Yellowstone & Grand Teton
Autumn Photo Adventure
September 26 – October 4, 2023
Dates:
Sept 26 - October 4, 2023
Your Pros:
Juan Pons & Jaclyn Merica
Tuition:
$7595.00 USD Single Supplement: $1300 USD
Location:
Wyoming, USA
Fitness Level:
Easy
Availability:
6 Seats Available
Dates:
September 26 - October 4, 2023
Your Pros:
Juan Pons & Jaclyn Merica
Tuition:
$7495.00 USD
Single Supplement $1300.00 USD
Location:
Wyoming, USA
Fitness Level:
Easy
Availability:
6 Seats Available
Introduction
Autumn in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park is a particularly special time to visit the region, coinciding with the elk rut, black and brown bears’ preparations for winter hibernation, and the transformation of the landscape from lush green to vibrant fall foliage. It really is a nature and wildlife photographer’s playground.
The landscape of these epic national parks is vast, and it’s imperative to explore with experienced guides who are intimately familiar with the region and its wildlife. With 20 seasons of experience photographing both in Yellowstone and around the world, my team and I offer expert knowledge of wildlife behaviors and habitats to greatly maximize your photographic opportunities. My insights into Yellowstone’s ecosystem ensures we are positioned in the right place at the right time to compose captivating images together.
My workshops are distinctive in that they’re fully inclusive– your tuition cost covers all expenses from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart in Bozeman. We provide our guests the best possible accommodations, dining options, and unique opportunities in the region.
Our extensive trip itinerary includes visits to the most inspiring and iconic vistas and features throughout this unique region. We proudly offer our valued clients private transportation in our custom Juan Pons Photography Workshop adventure vehicle, providing comfort while exploring the remote depths of the park. This 2021 AWD Ford Transit passenger van boasts ample seating and room for all participants and their gear, large untinted windows for a clear view, USB plugs in each row, and an abundance of trunk space to transport our camera bags.
This workshop offers in-the-field instruction to best hone in your images and streamline your creative visions, as well as post-workshop image reviews and editing sessions to continue practicing skills and techniques learned on the workshop once you’ve returned home.
I believe in order to truly enjoy your experience, and to receive the most out of an adventure photography workshop, we must maintain small group sizes with a very high ratio of instructors to participants. I’ve limited this workshop to a maximum of 6 participants and 2 instructors so everyone has an optimal view from inside our vehicles, as well as easy loading and unloading when wildlife is spotted from the road.
This is a unique educational excursion, and by capping the group size, despite immense interest, our team ensures everyone gets the attention and one-on-one instruction they need to make once in a lifetime images.
As a workshop leader, I take your trust in my expertise very seriously. I work in tandem with the National Park Service, and I always operate under the proper insurance, permits, and certifications. I am an Authorized Permittee of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.
You will be accompanied by Juan Pons and Jaclyn Merica during this workshop. Juan is an accomplished professional wildlife and travel photographer and photographic educator who has a deep passion for the outdoors and conservation. Jaclyn is Juan’s assistant, co-leading outdoor workshops in places like Costa Rica, Cuba, Botswana, and Alaska.
Juan and his team believe the best way to teach is by demonstrating, and to this end, we will be shooting alongside you, showing you our technique, and sharing our love and knowledge of wildlife and the landscape. However, our priority is always YOU, and assisting you to get the best images YOU can get.
The biggest advantage of having small groups is the flexibility they provide for customizing and adjusting our schedule to accommodate both to the unpredictable weather and the interests of the group as a whole. This allows us to cover only those topics that you are all interested in, including:
• Techniques for creating exciting and captivating wildlife images
• Digital darkroom demos to enhance the quality of your images
• Best use of your equipment
• Image reviews
My workshops are fairly intensive experiences, and as such, you should not expect this to be a leisurely vacation. My goal is to capture the best images we can during our time in this remarkable location. This means there will be days we begin very early and return to our home-base very late. However, we will always have breaks and lunch rest hours.
On this workshop, you will fly into and depart from Bozeman, Montana (Airport code BZN). You should expect to receive important instructions from my team with details to secure your flights 4 months prior to the workshop.
Then, about 3 months prior to the workshop, you will start hearing from me and my team on a regular basis. I will provide you with a Workshop Participant Info Packet with all relevant details, as well as go over more info regarding the workshop to get you inspired and thinking about the images you want to capture during the workshop. At this time, you will also receive from me a list of recommended clothing, equipment, and even discounts for equipment you may want to acquire for this excursion.
My assistant, Jaclyn, and I are always available to answer any questions you may have leading up to the excursion- simply call or email and we can help you as best we can.
Additionally, we will schedule a Zoom meeting 4-6 weeks prior to the start of our workshop. There, you can meet your fellow workshop participants, ask any questions before traveling, receive insights and recommendations for reference books, and much more.
Tuition for the workshop is $7595.00 USD for double occupancy per person.
If you would like to enjoy private accommodation during the workshop, that can be arranged for an additional supplement of $1,300 USD.
If you would like to reserve your spot on this workshop, you can do so with a $2995.00 USD deposit. The balance of the workshop fee ($4600 USD), is due 90 days prior to the first day of the workshop.
If you are in need of a special payment arrangement, please reach out and we are happy to work with you.
• All Lodging
• All Meals
• All private ground transportation
• All snacks and water during daily outings
• Non-alcoholic beverages during the workshop
• All permits, fees, and gratuities
• In-the-field instruction
• Image reviews and post-processing sessions
• Creative inspiration and group camaraderie
• An unforgettable experience
• Air travel to and from Bozeman, Montana
• Any applicable items of a personal nature, such as laundry and alcoholic beverages
• Travel, Medical, and Trip Cancellation Insurance (highly recommended)
• Anything else specifically not listed as included
• You are responsible for making your own flight arrangements to and from Bozeman. We will assist you with flight arrival times and departures prior to your booking. Please do not book your flight reservations until you receive explicit instructions from our team.
• Deposit is fully refundable up until 90 days prior to the start of the workshop, NO REFUNDS are permitted less than 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.
• Make sure to check the Terms and Conditions for all my workshops.
We highly recommend Travel Insurance from a reputable insurance company. I have partnered with Squaremouth, a website that allows you to compare multiple travel policies from multiple providers to choose the best one for you based on your needs and costs. Check them out here: https://www.squaremouth.com/
When photographing wildlife, the key is to remain flexible and open to adjustments in order to maximize our daily itinerary as needed to observe the behavior of the wildlife and weather conditions.
An example workshop itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 – 2: Arrival and Gardiner, Montana
Plan to arrive before 1 PM to Bozeman, Montana (Airport code BZN) on the start date of the workshop. Our team will pick you up in our private workshop vehicle and depart toward Yellowstone (1.5 hour drive).
We’ll be based in the town of Gardiner, Montana, for the first two nights. From there, we’ll venture into the interior of the park.
We will scout for epic shots of fall foliage, wildlife, and landscapes around the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, including the famed Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, and more. Keep an eye out for subjects such as rams, pronghorn, bison, elk.
Day 3 – 4: Grand Teton National Park
On Day 3, we will head south toward Grand Teton National Park, where we will have many opportunities to photograph breathtaking views of this impressive mountain range.
Day 3 and Day 4 will be spent visiting sites like Mormon Row, Oxbow Bend along the Snake River, while also spotting moose, pronghorn, and bison, and more.
We utilize accommodations in the park to remain conveniently located to any and all creative opportunities. We also have the opportunity to shoot the night sky at this premier location for astrophotography.
Day 5 – 6 Old Faithful Basin
On Day 5, we will head toward Old Faithful Basin, where we will stay for another 2 days to photograph the world-class thermal features that make Yellowstone so famous.
Stand in awe at the incredible concentration of geysers, fumeroles, and hot springs. Observe the sheer amount of wildlife subjects moving through the terrain. Listen for the sound of water rushing through the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Other photo locations also include Fountain Paint Pots, Grand Prismatic, Firehole River, Madison River, Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb Geysery Basin, Hayden Valley, and more.
Day 7 – 9 Cooke City, Montana and Departure
We will finish out our time in Wyoming and Montana by staying in Cooke City, Montana. There, we have an amazing opportunity to drive the Beartooth Highway, a scenic drive that climbs to nearly 11,000 feet, and is surrounded by 20 peaks over 12,000 feet.
The highway hosts an impressive range of ecosystems, such as lodge pole pines and alpine. Once we’ve reached the summit, we will find immense photo opportunities surrounded by glaciers, alpine lakes, and landscapes.
On Day 9, we will transport the group back to Bozeman, Montana, where you can catch your departing flights after 11 AM.
