Overview
Join us for a half day photo workshop in Grand Teton National Park with a professional photography guide. This introductory experience is geared toward photographers who feel comfortable navigating their equipment and are ready to start taking photos. The National Park plays host to a wealth of striking flora and fauna, and with its impressive snow-capped peaks, is well known for serving up ample opportunities for landscape or wildlife photography.
This is a wildlife safari tour with a photography focus.
Highlights
- Introduction to Landscape & Wildlife Photography
- Professional Instruction & Creative Direction
- Grand Teton National Park Tour & Wildlife Sightings
Our professional photography guides will provide a great overview of landscape and wildlife photography in and around Grand Teton National Park. Throughout the day, your guide will work with you to advance your skill set covering basic topics such as gear, lighting, composition, and more.
Always keep in mind that landscape photography opportunities are subject to change due to weather conditions and wildlife photography is dependent on, well…wildlife, and sometimes wildlife can be finicky. Your professional photography guide will be happy to help you with your photography gear, answer any questions you may have about photography, and share some of their best photography practices.
This tour is van-based with ample time out of the vehicle for photography and instruction. Please come prepared for a variety of conditions and terrain.
A half day private photography tour begins with an early-morning pick up to maximize wildlife and landscape opportunities. Pick up time may vary based on the days weather and lighting conditions and our professional photography guides will cater the trip to your creative interests and goals.
You’ll cover roughly 50 miles of roadway within the national park with mindful attention to elements conducive to successful photography conditions, along which a variety of strategically placed pullouts can be found, each offering dramatic vistas of either winding rivers, crystalline bodies of water that mirror open sky, craggy, alpine peaks and the potential for spectacular wildlife sightings. Working in this wild space also results in no two pictures being the same, even if snapping a photo from a popular spot such as the Snake River Overlook or the Oxbow Bend; the weather, clouds and lighting vary on a near daily basis. Our guides are well-versed in popular photography spots and will also help encourage you to hone your skills at each location. Each tour will be customized to your physical and technical ability.
The unpredictability of wildlife enhances the experience as well. While many animals, like bison, moose and pronghorn, have distinct habitats, there is always the chance of finding them in unexpected places that could create the opportunity for an entirely unique photo. Then there are less frequently seen species, such as otters, wolves, great gray owls and grizzly bears. These animals can be elusive, potentially darting along a river bank or dashing through an open field and vanishing before the click of a shutter.
To understand more about the seasonal nature of Jackson Hole’s wildlife, you can read more about the seasons and what you’re most likely to see in Grand Teton National Park or Yellowstone National Park, or Jackson Hole, at different times of the year. If you have a certain subject in mind, plan your arrival accordingly in order to optimize your chances of seeing it in the wild.
What's Included
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Hotel pickup
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Professional photography guide
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Private safari
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Light breakfast
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Assorted snack basket
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Hot and cold beverages
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Use of UHD binoculars and spotting scopes
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Guide gratuities
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National Park entrance fees
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Personal photography equipment
Private Safari
Tour Information
What time is my hotel pickup?
All guests are picked up and returned to their place of lodging. We pick up at hotels and condos in Jackson and Teton Village. Your exact pick up time will be determined by your hotel location and the season. Please make note of your pickup time, and save it for your reference.
Please give your guide an additional 5-10 minutes before and after the scheduled time to allow for other pickups or traffic conditions. Changes to trip timing may be made to accommodate daylight and/or optimum wildlife viewing.
Approximate pickup times for Jackson Hole include:
May 1 – September 14
- 6:30 AM
September 15 – October 31
- 7:00 AM
What is the itinerary?
Your exact route and itinerary will be determined by your interests, current wildlife sightings, and current weather and road conditions. Our guides are all highly experienced, with thousands of hours in the field, and will expertly tailor your safari to you and your group.
Our guide tailored our experience to accommodate our interest in wildlife and natural photography. We saw pika, elk, bison, moose, mule deer and fawns, grizzly bears, marmots, and ground squirrels. We had a five star guide. Highly recommend him, and we wish our tour didn’t end!
Safari Tour Gallery
All photography has been shot by our talented tour guides.
FAQs
What equipment do we need to have for a half day photography tour?
Make sure you bring equipment you’re used to using and are comfortable with. Before your photography tour, make sure you have fully charged batteries, including an extra one, and bring spare memory cards as well. For landscape photography, a 14mm-24mm and 24mm-70mm lens are best. For wildlife photography, a 300mm, 500mm and 600mm lens are best.
What should we wear for a half day photo tour in Grand Teton National Park?
For the summer season, the weather can be variable throughout the day. Early and late summer can experience extreme temperature swings from early morning to midday. It’s best to come prepared with synthetic or wool layers that you can alter as the day progresses. Make sure to bring a windproof or waterproof shell to keep yourself dry. We will be in and out of the vehicle and walking across uneven terrain to get to some of our spots. Hiking boots work well, if you have them. If not, a sturdy walking shoe will also work.
What animals will we see on a half day photo tour in Grand Teton National Park?
Each season provides a diversity of flora and fauna in Grand Teton National Park, but not all seasons are the same. You’ll want to align your visit with your photography goals, enhancing your chances of seeing your favorite subjects in the wild. It’s not a full list, but the following suggestions highlight some of the animals you might see here, if you know where to look! In the spring months (April, May, June) you may see bison calves, grizzly bears, black bears and mountain bluebirds. In the summer months (June, July, August), you could see bison and pronghorn. In the autumn months (August, September, October), you could see black bears and moose.
Vehicles & Optics
Our Vehicles
At Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris we use top-of-the-line vehicles designed to enhance your wildlife safari experience while ensuring comfort and safety. These rugged and comfortable vehicles feature expansive windows, giving you unobstructed views of the incredible wildlife and stunning landscapes of Jackson Hole. We use small passenger vans and SUVs for small group sizes to accommodate a personalized experience. With high-clearance capabilities, the vehicles can easily navigate any terrain we encounter, ensuring a smooth and stable ride through the area’s remote spots. Spacious seating, climate control, and knowledgeable guides ensure a comfortable, immersive experience, allowing you to connect with nature while minimizing your impact on this beautiful, pristine environment.
Our Optics
Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris provides top-tier binoculars and spotting scopes for their tours to ensure guests have the best possible viewing experience of wildlife in the stunning landscapes of the region. We utilize high-quality, durable optics that offer sharp, clear images, even at long distances, making it easier for guests to spot elusive animals and enjoy close-up views of birds, mammals, and other wildlife. Our Athlon binoculars are lightweight and easy to handle, perfect for all ages and experience levels. The Vortex spotting scopes, equipped with powerful magnification, allow for exceptional detail when observing wildlife from afar. These professional-grade tools enhance the overall safari experience, giving guests a front-row seat to the beauty of Jackson Hole’s natural world.
Professional Photography Guides
Our Team
Local, experienced, and passionate guides and photographers.
Further Reading
Best Photography Spots in Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park
May 13, 2013
We created a map from Google Maps showing the best places to stop and photograph Teton National Park so that you’ll be sure to come away with dramatic photos of Grand Teton.
iPhone Photography – Basic Tips and Tricks
Jul 4, 2019
Did you know that you have a powerful camera right in your pocket? Professional Photographer, Dwight Vasel, breaks down some basic iPhone functionality for you. Read more about the tips and tricks you can use to take photographs and video with your smartphone. With a camera built in to your phone, you have a powerful little point and shoot at your fingertips, perfect for wildlife photography in the field.
