7-Day Owl, Bird & Mammal Photography Workshop & Tour
We are dedicated to making your owl, bird & mammal photography workshop & tour the best possible experience you can have.
Our aim is to create a unique and unforgettable photography adventure that immortalizes your special days spent near Sax-Zim Bog and Duluth, MN. After all, if you are braving the Minnesota winter and the cold weather it brings, you should have a very rewarding experience.
Our ultimate goal is to go beyond the expected and deliver a stunning representation of your photography workshop & tour.
Stunning Photography Experience & Images
A Personalized Approach to Wildlife Photography
Adventure through the winter of northern Minnesota, alongside an Award-winning wildlife photographer as your photography guide and instructor. On this photography workshop & tour, designed for photographers of all levels, you will focus on producing unique great gray (grey) owl imagery while sharpening your photographic mindset and skills. This is the greatest place in the United States for great gray (grey) owls. Some say even the best place in the world. If it were up to us, we would go with best place on Earth! But don't forget about the other owls like the northern hawk owl, barred owl & boreal owl, plus all the other birds and mammals you can photograph too!! There will also be many opportunities each day to photography birds such as the boreal chickadee and pine grosbeak, and mammals such as the ermine, pine marten and snowshoe hare.
Animal sightings include, but not limited to:
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Black-billed Magpie
Black-backed Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Black Wolf
Bobcat
Boreal Chickadee
Boreal Owl
Canada Jay
Common Redpolls
Evening Grosbeak
Ermine
Golden Eagle
Gray Fox
Great Gray Owl
Mink
Moose
Northern Goshawk
Northern Hawk Owl
Northern Shrike
Pine Grosbeak
Pine Marten
Pileated Woodpecker
Porcupine
Red Crossbills
Red Fox
Snow Bunting
Snowy Owl
Snowshoe Hare
Three-toed Woodpecker
Timberwolf
And many more!
Activity level: Easy. The vast majority of the photographs will be taken in close proximity to the vehicle. If desired, the ability to hike approximately 1 mile throughout the day for short excursions to different areas.
This owl photography tour is not limited to photographers. Anyone interested in seeing owls and other wildlife up-close are welcome to join the tour. Camera phones are acceptable for travel companions, but consumer photography gear is not. Travel companions will pay only $1000, instead of the $1500 for additional photographers in your group. Due to the proximity to wildlife, pets are not allowed on the photography workshop. Thank you for understanding.
Ethical and Responsible Birding Practices
We adhere strictly to ethical wildlife guidelines. During this workshop, we will not feed, bait, lure, call, or otherwise disturb the owls or any animals we photograph. Our priority is always the well-being of the wildlife and the integrity of their natural behavior.
Tour groups are limited to 5 people. The small group size will allow everyone plenty of room for personal space and photographic gear. It will also allow plenty of time for One-on-One photographic instruction if requested. The majority of our animal encounters will be right near the road. You may find the need to walk along the road to get into a better position, but it won't be through deep snow unless you want to do a short hike. We are never very far from the vehicle, so you can return at any time if it gets too cold. Most of the day will be spent traveling back and forth along various sections of the roads, or driving to sections where wildlife have just been spotted.
Groups of 4 or more can be accommodated and should contact me directly to make reservations.
Private workshops or tours are also an option. Message for details.
Highlights
★ A unique photography experience
★ A chance to photograph great gray (grey) owls, snowy owls and other birds and animals in their natural habitat
★ Small group size to allow for individual instruction
★ Additional days may be added to any photography tour. The rate is dependent upon how many photographers are in your group.
★ A portion of the proceeds from each photography tour is donated to help protect snowy owls and great grey owls. The donation will be made in my late brother‘s name.
★ We have spent 2 decades scouting locations to help maximize the time spent taking pictures. All owls are wild, and as such, no guarantee can be made that owls will be present. However, every time we have had a tour, we have seen owls in multiple locations.
★ Participants should meet for pickup at the Duluth, MN (DLH) airport. Pick up and drop off at Minneapolis Airport (MSP) available for $350.
Sample Itinerary
• Arrive Sunday afternoon/night in Duluth, MN
• Breakfast at the hotel Monday - Friday
• Depart hotel 30 minutes prior to sunrise
• Shoot all morning until lunch
• Lunch
• Shoot all afternoon until sunset
• Travel back to hotel
• Dinner
• Meet for 1 hour review of photography and group discussion or free time
• Fly out on Saturday
What is included:
★ 5 full days of photographing owls, other birds and various wildlife
★ Airport transfer to/from Duluth, MN airport
★ Airport pickup in MSP can be arranged
★ Daily transportation to/from photography sites
★ Professional instruction before, during and after daily photography excursions
★ Group photography discussion and review
★ Tours are rain, snow or shine
What is not included:
• Travel arrangements to/from Duluth, MN
• Hotel accommodations
• Meals
• Photography gear
• Winter clothing
• Travel insurance
• Hotel incidentals and sundries
What to expect after registering:
• After your deposit is processed, you will receive a Booking Confirmation Email that has Hotel Information, including discount codes and direct links, as well as Airport Information and Meal Information
• 120 days prior to the workshop, the remaining amount is due, and you will receive the 120 Day Email that includes Things to Bring, Airport Pick up Information, as well as my Cold Weather Photography Checklist
• 30 days prior to the workshop, you will receive the 30 Day Email that includes What to Pack, Travelling with Photography Gear, and Pick up Information again.
• 3 days prior to the workshop, you will receive a quick email to touch base that includes the Airport Pick up Information, and my Contact Information, again.
Pricing
Amazing discount for 2 or more in the group, or combining with another tour.
A group of 2 - 3 photographers is only an additional $1500 for each photographer over the single photographer rate. I don't charge full price for each additional photographer in your group like other guides. I don't think it is right to do so for groups. Groups larger than 3 will have additional discounts applied.
Plus, I give a $250 off coupon for 1 photographer, or a $500 off coupon for 2 photographers, if you attend another workshop. If you are doing the 2 owl workshops back-to-back, you can add a 1 day stop to photograph up to a dozen short-eared owls in Wisconsin for $200.
Owl, Bird & Mammal Workshop or Tour
$1899
★ 5 full days of photographing owls, other birds and various wildlife
★ Airport transfer to/from Duluth, MN airport
★ Airport pickup in MSP can be arranged
★ Daily transportation to/from photography sites
★ Professional instruction before, during and after daily photography excursions
★ Group photography discussion and review
★ Tours are rain, snow or shine
★ Private tours are an option. Contact for details.
To reserve a place on the Tour, a 50% deposit is required at the time of reservation. As lined out in the Tour Terms, full payment will be due on or before 120 days from the Tour commencement date. Your deposit is non-transferable and refundable up to 120 days prior to the Tour commencement date. The Total Payment is due in full at least 120 days from the Tour commencement date (the “Payment Due Date”).
Our focus is capturing images of owls, birds and mammals at the best location in the United States. Join us for this one-of-a-kind photographic adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions - Minnesota
RECOMMENDED PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT:
- A DSLR camera or a mirrorless camera.
- Cover to protect camera & lens from winds & precipitation. Very cheap clear plastic covers are fine.
- A sturdy tripod with a gimbal head, or a monopod if preferred.
- A wide-angle lens (14-24 mm or 24-70) ONLY needed if you want to take landscape photos.
- A telephoto lens for wildlife photos, such as 100-500, 200-500, 150-600, 400mm f/2.8, 600mm f/4 or 800mm f/5.6.
- A good camera backpack suitable for traveling on the airplanes.
- Batteries, cleaning kit, and memory cards.
- Laptop - if you wish to backup your photos.
A more comprehensive list is sent after registration.
CLOTHING RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Minnesota Photography Workshop or Tour will take place during the winter season, and we recommend following the guidelines for appropriate clothing to withstand low temperatures.
- TEMPERATURE: The average temperatures in Minnesota:
- December is 25° F / 11° F | -3.8° C / -11.6° C
- January is 20° F / 4° F | -6.6° C / -15.5° C
- February is 26° F / 9° F | -3.3° C / -12.7° C
- FOOTWEAR:
- Feet - Wool socks, with or without optional sock liner.
- Boots - Winter boots (waterproof snow boots)
- Foot warmers or heated socks (optional, for those who feel very cold).
- UPPER CLOTHING:
- Base layer - Thermal shirt
- Mid Layer - Sweater or fleece pullover (brands like The North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, or similar)
- Outer Layer - Down jacket suitable for temperatures below zero
- Additional Layers
- – Waterproof/windproof jacket
- – Neck gaiter
- – Electric heated gloves
- – Handwarmers
- – Stocking hats for the head
- LOWER CLOTHING:
- Base Layer - Thermal leggings
- Mid Layer - Pants
- Outer Layer - Waterproof snow pants (insulated pants for skiing or snowboarding).
A more comprehensive list is sent after registration.
FLIGHTS & DOCUMENTATION
Flights to Minneapolis
Round-trip flights to Duluth International Airport (DLH). Arrival on the Sunday of your workshop, then photography for 5 days (Monday-Friday), and your departing flight on Saturday.
Documentation
Please make sure you have proper documentation for traveling to the United States or within the United States.
GRATUITY
Gratuity - Typically we receive 10%-15% for workshops, some tip a little less and some tip twice that amount. It just depends on people's financial situations.
About 7 Foot Photographer
Click to read Greg's story.
Photos Taken By Clients On Recent Owl Workshops/Tours
Love from clients!
Snowy Owl Tour
Click here to view the Snowy Owl Photography Workshop & Tour page.
Alaska Bear Tour
Click here to view the Alaska Bearl Photography Workshop & Tour page.
Alaska Bald Eagle Tour
Click here to view the Alaska Bald Eagle Photography Workshop & Tour page.
Osprey & Roseate Spoonbill Tour
Click here to view the Osprey & Roseate Spoonbill Photography Workshop & Tour page.
Contact
Not quite ready to register for the Owl, Bird & Mammal Workshops & Tours? Fill out this Contact Form and we will reply as soon as possible.
7 Foot Photographer
Portraits in the Midwest - Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and Missouri; Fine Art Prints; Photography Workshop Tours: Owl, Bird & Mammal Workshop Tour in Sax-Zim Bog & Duluth, Minnesota, Snowy Owl Workshop Tour in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Bald Eagle Workshop Tours in Iowa and Haines, Alaska, and Bear Workshop Tour near Brooks Camp, Katmai & Kodiak, Alaska.
Social Profiles