Arctic Landscapes and Wildlife

Aug 29 - Sept 4, 2025

This 6-day adventure will take you deep into the remote Arctic environment where we'll photograph stunning mountain landscapes, wildlife, fall colors, Northern Lights, and more! You'll get to spend time with musk oxen and hopefully see caribou as they make their way over mountain passes. We'll travel through the mighty Brooks Range with endless mountain peaks! The trip is limited to 8 participants and 2 instructors and is rated Moderate for physical intensity. The workshop fee includes all transportation, hotels, and photo guiding. Save 10% by joining our Loyalty Program!

Tuition

$3850
Loyalty Members
Save 10%

Max Group Size

4 Students per Instructor
Max 8 Students

Instructor(s)

Ryan McGinty
Wendy Casey

Physical Intensity

Images from the Dalton Highway north of Fairbanks in the state of Alaska during fall season

Highlights

Venture high above the Arctic Circle on this 6-day adventure to experience the incredible wildlife and landscapes of the far north.
Wildlife may include musk oxen, fox, caribou, dall sheep, moose, and more!
Immerse yourself in the grandeur of the mighty Brooks Range surrounded by endless mountain peaks.
We'll cover lots of ground and have many different photo ops planned.
Extend your trip with our Sept 4-10 Alaska Fall Photo Workshop!
With only 8 participants and 2 instructors, we'll ensure everyone gets individual attention and quick access to their gear for wildlife shooting!

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Arctic Landscapes and Wildlife Photo Workshop Alaska

Itinerary

Due to the unpredictability of weather in the high arctic, the itinerary below is subject to change. We will optimize your time to give the best possible photography experience.

Day 1 (Aug 29): Meet at 7PM for our orientation session in Fairbanks, AK. We'll cover detailed logistics and shooting techniques.
Day 2 (Aug 30): Depart after breakfast from Fairbanks, AK to begin our long journey to the north. We photograph the fall colors and rivers along the way, stopping whenever we have good wildlife sightings! We break for lunch at the Arctic Circle and do some short hikes to nice viewpoints. At sunset we photograph blazing tundra colors along an impressive river and then check into our hotel for the night.
Day 3 (Aug 31): After an early breakfast we set out to capture first light on the mountainous landscape before continuing up and over the mighty Brooks Range where we stop to photograph dall sheep and caribou! As we descend the North Slope, the landscape gradually flattens and we find several herds of musk oxen bathed in warm afternoon light. We check in to our hotel near the Arctic Ocean which will be our base for the next two nights.
Day 4 (Sept 1): Today is our open day and we may revisit some of our favorite wildlife and landscape spots depending on where the best conditions are.
Day 5 (Sept 2): We are up early for the return journey, stopping for wildlife and landscape photos all along the way! With a herd of caribou migrating over the pass, we spend additional time up in the Brooks Range. With clear conditions overnight, we venture out after dinner and watch for the aurora borealis.
Day 6 (Sept 3): Today we decide to sleep in since we were out late the night before. We load up the vehicles after breakfast and enjoy many more photo ops on our way back to Fairbanks. We eat dinner as a group at one of our favorite restaurants in town and reminisce on the wonderful experiences we shared together. The lodging package includes the night of Sept 3rd in Fairbanks.
Day 7 (Sept 4): Transfer to Alaska Fall Workshop or return home.

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Alaska Fall Photo Workshop Arctic Wildlife Caribou

What to Expect

Due to the far northern latitude, the weather can be highly variable. We can have warmer temps and beautiful fall colors, or cold temps with early snow blanketing the landscape. No matter what happens, we'll ensure you get the best shots! We will hold a pre-workshop zoom meeting with all participants to ensure you are setup for success.

Trip is rated Moderate for physical difficulty since we will be doing some short hikes from the vehicles over rough terrain. We won't be doing any more than 1-2 miles per day. You should be comfortable carrying your own photo gear. Knee-high muck boots are recommended due to the boggy nature of the tundra.

We expect to encounter lots of wildlife during our journey. We've been able to photograph musk oxen, moose, caribou, and ptarmigan every year we've been there. Other species such as red foxes, lynx, grizzly bear, dall sheep, otters, swans, and snowy owls are occasionally seen. Having 2 camera bodies will really help as you won't have to keep changing lenses for landscape shots vs wildlife shots. Please note this is NOT a birding-focused workshop.

With a small group of 8 participants, we'll have plenty of room to spread out along with quick access to our gear. This is really important since we need to respond quickly when we spot wildlife.

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Logistics

Plan to arrive at the gateway hotel in Fairbanks no later than 7PM on Aug 29th. There is no need for you to rent a car as the hotel provides free shuttle service to/from the airport.
Lodging in the Arctic is in short supply and has bee pre-paid for our group. At checkout you will select between double or single occupancy and the cost of lodging will be added to your booking. See the Pricing Section for details.
We highly recommend Travel Insurance to cover any non-refundable fees or medical coverage during the workshop. There is always a chance that extreme weather will make it unsafe to drive. If that were to happen, our itinerary could be delayed or modified. Situations like this are beyond our control.
We will have satellite communication devices in the event of an emergency since there is little to no cell signal.
For meals, we will be stopping at restaurants and dining areas whenever possible. You will be able to stock up on snacks before we leave Fairbanks. Note that food is not included in the workshop fee.
If skies are clear in the evening, we'll be watching for the Northern Lights. Being this far north, we can often see the aurora even with low Kp activity. But bear in mind the skies will not be fully dark until later in the season.

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Musk Oxen Arctic Wildlife and Landscapes Photo Workshop

Pricing

$3850/person + Tax

Save 10% by Joining our Loyalty Program

Trip Includes:

All ground transportation.
In-Field photography instruction with 2 pro instructors.
Post-processing and image critique
A 6-night lodging package will be added to your booking. Cost is $800 for double or $1600 for single occupancy.
Pre-workshop zoom meeting

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Fairbanks, AK.
Meals, snacks, and beverages.
Hotel charges if we must spend an additional night in the Arctic due to inclement weather. We highly recommend Trip Insurance!
Instructor Gratuities

When you complete the checkout process, you will be given the option to either pay the full amount or put down a 50% deposit. If you pay the deposit, we'll send you a payment link approx 120 days from departure for the remaining balance. See the full Terms and Conditions.

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Recommended Camera Gear

Sturdy tripod and ballhead
Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body. Two camera bodies will help reduce the number of lens changes.
Fast wide angle lens in the 14-35mm range. We recommend a lens that is f/2.8 or faster for night photography.
Mid-range zoom lens in the range of 24-100mm.
Telephoto lenses will come in handy for landscape compression and wildlife encounters. We recommend a lens in the 100-200mm range for landscapes. A 100-400mm lens is ideal for both landscapes/wildlife. You may want something longer than 400mm for wildlife.
Circular polarizer filters
Extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies.
Remote cord for your camera.
Rain cover for your camera/lens and backpack to protect against high winds and precipitation.
Camera backpack you can use while hiking.
Drone camera for aerial photography (optional but highly recommended).
Laptop if you wish to backup your photos

Personal Gear List

Waterproof outer shell jacket and rain pants.
Warm layers like fleece jackets, down jackets, etc.
Warm hat and gloves.
Knee-high muck boots for boggy terrain
Sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hat.
Water bottle and or thermos

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Trusted by Over 900 Reviews

Ryan McGinty

Photography Instructor

Ryan McGinty is a seasoned landscape photographer living in the Palouse area of southeastern Washington. His first-hand experience in this unique agricultural area makes him the perfect instructor to lead people to out-of-the-way places for those once-in-a-lifetime rainbows, sunsets and sunrises in the beautiful rolling hills. He loves chasing the light and diligently checks weather apps to get the latest sun and rain predictions, cloud formations, wind and temperatures for the best locations and light.

His interest in photography started at an early age and continued in college with graduate work at Brooks Institute of Photography. His experience in portrait, wedding, film, and medium and large format photography give him an extraordinary background for his award-winning landscape photography.

His passion for the Palouse is only exceeded by his passion for photography and his desire to show people his favorite places. He takes a legitimate interest in his clients and strives hard to ensure they get the best shots. His photographs have been published in books, calendars and travel guides.

Wendy Casey

Photography Instructor

Wendy is proud to be a Utah Native and began hiking and camping with her parents at a very young age. She has many fond memories hiking to amazing viewpoints and taking in the grandeur that is Utah. Her interest in photography began in the 80’s where she made her film images come to life in a darkroom.

She now enjoys the creativity of the digital world by photographing a wide range of interests, from Landscape, Wildlife, Portraits, to Sports. Her favorite is capturing epic scenery with a human interest.

When Wendy and her husband Randy are not at home on their farm, they are out on a trail somewhere, exploring, photographing and creating videos of their adventures. Wendy has a lot of experience with horses on their ranch and will be an instructor on some of our wild horse and ranch workshops.

Over the years, she has participated in many art shows. Her local favorites are the Kimball Arts, Park City Art Festival and Midway Swiss Days. She has shipped her art around the world and has her work hanging throughout the state in hospitals, clinics and many large and small businesses. Her images have also been featured in and on the covers of local magazines.

Wendy loves to help others develop their passion for photography and capture through the viewfinder, winning scenes to last forever and an epic story to go with it.