks before we arrived. Who knows what new species we’ll stumble onto when you are with us in the Amazon? Let’s find out!
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2026 Ecuador Amazon Wild Photography Adventure
Descending into the Basin
November 24 - December 5, 2026
This adventure begins and ends in Quito, Ecuador. We'll travel east over the Continental Divide and then work our way down to the floor of the Amazon Basin. Our lodging choices put us in excellent postion to experience and photograph diversity and beauty. Most meals are included. We will travel by a very comfortable vehicle, by boats, and then fly back to Quito when we wrap up.
2026 Rates
$8,800 Each, Double Occupancy
$9,700 Single Occupancy
$1,000 Deposit with Application
$2,500 Due July 1, 2026
Balance Due July 15, 2026 to include extra nights, etc. |
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2026 |
Private India Tigers Photography Safari
Mar 24 - Apr 2
Private tiger photography safari.
Check with us about a private adventure of your own!
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Custom Pantanal
June 14-23 |
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Step outside your comfort zone to experience and photograph tribes of Ethiopia's Omo River Valley. These tribes were never dominated by colonialism and have held onto traditions others have lost. This is your chance to see Africa, indeed all human culture, as it was - and be one of the few people on the planet to experience these unique cultures. This is a wild adventure - we'll sometimes have modest lodgings, eat foods we're not familiar with, and venture beyond basic services as we visit these remote tribes.
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Nov 15-22, 2026
Join us in 2026 for an extravaganza of bird photography. All sizes. More colors than you can imagine. And great conditions for photography. We're talking many species of hummingbirds. More tanagers than you imagined existed. Toucans and toucanets. Cock of the Rock. Woodpeckers. Trogans. Quetzals. Antpittas. Guans. Some birds with really different features like the swordbill and racquettail hummingbirds. Great setups - many where you can establish a tripod position and the birds will come to you. There will be some early mornings but most of the outings are not physically demanding. Small group, by design. |
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Nov 24 - Dec 5, 2026
Join us in 2026 as we make an epic journey over a 14,000 foot pass on Ecuador's Continental Divide then down to the very floor of the Amazon Basin. We'll explore a number of ecosystems, finding birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, insects and more to photograph and to learn from. By entering the Amazon from above, we'll "follow the water" as it begins its journey in the high mountains, steep slopes, and deep canyons of the areas east of the divide. By the time we've completed this journey you will have a new understanding of the Amazon Basin, its scope, its fragility, and it's importance to the planet. Your photographs will include sweeping panoramas, gorges, waterfalls, river scenes, jungle scenes, wild birds and other animals, and the macro world. You'll have a deeper understand of the Amazon - and how the planet fits together. And you'll have the images to share that knowledge and inspire others. |
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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.
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Our new Kenya West Photography Safari explores from Samburu on the north down to the Masai Mara in the south. We'll find 3 kinds of giraffes, two kinds of zebras, rhinos (black and white), gerenuks, big cats, hyenas and jackals, outstanding scenery and a wealth of birds - big and little. We'll see a number of ecosystems, brush up agains several cultures, get a great introduction to the Rift Valley, and so much more. And, if you join both this safari and the next, below, we'll cut $1,000 from your fees.
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Redesigned for 2027, our Costa Rica Photography Adventure gives you great opportunities for birds, landscapes, waterfalls, frogs, macros and so much more. We put you in several distinct ecosystems, each with their own set of flora and fauna. Three significant "photography by boat" outings provide both riverscapes and wildlife. Birds, caimans, crodociles and several species of monkeys. Then there are the frogs and sloths. And leaf cutter ants. You'll be overwhelmed by the opportunities to design great images on this adventure.
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Our new Kenya Southeast Photography Safari explores the exciting region along the Kenya/Tanzania border. Starting with Amboseli, we'll work east to Tsavo west and east and Taita, finding dramatic scenes with elephants, some big tuskers, the oasis of Amboseli and all its concentration of wildlife, lions, leopards, cheetahs, a variety of ungulates, a spring where hippos swim in clear water, lodges on waterholes, and so many more exciting things. Pair this adventure with the adventure above and we'll cut $1,000 from your fees.
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Let's photograph tigers! Join us in India for a custom safari designed to put you in the best places at the best times to photograph tigers. We have built in more time than most tiger safaris - and it's all about time in Kanha, Pench, and Bandhavgarh National Parks. We have arranged to put you two to a vehicle - and to enter the parks at daybreak, just when the tigers are most active. The group will be quite limited in size. Secure your space soon!
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Join us in 2027 as we'll explore the outer flanks of the Galapagos Archipeligo. 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.
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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!
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Borneo!
Aug 27 - Sep 9
Borneo! Rainforests. Orangutans. Gibbons. Pygmy elephants. Proboscis monkeys. 420 species of birds, including amazing hornbills and kingfishers, brightly colored little birds. 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!
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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.
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