Professional Wildlife Photography at a Specialist Game Reserve near Kalispell in Montana
Photograph at a Venue used by the World’s Top Professional Photographers – December 2018
This tour will provide you with the privilege of photographing a wonderful selection of wildlife at an alternative specialist professional photography reserve to the one we have previously used in Montana in the USA. This venue is based in Kalispell. The animals here are also trained to “perform” for top professional photographers and film producers worldwide. They are well kept and are amazingly responsive to the handler’s control. A large percentage of stunning published photos of wolves in snow, leaping mountain lions, a tiger charging towards you, snow leopards with snow-covered hillside backgrounds, bears and other shy creatures in the wild have been photographed in “set-ups” in Montana. There will be a maximum of 11 photographers taking part in this event. There will be no obtrusive fences, wires or glass between you and your subjects. The only exception to this is when you are photographing the Amur Leopard and the Tiger. The fences are little more than three feet high and are only there to let the animal know that there is a no-go area where we will stand. There is never anything but fresh air (and maybe the odd snow flurry) between your cameras and our subjects.
Amateur Photographers are most Welcome
This venue has remained a closely guarded secret amongst many top professional photographers for a number of years. Photographers on Safari are now making it available to anybody wanting to share this special privilege. You can photograph the exact same animals at the exact same locations that have been used by photographers and film/movie companies for the last 25 years. You do not need to be a professional (or even a photographer) to attend this event. Tuition plus any needed help and advice will be offered prior to and in between photography sessions.
Photograph Predators in the Snow
Photographers on Safari have deliberately picked two of the weeks that are most likely to give us the best chance of photographing in snow. Prime weeks are extremely sought after and need to be booked a long time in advance. It is for this reason that this holiday is for December 2018 rather than 2017. We cannot give any 100% guarantees that the ground will be snow-covered, but we have been assured that it is extremely rare not to have a permanent covering of winter snow by the end of November. We have booked 9 days of activity (plus two weather days), and we will be photographing the animals throughout the best weather conditions each day. We will have the opportunity to photograph each major species during these nine days. We have booked two extra days which are described as a “weather days”. If we have been unable to photograph during one of our 9 days, then these extra days will be provided free of charge. If we have used our 9 days as expected, then we have the option to re-photograph any of our favourite subjects from the previous days. This will however be at an extra cost of $150 for each of these extras that are not included in the main package. Subjects for these two days will be collectively decided upon on location. Those not wanting an extra day’s photography may choose to relax in the indoor swimming pool at the hotel. We have been advised needing two weather days in December is most unlikely as snowy conditions are optimal for most photographers. Most photographers love to photograph in just about any kind of wintry weather and the animals work through all weather conditions too. We are likely to continue with photography sessions if it is snowing but not if it is raining.
Amur Leopard photos as if it was “In the Wild”
This is the only place in the world that I know of where you can photograph this amazingly rare animal in extensive natural surroundings. We will have a three feet tall fence between us and the Leopard. This is only there to remind our subject that we are “out of bounds”. It does not restrict our photography in any way and the enclosure is huge. You will see from my photographs that the backgrounds are totally in keeping with its natural habitat. It loves to leap into the air to try and outwit its handler and try to catch a piece of animal skin that she has on a long rope. For me, this specific shoot was one of the most privileged experiences of my photography career. I did not previously think that I would get the opportunity to take such stunning shots of the world’s rarest cat. There are only around 40 of these amazing cats still surviving in the wild. I believe this cat will be most people’s favourite subject.
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Snow Leopard on a hillside location
If the Amur Leopard is your number one choice, then the Snow Leopard is likely to follow very closely behind. As well as the usual close-up shots, we will photograph this amazing creature charging down a steep rock face. He will disappear over the top of the hill, hide for a short while and come charging down to where we are standing. He is phenomenally fast. I am aware that the Cheetah is the fastest animal in a straight line, but the Snow Leopard is definitely the quickest cat that I have ever seen in difficult terrain. He also looks really great on the lower ledges of a pretty rock face just in front of us.
Siberian Tiger, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear and Wolf Pack
These four animals complete the list of the large primary animal species (six) on offer. Time was short during my recce and I only photographed the Siberian Tiger from the above list. The Tiger is always photographed in the same enclosure and the snow may/may not be without footprints. This was the only subject where this was an issue. We were shooting over a three to four feet tall fence which made absolutely no difference to the photography. The Tiger often came to within a few feet of us and he performed brilliantly. He loved to jump out from behind logs and jump high to try to catch a piece of deer hide that the handler was snatching away at the last moment. When we were shooting him while he was jumping, footprints were no problem whatsoever.
Mountain Lion leaping through the Snow
Many stories are told of endless days of patiently waiting for that special moment when the subject miraculously leapt over a snow-drift or into the air. How did the photographer know exactly when and where an animal was going to leap, and from so close that a frame-filling shot could be taken? The answer is that many of these story-tellers came either here to Montana or to somewhere similar. Our venue at Montana is regarded by many professionals as one of the top two premier locations of its type in the world. The animals here are allowed to run free in huge temporary enclosures, while at the same time being regularly brought back to the waiting cameras. It is then up to you to record those unique magical moments when the animals are behaving totally naturally just as if in the wild. You will have the opportunity to return home with photos that could well have taken a dedicated wildlife photographer a lifetime to capture in the wild. Maybe even that would not be long enough for some of the amazing shots you will capture.
Arctic Foxes and Arctic Wolf
The three Arctic Foxes were another of my real favourites at this venue. I have photographed these at distance in the Arctic, but to do it from just a few feet away was amazing. They chase each other around as well as posing just in front of you. You can lie down in the snow or shoot from a sitting position. Both positions offer quite different, but complementary fantastic photographic opportunities. The two Arctic Wolves were taken to a different location and again looked great in natural conditions.
Grey Wolves, Canadian Lynx, Coyote, Red Foxes & Grey Fox
I photographed all of the above. Each shoot took place in a different large enclosure that suited each individual subject. I shot most of these while lying down in the snow. I got some great angles. These small animals all performed really well and were not at all shy and did not attempt to escape at all. One of the Red Foxes was especially photogenic and performed spectacularly around various tree stumps. There is a beautiful reflection pool surrounded by rushes and reeds, where I had a brilliant session with two Grey Wolves.
Siberian Lynx, Fisher, Pine Marten, Bobcat, Badger, Raccoon, Porcupine & Skunk
These complete the line-up of species on offer. On my recce, I spent half the amount of time that you will spend at this location. I did not have any time to photograph any of the above here. I have worked with all of them at other locations and they will all make great options for our photography. Please note that due to health and other considerations, not every single animal housed on the premises can be guaranteed to be available at all times.
Birds of Prey Session
We will spend one morning/afternoon photographing Birds of Prey in woodland surroundings. The birds will be provided by a local rescue centre. All have been involved in an accident of some kind and are not able to fly. The centre’s main aim is to nurse birds back to good health and to release them back into the wild. Those that are not releasable are used for educational purposes. With careful positioning all the birds worked very well. We should have around 5 subjects to work with. On my recce we used a Snowy Owl, a Long Eared Owl, a Barred Owl, a Ferruginous Hawk and a Western Screech Owl. Other birds that may be on offer are Great Horned Owl, Saw-Whet Owl, Barn Owl, Pygmy Owl or Great Grey Owl.
Two Horse Roundup Sessions
We will spend one morning and one afternoon photographing Horses in meadows in two very different natural settings. These horses are very colourful and will be driven by wranglers dressed in traditional western clothes. The Horse Roundup backgrounds have been carefully chosen for their unique beauty while offering authentic settings that would have occurred naturally in the original Wild West. We could well have the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop for one shoot. Add in a covering of snow and you will have some very special photographs to treasure. These sessions far exceeded my expectations and were another highlight of my trip to Kalispell.
Day to Day Format
We are scheduled to have nine different shoots during the first three days. Eight of these sessions will be chosen by the venue and will be with a variety of subjects including at least one large primary species chosen by the venue and one large primary species chosen by me.
On day four we will have three large primary species chosen by me.
On day five we will have a Birds of Prey session and a Horse Roundup session.
On day six we will have a Horse Roundup session
On the next three days we will have eight sessions chosen by the venue. These will not be repeats of the first three days (unless requested) and will include at least one large primary species chosen by the venue
On the next two days there will be optional shoots of any animals chosen by clients. The cost is $150.00 per session.
Included in your basic itinerary are 20 sessions with the animals plus two sessions with the Horses and one session with the Birds of Prey. Extra sessions with animals of your choice are available at your option at $150.00 per person per session. The sessions with each animal will last for forty minutes. If (for any reason) an animal will not perform, then either a substitute animal will be provided or the session will be performed at a later date.
Tips & Tuition
You will be offered help on a regular basis. Shooting in snow may be a technique that is somewhat alien to many of you. It is not that difficult to consistently achieve well exposed images. It is just a matter of learning different priorities to concentrate on in order to expose the snow correctly within your photographs. Snow has detail and texture and should not be over-exposed. All will be regularly explained and a gentle & helpful critique of your photos will be offered on a daily basis.
Good Quality Accommodation
The accommodation included in the package is of a good standard. We will stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Kalispell Montana on a B&B basis. The hotel serves a hot breakfast each morning which will be included in your package. The hotel boasts an indoor heated swimming pool, a hot tub and an exercise room. There’s also free Wi-Fi, a business centre and coin-operated laundry facilities. The rooms have flat-screen TVs, desks, microwaves, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers. The hotel has a complimentary local area shuttle from 05.00 to 23.00 plus a complimentary airport shuttle service to and from Glacier International Airport (14 miles).
Lunches are usually taken “on the hoof” during an hour’s break between shoots. We will make regular visits to a local supermarket the day before in order to buy items for our lunches (not included).
Dinners are at your own expense. We would typically all go out together to a suitable restaurant as a group. There is a large variety of restaurants in Kalispell.
Rooms are on a twin-share basis. Single rooms available at extra cost.
Dates – December 2018;
Day 01; December 09th; Arrive Kalispell.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 02; December 10th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 03; December 11th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 04; December 12th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 05; December 13th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 06; December 14th; AM Birds of Prey Photography. PM Horse Roundup.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 07; December 15th; AM Horse Roundup. PM Free.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 08; December 16th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 09; December 17th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 10; December 18th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 11; December 19th; Weather Day for Optional Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 12; December 20th; Weather Day for Optional Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 13; December 21st; You are free to travel home.
Day 14; December 22nd; Arrive UK
Cost; £4995.00 – Cancellations only
Please register your interest for 2020 or 2021
Included;
All activities listed above to include 20 sessions with the animals, one session with birds and two sessions with horses.
12 nights in hotel on twin-share basis. B&B only.
Allowance for car sharing. One volunteer driver required from within group to make this work.
Hotel has free shuttle service to and from airport, and within Kalispell.
Not Included;
International Flights.
Meals other than breakfasts.
Tips for animal handlers