Awards and Media Coverage
International Photography Awards 2024
The image "Bear in Fog" by David Swindler was awarded first place in the Professional Nature Category in the prestigious International Photography Awards, also known as the Lucie Awards. Image was captured during our Alaska Brown Bears Workshop.
David Swindler's image from the badlands of Central Utah received a Gold Award in the International Epson Pano Awards in 2024. Image captured during our Utah Badlands Drone Workshop.
Siena International Drone Awards 2024
David Swindler was a finalist in the 2024 Siena International Drone Awards with his image entitled "Channeled." This was a 20 shot stitched pano taken over some unique erosion patterns in the desert. As early mathematicians discovered, nature speaks the language of fractals. Even in the seemingly mundane processes like water erosion, the hand of fractal geometry guides the flow. What appears as mere channels carved into the earth takes on a transcendent beauty when viewed from up high. If you want to capture better aerial photos, join us on a Drone Focused Workshop today!
Siena International Awards 2023
David Swindler's image "Epic Grab" received the Remarkable Artwork award in the 2023 Siena International Photo Competition. Image was captured during our Alaska Brown Bears Workshop.
International Photography Awards
David Swindler's portfolio "The Desert From Above" was awarded 2nd place in the 2022 International Photo Awards! As part of his award, he was invited to attend the Lucie Awards Gala in New York City. Several other of his portfolios received honorable mentions in the competition.
International Pano Awards 2022
Two of David Swindler's panoramic images placed in the Top 50 of the prestigious Epson International Pano Awards! The first image was of Lathe Arch taken during our Eastern Sierras Workshop! The second was a shot taken during a full moonset during our Winter Horse Ranch Workshop. Click the link above to view the winning images!
Sienna International Drone Awards
Three of David Swindler's aerial images were recognized in the Siena International Drone Awards in 2022! The first image was taken over a geothermal pool in Iceland, the second image was of wildflowers blooming in the Utah Badlands, and the third image was colorful badland striations in Northern Arizona.
International Photography Awards - Top 5 Images
David Swindler's image "Lightning Rainbow" was selected as a Top 5 Image in the International Photography Awards One Shot Competition. "This is the work most in line with the theme of this competition, which pressed the shutter at the best point of position, time and composition. It's a rainbow, and it's also like a celestial body close to the earth." - Tang Jiongming
Great Outdoors 2021 - 2nd Place Winner
David Swindler's image "Lunar Horses" won the 2021 2nd Place Award in Outdoor Photographer's Great Outdoors Photo Contest! “We got up extra early with a vision to capture the horses and riders with the full moon. We found the perfect spot and began to wait until the moon was in the right place, but then the moon disappeared behind a bank of thin clouds near the horizon. We were afraid we might have lost it for good. Then the clouds started to color up, and the moon descended below the cloud bank for one last appearance. It was a magical moment and one we’ll all remember for a long time!”
Great Outdoors 2020 - Grand Prize Winner
David Swindler's image "Skiing the North" won the 2020 Grand Prize Award in Outdoor Photographer's Great Outdoors Photo Contest! The image was taken during a backcountry ski outing deep in the Canadian Rockies. Adding the person in the shot added the perfect amount of scale.
Nature's Colors 2021 - 3rd Place Winner
David Swindler's image "Colorful Bends" won the 2021 3rd Place Award in Outdoor Photographer's Nature's Colors Photo Contest! “One thing I love about fall is how quickly the weather can change. On this day, the fall colors were popping, and the vibrant trees complemented the glacial blue bends of this river nicely. You can never take it for granted—that night it all changed as snow fell, and the fall colors all but disappeared.”
2020 International Landscape Photographer of the Year - Top 101
The International Landscape Photographer of the Year is a highly acclaimed photo contest open to all genres of landscape photography. With a comprehensive point system, they rank all submissions and the top 101 get included in their annual book. Congrats to David Swindler, as three of his images made it into the top 101! Click here to see the book and the winning photos!
National Geographic Nature Photography Contest
David Swindler's image "Meandering Canyon" won the People's Choice Award in the National Geographic Nature Photography Contest! It was also selected by the DailyMail as one of the best images entered into the competition. Click to read the full article.
NBC Today Show - See Us On National TV!
Come watch us on National TV as a reporter from NBC was able to fulfill her dream of hiking to the Wave! In this piece, David Swindler talks about his business Action Photo Tours along with all the many amazing areas we are surrounded by in the Southwest USA.
2020 Sony World Photography Awards
David Swindler's aerial shot of wildflowers blooming in the Utah Badlands was selected as a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition in the Creative Category!
View the Gold Award image by David Swindler in the 2020 Epson Pano Awards! He also received silver and bronze recognition for several other images. With an international focus, this is one of the most prestigious photo contests of the year with many amazing entries!
2020 Traveler Photographer of the Year Award (TPOTY)
This image by David Swindler called "Rushing Enclosure" received a special mention award in the 2020 Traveler Photography of the Year Contest! It was taken near Mt Rainier as a vertical pano of 5 different shots (single exposure for each).
2019 International Landscape Photographer of the Year - Top 101
The International Landscape Photographer of the Year is a highly acclaimed photo contest open to all genres of landscape photography. With a comprehensive point system, they rank all submissions and the top 101 get included in their annual book. Congrats to David Swindler, as two of his images made it into the top 101! Click here to see the book and the winning photos!
2021 Conde Nast Traveler Magazine
Three of David Swindler's images were featured in the March 2021 Edition of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine to showcase the diversity of landscapes on our planet. The first image are the frozen methane bubbles from Abraham Lake, the second is an aerial shot from the Utah Badlands, and the final one is from Heaps Canyon in Zion National Park!
Outdoor Photographer Nature's Colors
This aerial abstract image was selected as a contest finalist! Click the link to view all finalists and the winners.
Outdoor Photographer Nature's Colors
One of our images was selected as a finalist for Outdoor Photographer's Nature's Colors Photo Contest. The image was used to promote the next year's competition!
Shoutout Arizona - Meet David Swindler
Read David Swindler's interview with Shoutout Arizona where he talks about how he started Action Photo Tours and the keys behind the success of the company. He discusses his background and how it led him towards a career in photography. He discusses the journey behind growing the business and the challenges he faced along the way along with the value of creating a recognizable brand. The value of teamwork and collaboration is also of high importance.
Landscape Photography Podcast - David Swindler
David Swindler joins David Johnston on the Landscape Photography Podcast where they discuss their approach to photography. In addition, David discusses what motivated him to start Action Photo Tours and how he turned his passion into a successful business.
Photography Masterclass - Slot Canyons
In this article, David Swindler gives his favorite tips for shooting stunning images in slot canyons. David discusses the logistics behind visiting slots canyons, what kind of camera gear you need, and many tips for compositions. Click on the photo or link above for the full article.
Understand Photography: Shooting Wildlife With a Landscape Focus
David Swindler was a guest on the Understand Photography Podcast/Videocast. When photographing wildlife, he really like to show the animal in the context of its surrounding environment. This technique tells a much more powerful story and helps the viewer understand where the animal lives, how it behaves, and how their presence complements the beautiful landscape. Join David to learn the tips and tricks for photographing wildlife with a landscape focus along with many of his favorite wildlife photography suggestions.
Interview with Iceland Photo Tours
If you can change your perception, then you can change the world. For American landscape photographer, David Swindler, picking up a camera has allowed him to see the world in many different ways.
Interview for F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast
Matt Payne interviews David for episode 31 of his podcast. They cover many topics including using failure as a teacher, finding a good composition, and impactful moments in landscape photography. Click to listen to the entire audio.
Daily Mail - Utah's Stunning Landscapes
This fun article by the Daily Mail features David's photos from Southern Utah. Most of the photos include people to help connect the viewers to the incredible landscape. Click on the photo or link above the full article. .
David does an interview for VoyagePhoenix, a website that showcases local small businesses and artists. Click to read the interview.
Brad Spiess writes an informative article on his blog about his overnight photography adventure to White Pocket.
Etched Magazine - Exploring the Paria River Canyon
Come see the stunning scenery tucked away under the towering canyon walls of the Paria River Canyon. This article showcases a 3-day journey through this remarkable part of the Arizona Strip. Click on the photo or link above the full article.
View-On Magazine: David Swindler & Action Photo Tours
This informative article discusses David Swindler's background, his love for photography, and how he came to start his company Action Photo Tours. click on the photo or link above for the full article.
View-On Magazine: The Mystery of White Pocket
Read this informative article on White Pocket and what makes this area so unique. David Swindler's images were used for the article to highlight some of the bizarre features the area is known for.
Peekaboo Slot Canyon News Clip
This clip aired on the largest news station in France and shows a photo tour through one of the slot canyons near Kanab. Several tour participants were interviewed and a lot of beautiful footage was captured. Click on the photo or link above for the full footage, in French.
Tamrac Q&A with David Swindler
Tamrac, a manufacturer of quality photo accessories and gear, featured David on their blog. Learn what the top 3 things he has learned in becoming a photographer. Click on the photo or link above the full article.
The show At Your Leisure produced a short clip about Action Photo Tours. See first hand the terrain David and the guides drive through during their photo tours. The clip contains many interview segments with David. Click on the photo or link above for the full video.
Daily Mail - Polar Bears Chasing Our Boat!
Watch this entertaining video clip as some curious young polar bears swim after our boat during a photo tour. We kept moving away but they would only swim faster! Click on the photo or link above for the full video.
Daily Mail - The Amazing Polar Bears of Alaska
This article is full of David's impressive polar bear photos from Alaska's North Coast. See the bears playing, dancing, standing tall, chasing food, or just relaxing. It's great to see how personable these bears can be. Click on the photo or link above for the full article.
Article Mott - David Swindler's Landscape Photography
Produced by Article Mott, this piece features many of David's landscape photographs. Learn more as he tells the story behind his captures. The article is in spanish, but can be easily translated. Click on the photo or link above for the full article.
Phototips - 8 Essential Tips for Bear Photography
Join photographer David Swindler as he expounds on his 8 most important tips for photographing bears, his favorite wildlife subject. He has lots of experience photographing both polar bears and brown bears in Alaska. Click on the photo or link above for the full article.
Liz Adair Blog - All About David Swindler
Liz Adair is an award-winning fiction writer best known for her work about life in the desert. In this piece, she interviews David about his inspirations and photography. Click on the photo or link above the full article.
British Telecommunications - Bighorn Sheep Car Wash
This entertaining video clip shows bighorn sheep giving dirty cars a tongue-licking wash! And David was there to document it all!! Click on the photo or link above for the full video.
