Professional Wildlife Photography at a Specialist Game Reserve in Montana
Photograph at a Venue used by the World’s Top Professional Photographers
– February 2024
This tour will provide you with the privilege of photographing a wonderful selection of wildlife at a specialist professional photography reserve 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 Wolf Pack and the Tiger. The fences are no more than three feet high and are only there to let the animals 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. 2024 is some time away but I wanted to lead this tour at the optimum time for snow-covered ground. January and February are considered to be the optimum two months of the winter period. These were not available until 2024.
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 early 2024 rather than before. 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 middle of January. 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 $175 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 more than three weather days in January/February 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.
Very Successful trips in 2018 & 2022
Photographers on Safari returned to this venue for our first trip with clients in December 2018 and then again in 2022. They were both amazingly successful trips. The vast majority of the clients attending said that the tiger session was the best 40 minutes of photography that they had ever done – anywhere in the world. The trainers really do an amazing job with the animals. It is incredible to see the love that both the trainers and the animals have for each other. The animals continually do their utmost to earn the trainer’s praise at all times. They love to perform for them, which also means they also perform well for the photographers too. The Snow Leopard, Puma (with cub), Bear, Wolves, Foxes, Coyote and Lynx were all exceptional. We photographed no less than 20 scheduled sessions during our time there and photographers then picked no less than 18 extra sessions to do during our free days/afternoons. A true measure of how well the individual shoots produced. I was allowed a totally free hand to pick our subjects, something I really did not expect to be able to do. Each year there were two animals that had small health issues at the time. These were off-limits, but I had my pick of all the other animals on-site. It will be exactly the same in 2024. I was also given a list of all the Birds of Prey at the local centre. Once again, I hand-picked the most photogenic subjects. This was another very special shoot.
********************************************************************************************
Click here to view the Gallery
********************************************************************************************
Snow Leopard on a hillside location
If the Tiger 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. There is also a fantastic second location where we can get very different shots of this wonderful cat. In 2022 we used two separate Snow Leopards in two separate locations. These sessions were stunning.
Grizzly Bear and Wolf Pack
These two animals complete the list of the large primary animal species on offer. The Snow Leopard can be photographed in two very different settings. We were shooting over a three to four feet tall fence which made absolutely no difference to the quality of our photography. Both animals often came to within a few feet of us and performed brilliantly. They loved to jump out from behind logs, rocks or trees and jump high to try to catch a piece of deer hide that the handler was snatching away at the last moment. We were shooting them while they was jumping several feet above the ground, and we got some amazing shots with all four feet pointing in all directions. The Wolf Pack performed incredibly well. They continually chased each other about all round the enclosure and there was quite a bit of play-fighting that looked really aggressive. These guys were a firm favourite of the photography group.
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 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 6 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.
Sadly, the venue can no longer provide sessions with the Amur Tiger and the Siberian Tiger
In 2021 the venue lost its animal handlers that had worked there for many years. The Amur leopard and the Siberian Tiger were imprinted on one of these trainers. The new trainers have continued to work well with all the other animals located here but despite huge efforts from the new trainers these two subjects have not responded safely to their commands. Therefore these two cats will not be used on this tour. The recent Big Cat Public Safety Act prohibits the use of animals that were not previously registered. This prevents replacement animals being used. It also prevents further breeding of any captive big cats, so photographing Snow Leopards, Lions, Jaguars, Mountain Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards in the USA will gradually cease to be allowed.
Day to Day Format
We are scheduled to have ten different shoots during the first four days. Seven of these sessions will be chosen from a variety of subjects that appear on the primary Species List. I can also choose subjects from the Secondary Species List and the Young Species List. There will also be three sessions with the Large Primary Species.
During these four days some of the group will shoot some of the extra sessions that they have chosen in addition to those scheduled. The cost of extra sessions is $175.00 per client per animal. You are free to choose any available animal at the venue for these extra sessions.
On day five we will have a morning Birds of Prey session and an afternoon Horse Roundup session.
On day six we will have a morning Horse Roundup session at a different venue and there will be some extra animal sessions that clients have chosen in the afternoon.
On days 7 to 10 we will again have have ten different shoots. None will be the same as the first 4 days. They will all be different animals, or maybe some of the very best animals for a second time – but in different locations. Seven of these sessions will be chosen from a variety of subjects that appear on their primary Species List. I can also choose subjects from the Secondary Species List and the Young Species List. There will also be three sessions with the Large Primary Species. During these 4 days there will again be optional extra shoots of any animals chosen by clients at $175.00 per session.
Day 11 is an extra day to ensure that we can complete all extras chosen by clients. It is also there in case we have been unfortunate enough to lose a day due to bad weather. In 2018 we opted to only shoot one session on a very dull day. This extra day meant that everything worked out perfectly for us. In 2022 we had one day without photography, but all sessions were completed comfortably within our allotted timescale.
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 $175.00 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 again 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.
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. Several of these are within easy walking distance from our hotel. There are companies that will deliver food to the hotel if you fancy a quiet night in.
Rooms are on a twin-share basis. Single rooms available at extra cost.
Dates – February 2024
Day 00; February 12th; Arrive Kalispell. Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 01; February 13th; Free day allowing for time to recover from flights.
Also time to visit outdoor clothing store and food store.
Full briefing and photography advice.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 02; February 14th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 03; February 15th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 04; February 16th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 05; February 17th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 06; February 18th; AM Birds of Prey Photography. PM Horse Roundup.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 07; February 19th; AM Horse Roundup. PM Free.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 08; February 20th; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 09; February 21st; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 10; February 22nd; Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 11; February 23rd; Weather Day for Optional Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 12; February 24th; Weather Day for Optional Animal Photography.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express B&B
Day 13; February 25th; You are free to travel home.
Day 14; February 26th; Arrive UK
Estimated Cost; £6395.00
– There may be a small increase. To be confirmed shortly.
Included;
All activities listed above to include 20 sessions with the animals, one session with birds and two sessions with horses.
13 nights in hotel on twin-share basis. B&B only. Single rooms may be available at extra cost if stipulated when paying your deposit.
All transport between hotel and the various photography locations.
Not Included;
International Flights.
Meals other than breakfasts.
Tips for animal handlers