Grand Teton Fall Wildlife and Landscape Photography Tour Regional Event (Sept 30-Oct 4, 2024)

Leader | Travel and lodging | What to expect | General Information

Register

 

 

Event Overview

Monday September 30, 2024 at 5 p.m. to Friday October 4, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.

Friday October 11 7-9 pm (Eastern Time) (optional) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants

Registration and Meet & Greet
Monday September 30, 2024 at 5 pm at the hotel.

Grand Teton National Park is a phenomenal photography destination – it has it all: iconic old barns, amazing landscapes with dramatic mountains, and a diversity of wildlife from grizzly bears and bison to moose, elk, and pronghorn. Autumn is a particularly special time for photography in the park because it offers not only the possibility of stunning fall colors, but the chance to witness and photograph breeding behavior (rut) for elk, moose and pronghorn. Join acclaimed photographers Jeff Vanuga (a BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year), and Mark Gocke as they team up to show you the autumn highlights of this extremely photogenic national park. With their combined decades of experience in photographing this park, Jeff and Mark will share their insights on locating and tracking elusive animal life, enabling participants the chance to capture wildlife pictures they likely would have never gotten on their own. This fall photo trip should be on every nature photographer’s bucket list.

 NANPA is an authorized permittee of the National Parks Service.

Early Registration: $1175 NANPA Members, $1375 non-members by August 29, 2024

After August 29, 2024: $1275 NANPA Members, $1475 non-members  Last Date to Register: September 16, 2024

Price includes ground transportation during the event.

Maximum Number of Participants: 16

PARK PASS: Anyone entering the National Park will be required to have a park pass.  If you have an Annual, Senior, Military or Access Pass. bring it with you. If you don’t have one, please buy one in advance. 

RESOURCES:  Grand Teton National Park Link https://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm

Leaders

Jeff Vanuga will be your leader for this event. If there are more than 8 participants on the event, Mark Gocke will be added as a second leader for this event. Jeff and Mark have led previous NANPA regional events together in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Jeff Vanuga

Jeff Vanuga is based in Dubois, Wyoming and specializes in both advertising and editorial media. His work has been published worldwide in magazines and major advertising campaigns.
Jeff leads tours for the largest photography tour company in the world and leads tours for National Geographic Expeditions, Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, First Light Workshops and the Moab Photography Symposium. His work is represented by the Nature Picture Library stock agency. Some notable career highlights include:
• First place in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the National Wildlife Photographic Competition
• His book entitled “Fodor’s Compass Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks” took a silver medal in the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication from a field of 1,161 entries.
• Photo District News featured Jeff as one of their top 50 States Photographers and he has hosted TV shows on nature photography for the Outdoor Life Channel and Nature’s Best Magazine.

Mark Gocke

Mark Gocke lives in Jackson, WY and has photographed in the Grand Teton / Greater Yellowstone area for 26 years. He has spent over 30 years working for wildlife conservation with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Starting as a Habitat Biologist in 1991 he then found his calling as a Public Information Specialist, which he’s done for the past 26 years based in Jackson Hole, WY. His job allows him to share his excitement for the wildlife and wild places of this area while also conveying the threats and challenges in conserving these resources. A regular part of his job is to document and convey the many field activities of the Game and Fish Department through both video and still photography, activities including a variety of wildlife captures, aerial surveys, prescribed fires, etc.
He especially enjoys teaching what he’s most passionate about, wildlife and nature photography. He’s led many photographic tours of this area on his own, as well as through the Game & Fish Department teaching wildlife photography at their annual conservation camps for both youth and educators and also our Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops.

 

Travel and lodging

Our base for the event will be in Jackson, Wyoming.

NANPA has a block of hotel rooms being held for participants. Rooms are equipped with a mini-fridge, microwave and coffee maker.

The room rate is $269.10 + tax per night.

Details about the event hotel and procedure for reserving rooms will be provided to registered participants.

The last date to reserve in the room block is August 29^th.

AIRPORTS AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION

Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)

By car:

• from Salt Lake City, Utah is approximately 300 miles and about 5-6 drive
• from Denver, Colorado is approximately 550 miles and about 8-10 hour drive

Event Transportation
NANPA will provide ground transportation (a 12-person passenger van driven by the event leader/s) to get participants between the hotel and the photo shoot locations. Participants will not need to rent a car. Restaurants and a grocery market are within easy walking distance of the hotel.
Transportation to/from the Hotel and Airport 
Transportation to and from the airport is NOT included and is the attendees’ responsibility. It is approximately 15 minutes from the airport to the hotel (8 miles).
Visit the airport webpage https://www.jacksonholeairport.com/travelers/transportation/ to see options for shuttle service, taxi pool, taxis and executive transportation services to get you from the airport to the hotel in Jackson.

MEALS:

No meals are included, but water and snacks will be available on the van.

What to expect

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS

Leaders are familiar with the areas that you’ll be visiting, and locations will be based on what’s most photogenic at the time, wildlife activity, weather conditions, etc.

Some of the locations that we will most likely photograph include:

• Grand Teton National Park
• Jackson Lake
• Snake River
• Oxbow Bend
• Mormon Row
• Teton Overlooks
• Moose-Wilson Road
• Antelope Flats loop Road

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

Please note schedules are fluid due to weather conditions, recent wildlife sightings and other variables.

Monday September 30, 2024

•  “Meet and Greet” at 5 pm in the conference room at the hotel
• Dinner on your own

Tuesday October 1, 2024 – Thursday October 3, 2024

• Breakfast on your own
• Depart daily around 6:00 am for sunrise and spend until late morning in the field photographing landscapes and wildlife in Grand Teton National Park.
• Return back for mid-day beak, downloading, etc.
• Depart midafternoon for Grand Teton National Park
• Return after sunset 
• Dinner on your own (your choice of many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel)  

Friday October 4, 2024

• Depart around 6:00 am for final sunrise shoot
• Hotel checkout at 11 am
• The event wraps up at 11 am.

General Information

We will be based in Jackson, Wyoming, during this regional event.

This event is designed for nature photographers at all levels of experience. For the best experience, please know your camera before you arrive, and bring your manual in case we need to look up something.

Assistance will be available in the field for those who wish to improve their photographic skills. If you already have plenty of photography experience, Jeff and Mark will ensure you get to the best locations at the best times to capture those perfect shots.

Please keep in mind this NANPA Regional Event is designed to be a photo tour, not a photo workshop. In other words, there are no formal instruction sessions planned, there are no assignments, you will not be receiving any handouts or the like. That being said, your leaders Jeff and Mark have experience as photography workshop leaders and are available to answer questions and give you guidance. If you need help, please advocate for yourself and speak up and ask for help – Jeff and Mark are happy to help. Be aware that many of your fellow participants may also be accomplished photographers and may be able to help you too.  Part of the regional event experience is the camaraderie that comes from sharing experiences and lessons learned among participants. If you notice someone with the same or similar camera, perhaps they can help you with an issue you’ve been wondering about, and maybe you can return the favor.

Attendance and participation at NANPA Regional Events is limited to registered attendees only.  Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

There will be no mountain hiking unless requested. Most shooting locations will be close to where we park, but a couple will require a walk on either flat or varied terrain.  The length of the walk will be up to the participant and how much they wish or are able to explore.  Since our time spent at higher elevations 6,500ft+ it is recommended to bring a personal water bottle and stay hydrated.  Bring snacks. These items can be picked up in town.

Altitude sickness is a real thing. Signs of altitude sickness include headache, nausea, malaise, fatigue and dizziness. If you experience any of these symptoms while in the field, please let Jeff or Mark know. The best way to treat altitude sickness is prevention. Drink lots of water while in Wyoming — you will need a lot more than you think. Also eat lots of healthy snacks and avoid drinking alcohol. While we will not be doing any strenuous activity while in the park, even traveling to high elevations can cause discomfort for some.

WEATHER & CLOTHING

Weather – Grand Teton National Park sits at an elevation of 6,500 ft (1,982 m). Mountain weather can be unpredictable and morning temperatures can be cool to cold.  Snow can happen any time of the year and it is not uncommon during fall.   For reference, October average temperatures are listed below:

• Average High 58 F 
• Average Low 25 F 
• Average Precipitation       1.28in         
• Record High 87 F 
• Record Low   2F

Clothing – It is preferable to dress in layers starting in the early morning and shed through the day as needed for rising temperatures.  Be prepared for rain/snow this time of year so a water proof shell and water proof boots/shoes are highly recommended.  Since it will be cool to cold weather, bring shooting gloves.

SUGGESTED CAMERA GEAR:

• Camera – DSLR or mirrorless, full frame or cropped sensor. Also, bring the camera manual should you need to consult it.
• Lenses – There will likely be photo opportunities for your full range of lenses, from extreme wide angle to telephoto and macro. We will use lenses from 10-400mm.
• Non-abrasive Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Tripod – Sunrise, sunset, twilight and nighttime light levels are too low to photograph properly without a sturdy tripod. A lightweight carbon fiber tripod with a ball head is recommended.
• Memory Cards for 1/2 day to full day of shooting in the field .
• Camera Battery Charger and Extra Batteries.
• Sensor Cleaning Tools
• Polarizing filter(s) to fit each of your lenses.
• Neutral Density Filters, Graduated Neutral Density Filters
• Shutter Release – You can use a locking cable release, a wireless remote, or the camera’s self-timer (except in BULB).
• Rain Cover – For camera and lens protection.
• Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images.
• Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements.
• Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive.
• Flash Drive – For sharing images.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

• Flashlight &/or Headlamp
• Battery-powered Alarm Clock/Watch – In case cell phone service isn’t available. It’s better to bring your own alarm than miss a morning shoot!
• Cell Phone
• Water bottle.
• Energy bars or other snacks
  

  Photo credit: Mark Gocke

Regional Event Cancellation and No Refund Policy:  

NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration.

NOTE:  If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.

If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services.