|
 |
September 21 - October 5, 2025 - Full
2026 Dates coming soon
|
 |
Türkiye (Turkey)!
The Blue Mosque. Ephesus. Goreme. Suleymaniye Mosque. Aphrodisias. Temple of Athena. Troy. Ozkonak Underground City. Cappadocia.
These words evoke mystery – and graphic images of marble columns, caves carved into fairy chimneys, ornate domes over serious worshipers.
|
|
|
|
Turkey is an experience that puts all our senses on alert. The day starts with the gentle, yet persistent call to prayer. The Spice Bazaar overpowers you with so many aromas you may not have previously experienced. And the Grand Bazaar will dazzle you with so many shiny objects and such an array of color. The experience of walking among marble columns that have been standing for centuries is dizzying visually and emotionally. Then there is the sense of poking into centuries-old multi-room cavities, carved from volcanic tuff, and tasked with so many uses – presenting windows through stone into other rooms and a seemingly impossible landscape.
|
|
|
|
Turkey sits at a geographical crossroads. Travelers and great migrations of people and ideas moved through Turkey among the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are here, once the stage for the Garden of Eden. The Silk Road connecting Europe and China ran right through Türkiye. Ancient Greeks and Romans had significant developments here. Populations of early Christians hid in Turkey’s Cappadocia (from Romans, not Muslims) and Ephesus plays a significant role among early Christians and in today’s Bible. The Ottoman Empire played a prominent role in WW1, followed by the establishment of Turkey with a turn to democracy.
Nature played a huge role in how Turkey developed. The ash from two volcanos formed the basis of Cappadocia – the houses, businesses, and churches carved from rock. Ephesus was built on a natural harbor, but human enterprise caused erosion that turned that harbor into a swamp and fostered the malaria that closed down the city. Timber and marble were big exports for Romans and Greeks, although both considered this part of their homeland or empire. The Bosporus is a significant natural channel connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, with people and goods moving all directions. Istanbul straddles the Bosporus and the border between Europe and Asia.
All that history and all that geography and geology come together to create an amazing set of photographic opportunities – and we’d like to share those with you! Join us in the fall of 2025 as we put ourselves in great positions to create photographic art among the treasures of Turkey’s past. |
|
We’ll start in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, a city straddling east and west as the Bosporus marks a strong division running through the center of human development. Our lodgings overlook the famous Blue Mosque. We’ll find some of the world’s most amazing mosques (Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque), the Hippodrome where Roman chariots once raced and looted treasures from far away stand awaiting our cameras, and an underground cistern built by the Romans to store water for the city. The Hagia Sophia was the epicenter of the Eastern Orthodox, remade into a mosque, then a museum, now again a mosque. Don’t forget the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. Be prepared for a lot of walking!
|
|
|
Then we’ll jet away to the interior – Cappadocia! We’ll take lodging in a cave hotel – in rooms carved from volcanic tuff and in use for hundreds of years! From here, we’ll explore a number of communities carved into the eroded tuff deposits – some of them occupied from the vary early centuries of Christian days when hiding was important.
We’ll visit an underground city, carved many layers deep and designed to be invisible and to sustain a prolonged siege. You’ll be amazed at the ingenuity – and the photographic appeal of what we find here. And, yes, there is an optional balloon ride over the improbable Cappadocia landscape.
|
|
|
|
Oh, and we’ll get to photograph inside the production area of an amazing ceramic studio – witnessing both the shaping of vessels and the intricate process of decorating them.
|
|
|
|
After Cappadocia, we’ll photograph our way among the archeological wonders of Sagalassos and Hierapolis as we wind our way toward Aphrodisias. These three sites begin to help us untangle the web of how ancient cities became Greek cities and then Roman cities – and how both the Greeks and Romans left lasting archaeological signatures – which delight our photographic senses.
|
|
We’ll also wander down into Kaklik Cave, a cave carved by highly acidic waters beneath the towering limestone formations of Hieropolis (a bigger and more commercial version of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone).
|
|
|
|
Aphrodisias, itself, may represent the best of Greek marble art, with huge statues and intricate carvings. Here, works were created that ended up all over the Greek world.
|
 |
|
Now, it’s time for the Aegean coast – beginning with Ephesus! We’ll take a long half day to walk downhill through the ruins of this once great city – creating photographic art and recreating in our minds a vision of a vibrant, bustling city. This is card-filling landscape photography, mixed in with close-ups for detail. And the occasional cat sitting on an ancient marble carving. Cats are special here – more about that on the ground! While we’re in the neighborhood, we’ll also visit the Temple of Artemis – once one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
|
|
|
Then, it’s north along the coast to the Acropolis at Pergamum. We could spend a week playing with light, shadows, and starbursts here. So much to see here – and so much to learn about what was once the world’s greatest library.
|
|
|
|
Further north, we’ll find Assos and it’s Temple of Athena. Again, so much to design with – and so many sarcophagi! Bring your sense of design! 
|
|
|
Then we’ll take an afternoon to learn about growing and processing of olive oil, which has been integral to the local economy for many centuries.
Finally, we’ll wind our way through Troy, learning about this fabled city, and creating art. We’ll cross the Dardanelles by ferry to the famous Gallipoli Peninsula and hurry northward to Istanbul for one last grand dinner. You won’t want to leave – you’ll think of so many more things you want to do!
|
|
|
This is a photographic adventure where you’ll need to be in full contact with your inner artist. While recording what you see is certainly worthwhile – our time together will present so many opportunities for interpretive expression! Sunbursts. Reflections. Windows in ancient buildings and in carved structures. Wild angles. Textures in fabric. Details in ceramics. Mosques lit at night. The list goes on!
|
|
|
|
2025 Turkey Photography Adventure
September 21 - October 5, 2025
This adventure begins and ends at the Ataturk International Airport (IST) in Istanbul. All lodging, internal transportation (including domestic flights, vehicle transport, and transfers), English guide services, entrances, preparation materials, and photography guides are included. All breakfasts and most dinners are included. Most lunches are on your own tab.
2025 Rates
$9,100 Each, Double Occupancy
$10,975 Single Occupancy
$1,000 Deposit with Application
$2,500 Due Dec 1, 2024
Balance Due April 1, 2025
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
2024
|
 |
Private
Mara River Crossing
|
We're off to witness the great migration as it encounters the Mara River. The migration follows the noses of wildebeest which tell them where rains are falling. When they encounter the Mara, they are terrified of the crossing. Crocodiles lurk in the waters. Some wildebeest and zebras fall and get trampled. This is a holy grail of wildlife photography! |
|
|
 |
|
Journey with us into the wilds of Ethiopia to visit a number of ethnic groups that have clung to the old ways. We'll learn how each group sees the world differently - and how it shapes their personal actions and looks. We'll make amazing artful images of the peoples, their worlds, and the natural world around them. This is a wild adventure - we'll be journeying to where few people go - and tourism infrastructue is available. Check out the itinerary here. |
|
|
 |
Taking Control in the Mirrorless Era
|
Three days of classroom and field time with migrating waterfowl, bald eagles, and macro opportunities. You'll learn how to take control of your mirrorless camera - and take advantage of new developments in the digital darkroom - to yield images that closely match your intentions in the field! Embrace manual - it's easier that the auto modes - and easier than ever in the mirrorless era!. |
|
|
2025 |
|
|
Three days of classroom and field time with migrating waterfowl, bald eagles, and macro opportunities. You'll learn how to take control of your mirrorless camera - and take advantage of new developments in the digital darkroom - to yield images that closely match your intentions in the field! Embrace manual - it's easier that the auto modes - and easier than ever in the mirrorless era. |
|
|
 |
|
Timed to meet the great migration in the Serengeti, our safari takes you to some of the great parks and protected areas in northern Tanzania in search of lions, zebras, giraffes, cheetah, hyenas... Of all our itineraries, anywhere in the world, this one has the best reviews - and is a real life-changing experience! If you'll only be making one photography foray into sub-Saharan Africa in your life - this is the trip! |
|
|
 |
|
Lions and leopards and cheetahs! Oh my! This two week safari is dedicated to putting us in great positions to photograph cats in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. And, our design lets us "hang out" with the cats until something interesting happens! Timed for when the grasses in the Serengeti are turning green and the game is fat - when cats are in their prime. Read the description and secure your space before its gone. We'll come home with great images and many memories and stories! |
|
|
 |
|
So many birds! Such good photography opportunities. So little physical effort required. Forty percent of the planet's hummingbirds are found in Ecuador. Thirty-seven percent of the tanagers (which don't show up in the Old World at all). Conservation has teamed up with landowners to protect natural cloudforest habitats - and the result is birds sitting on branches predictably in a way you can photograph them. Did we mention Cock-of-the-rock? Or mountain tourcan? Small group so secure your space before it is gone! |
|
|
 |
|
Borneo! Rainforests. Orangutans. Gibbons. Pygmy elephants. Proboscis monkeys. 420 species of birds, including amazing hornbills and kingfishers, brightly colored little birds. Carnivorous plants. Sun bears. The list goes on and on. We've built an itinerary that takes you into the canopy, on trails by foot, on rivers by boat, and out on night safari. This is not an adventure you want to miss! |
|
|
 |
|
Our Drones Photography Group is at it again! Back to Iceland to visit a number of unique sites, looking for great places, away from people, to position our drone cameras to capture unique angles. This time we'll find some great "interior" locations, some thermal features, some wild coastlines, and some exciting rivers. Waterfalls are always part of the game in Iceland - you'll be able to position your drone where no person has ever put a camera before. Bring your drone and come create great art with us! |
|
|
 |
|
Join us in Brazil's Pantanal for a wild adventure that features both jaguars and an amazing array of birds, reptiles, and mammals. The Pantanal is the only place in the world where one can reliably find and photograph jaguars - as they are nocturnal hunters everywhere else. The birds here are fantastic - this is one of our favorite places to photograph flying birds (we can help you build your skills). Add in close-up encounters with giant river otters and so much more. Join us for this wild adventure! |
|
|
 |
|
Turkey sits at a geographical crossroads, which means that, over history, many cultures have passed through Turkey, each leaving a distinct imprint on the culture and the archaeological record. Let's explore some of the great archaeological wonders - while putting ourselves in great positions make exciting art with cameras. Mosques, Fairy Chimneys, Ephasus, Istanbul, Aphrodisia, Pergamum, Assos and so much more. |
|
|
2026 |
 |
|
To sit quietly in a bamboo thicket with a gorilla family, interacting with eye contact, observing, and making compelling images is truly a life changing experience. Venture out into the wilds of Rwanda with a small group to experience photographic encounters with wild gorillas, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, golden monkeys, and much, much more. Fitness level is necessary to accomplish this adventure. Dates are tentative until we secure permits. |
|
|
|
|
Timed to meet the great migration in the Serengeti, our safari takes you to some of the great parks and protected areas in northern Tanzania in search of lions, zebras, giraffes, cheetah, hyenas... Of all our itineraries, anywhere in the world, this one has the best reviews - and is a real life-changing experience! If you'll only be making one photography foray into sub-Saharan Africa in your life - this is the trip! |
|
|
 |
|
Join us in 2026 as we'll explore favorite haunts and add new landings and vistas. Giant tortoises, flightless frigates, 3 kinds of boobies, land and marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals, flamingos, and the northernmost penguin in the world. The list goes on and on! Exciting landscapes. So much to learn about geology, biology, and evolution.Truly an inspiring experience - ties the Serengeti in client feedback as the "most life-changing" experience of their lives. |
|
|
|
|
