Bison in deep snow at Elk Antler Creek area of Yellowstone National Park in January 2023. © Hal Beesley
NANPA member Hal Beesley has been to some pretty special places, from Mongolia and Morocco to the Bay of Fundy and Alaska’s Inside Passage. He’d also been to Yellowstone, but never in winter. So, when he saw a NANPA Regional Event advertised for Yellowstone in January, he was all in.
What is a Regional Event?
A NANPA Regional Event is a photo tour that usually takes place over a long weekend. Experienced leaders who are intimately familiar with an area guide a small group of attendees to the best locations at the best times, whether for golden light on stunning landscapes or magnificent animals on the move. Regional Events are great ways to experience a new location without having to do all the research required to find the best spots or good lodging options (often at a group discount). In addition, you’re likely to make life-long friends with other attendees. These events are some of NANPA’s most popular offerings.
Why Yellowstone in Winter and why a Regional Event?
Beesley had been to Yellowstone several times in the summer and fall, but never in winter. “I wanted to go in the winter and this looked like a good trip at a reasonable price and was intended for photography,” he said. Getting around the park in the middle of winter requires special equipment, like snowcoaches, which are hard to get for an individual. Having the coaches provided as part of the tour was another benefit of going with a group.
Because he was with a group of nature photographers instead of a regular tour group, they were able to stay in the field to follow the light, the bison or elk. Whereas other tours stick to a timetable and, if your time is up, it’s up. Regardless of whether there’s a wolf or a gray owl on the hunt. “The trip leaders (Jeff Vanuga and Mark Gocke) were very good and we went to good locations,” he said and he has the photos to prove it.
Coyote along the Yellowstone River in snowy landscape at Yellowstone National Park in January 2023. © Hal Beesley
What was it like?
“This was my first NANPA Regional Event,” Beesley said. “The snow coaches were good and the recommended motel in West Yellowstone was comfortable.” He made a lot of photographs of bison, but also of coyote, swans and stark, snow-covered landscapes.
This year Yellowstone had heavy winter snowfall and the snow was really deep, but the weather during the Regional Event was quite good. “There was a lot of snow on the ground. I took my warmest clothing and boots but the temperatures were manageable.” Beesley said. A very productive trip, all in all.
Beesley was with “a good group of fellow photographers.” He told us. “This was an excellent event and I expect to sign up for another one. The leaders were good and the cost was reasonable.” NANPA Regional Events get a lot of feedback like that, and a lot of repeat attendees.
As many Regional Event participants do, he extended his trip to see a few nearby places and visited Jackson Hole, where he was able to get some interesting long-exposure and night scenes in and around town. In the nearby snow-covered countryside, he was able to photograph herds of elk.
Elk Antler Creek area of Yellowstone NP in January 2023. © Hal Beesley
About Hal Beesley
“I live in California now but have lived in the Midwest and on the East Coast in the past,” he says. “I photograph many things but some of my favorites are wildlife and landscapes. I have visited many national parks in the west to photograph and my wife and I have been able to do some international travel since we retired. I took a trip to Mongolia with Earthwatch, which is a good organization for people to get close to wildlife in some exotic places as volunteers. I shoot mostly digital but often take a film camera along if I have room for it. I post a lot of photographs on Flickr @halbphoto.” There are a lot of really beautiful and striking photos from the Yellowstone in Winter Regional Event posted by Hal.
NANPA currently has a wide variety of Regional Events open for registration, with new ones added as plans coalesce. There’s something for almost everyone. To learn more about upcoming Regional Events, or to register for one, go to nanpa.org/events/regional-field-events/
