Utah Road Trip ~ January 3-8, 2028

August 3, 2026

For this road trip I’d like to further explore the area of southeast Utah, more specifically Factory Butte and surrounding areas. On my last few visits, I explored the butte area, Bentonite hills area, and so much more… I saw incredible patterns and textures, unique formations that beckoned me. I thought the entire trip was amazing. I also thought that there was so much more to explore, but I didn’t have the chance. I am going back again for my fourth visit and taking clients.

Trip start date: January 3rd (we leave on the 8th) 10 photo sessions.

During this trip we will drive to many of the BLM areas and parks in the area. Everyone will be responsible for driving their own car, park fees, meals and lodging. Before each shoot, I will go over gear selection, area specifics, drive times, directions, photo suggestions, etc. Everyone will follow me to each shooting location unless you decide to venture out on your own. There is so much to explore in this area. Drones are welcomed at a lot of our shooting areas, but not absolutely necessary if you don’t have one.

The Utah Badlands feature some of the most distinctive rock formations in the world. From towering spires to intricate hoodoos, these natural wonders are a testament to millions of years of geological history. This area is also unique in that there are so many completely different areas of interest within driving range. With the myriad of formations and patterns, the photographic opportunities are endless. We will go out for sunrise and sunset daily, capturing pockets of light and color whenever possible. Our goal is to photograph and see as much of the area as possible during our 5 night adventure.

Itinerary:

Day 1 (January 3rd)

Meet & Greet at hotel at 2:00pm followed by a late afternoon photo shoot.

Day 4, 5, 6, 7

Sunrise/morning photo shoot, then return back to the hotel for a break. If the weather permits we will stay out later. We will need to be flexible to make the most of our trip.

Late afternoon /sunset photo shoot All of our shooting locations will be determined based on light and weather and this could change from day to day.

Day 5 (January 8th)

We will have a morning photo shoot before saying our goodbyes.

Dates: January 3-8, 2028

Price: $2200.00

10 photo sessions. Ride/share is available at an additional cost and on a first serve basis.

Participants will need to rent a 4x4 vehicle for this trip. Meals, lodging, transportation is not included. Please note that you can bring your RV, but you will need a 4x4 car also.

*A detailed file with hotel, airport, car, clothing and gear suggestions will be sent once our entire group is together.

TO SIGN UP CLICK HERE.

Swan Island Dahlia Farm Photography Workshop

July 30, 2026

A Creative Adventure ~ Swan Island Dahlia Farm Oregon ~ Photography Workshop Limit 10, $2299.00

Join award winning photographer Donna Bourdon at the world renowned Swan Island Dahlia Farm in Canby Oregon (just south of Portland) for a great learning and photography experience. Swan Island features more than 40 acres with over 350 varieties of dahlias in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes, making it one of the largest growers in the United States. Here we will have a slightly early and late access at peak time for the blooms.

*Donna Bourdon has been growing dahlias for over 30 years and she is a member of the American Dahlia Society and the Tennessee Dahlia Society.

Meet & Greet September 2nd @ our hotel lobby at 8pm.

We will enjoy five morning and four afternoon photography sessions and one working seminar afternoon, featuring tips and techniques for processing your images in Photoshop and Lightroom with lots of creative ideas and sharing. While we will do most of our photography at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm, we will also visit the Portland Rose Garden on this workshop (Yay!). The in-the-field instruction will include seeing the situation, the use of selective focus, creative use of depth of field, histogram and exposure guidance, designing creative images, choosing your background, isolating your subject, lens options, and the use of reflectors and diffusers. Our field sessions will also include challenging photography assignments and/or themes, geared to get you out of your comfort zone. I hope that you can join Donna for a creative learning experience with some of the best flower photography to be had in North America.

Daily Photo Schedule:

Morning shoot 7:00am-10:00am -(we will arrive before the fields open and shoot on the outskirts with the sun at our back. Afterwards, we will park inside the gates and explore the flower fields!)

Morning break

Lunch @ noon with clients Image Review Daily

SEMINAR AFTERNOON- We will have one afternoon between shooting times to do a Photoshop and Lightroom Demonstration. Donna will share her processing tips and techniques during this 2 hour seminar.

Afternoon shoot 3:30pm-6:30pm (5:30-6:30-private time in the gardens with just our group, we will have access to areas that others do not!)

Portland Rose Garden day will be an all day event with a lunch stop.

Our last day September 7th, will end after our morning photo session around 10:00am.

*All times are tentative and subject to change based on weather and local conditions.

Not Included: All meals, transportation and lodging. I will send a group email so that folks can ride-share or even room share once we get our group together. I’ll also send a detailed information sheet with gear and clothing suggestions.

TO SIGN UP CLICK HERE

All images in this post are copyright and courtesy of Donna Bourdon.

Puffins Galore!

July 19, 2026

ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ARE COURTESY OF MICHAEL ZAJAC, 2026.

Puffins of Grimsey

Join award winning photographer Harold Klein and Michael Zajac (assistant) for a week of amazing bird photography on Grimsey Island. Grimsey lies about 25 miles North of Iceland and encumbers the Arctic Circle. It is home to about 70 people and approximately a million seabirds including one of Iceland’s largest puffin colonies. Michael’s images are featured in this post. I never share his images, but he is a very good photographer and deserves the spot light. To check out some of Harold’s images from the trip check him out on Facebook.

During this workshop we should have numbers of nesting birds, including Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common murres, black guillemots, Arctic terns, black-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmars, golden plovers, snow buntings, white wagtails, red-necked phalaropes, common snipe, common redshank, Eurasian oystercatcher, ringed plovers, purple sandpipers, dunlin, black-tailed godwits and more. In addition to the numerous birds, we may also photograph Icelandic horses, a lighthouse, basalt columns and sea stacks.

The beauty of this location is that you can walk outside your door day or night and photograph until your heart’s content. There are no roped off areas or schedules to adhere to. Of course common sense and respect for nature are still in play :)

$7995.00pp Limit 8.

We will be on the island for 6 days and 5 nights, this will give everyone plenty of photographic opportunities as well as affording everyone some time to explore on their own if they want.

Accommodations on the island will be at a modern guest house featuring large private rooms, two shared baths, wi-fi, and puffins right outside your door. Meals will be at the island’s only restaurant and can be timed to accommodate our shooting schedule on any given day.

No long hikes are required, but you should be able to walk a mile with your camera on level terrain and also traverse uneven terrain for short distances.

Dates: July 8-15, 2027

$7995.00pp Limit 8.

Single supplements available- $900

Included

Lodging for 7 nights -5 nights on Grimsey Island, 2 nights stay in Dalvik (1 night before ferry and 1 night after ferry)

Expert photographic guidance.

All transfers to and from Akureyri International Airport (AEY)

All transfers to and from hotel in Dalvik

Round trip Ferry tickets

All ground transportation to and from Ferry

Transportation while on the Island

Breakfast included

Does Not Include

Airfare to/from (AEY) Akureyri International Airport

All meals other than breakfast, Soft drinks and snacks between meals, alcoholic beverages etc.

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS PHOTO TOUR CLICK HERE.

Click on the photos below to see the larger, sharper version.

I’ve just been asked by The World Puffin Congress to donate 20 images in an effort to help puffins globally. Check them out.

WORLD PUFFIN CONGRESS

The World Puffin Congress is a non-profit organization of marine biologists, artists, writers, educators and puffin protectors who celebrate Puffins and work together to conserve puffins and their marine habitats in the face of increasing threats from global warming, fisheries, pollutants and other negative side-effects of human activities.

Greenland Midnight Sun Photo Tour ~ July 12 – 18, 2028

July 17, 2026

A few years ago, I was supposed to run two photo tours with my guide to Greenland, they were both filled immediately-then Covid happened. The tour was put on the back burner due to logistics but I have been able to secure a slot for my group in 2028. This will be my first visit to Greenland so I have hired a guide to help with logistics, etc… I am really excited about this trip!

Greenland Midnight Sun Photo Tour

July 12 – 18, 2028

Day 1 – Arrival in Ilulissat

You should plan to arrive in Ilulissat no later than 15:00. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to our hotel for check-in. In the evening, we will gather for a welcome orientation, followed by our first midnight sun photography session. A short hike leads us to a scenic viewpoint overlooking Disko Bay, where we will capture the ever-shifting icebergs, glowing in the golden light of the midnight sun.

Days 2–5 – Ilulissat Icefjord by Private Boat

Each morning begins with breakfast at the hotel, followed by daytime explorations of Ilulissat and its surroundings. We will photograph Greenlandic huskies, everyday life, and local landmarks such as the historic waterfront church and hillside cemetery. These are also excellent opportunities for street and environmental portraits.

In the evenings, we will set out on private four-hour boat excursions into the Ilulissat Icefjord — five outings in total. Working with our captain, we will position the boat for the best compositions and light, photographing the icebergs in their most dramatic forms under sunset and midnight sun. With luck, we may also encounter humpback, minke, or fin whales. When weather and time allow, we may also visit traditional fishing settlements such as Oqaatsut, Saqqaq, and Qasigiannguit.

Day 6 – Final Midnight Sun Excursion

After breakfast, we will host a group image review and critique, reflecting on the work created throughout the week. In the evening, we will head out on our final private boat excursion, with the option to revisit locations that offer the best light and compositions.

Day 7 – Departure

After breakfast, we will transfer to Ilulissat Airport (JAV) for return flights home.

Price:

$5500 per person; single supplement $1600

Included:

7 x nights accommodation at the nicest hotel in Ilulissat
Boat excursions - a total of 20 hours during evenings
1 guide plus award winning photography instruction
All ground transportation

Not Included:

All meals and beverages

Flights into and out of Greenland

Tips for drivers/guide-$300.00

Laundry, personal services or the like.

*All images courtesy of my guide.

Grimsey Island Trip Report

July 10, 2026

My nonstop flight to Iceland was quick, only about 5 1/4 hours. My friend Michael Zajac is helping me with the driving during the workshop since I need two vehicles. He’s never been to Grimsey so it’s a new adventure for him. I’m excited to get back and see some puffins. I’m also anxious to try out my new Sony 100-400mm f/4.5 lens. AND I took my 400-800mm out of its case and brought it along. I’ve been meaning to use the 400-800 but it just never seems to make it into my bag :). But I brought it this time with the intention of using it. I’m also going to try out my new 7R6 camera body.

Day 1) We arrived on Grimsey via the local ferry (2 vehicles and 10 people). Our host was waiting for us with open arms; she is such a sweetheart. After getting settled into our accommodation we set out for our first photo shoot. It was crazy windy and I thought none of the guests would get any shots of the puffins flying given their incredible speed and erratic flight patterns. But to my pleasant surprise this talented group all managed some incredible captures. So, we were off to a great start.

There were tons of puffins flying with mouthfuls of fish, sand eels, and krill. Of course, everyone’s dream shot is of a puffin flying with a mouthful of krill. Luckily, even with the strong winds everyone was able to capture that shot. Another shot everyone wanted was of a Razorbill showing its yellow- orange gape. We worked on getting everyone that shot as well. Arctic terns nest on the island and they were everywhere, all busy feeding their chicks.

Day 2-5) During this trip we had cloudy and windy conditions, more so than in previous years. The photographs did not suffer. Every different element that nature threw at us, just helped us create something unique. One of the best things about being on Grimsey Island during the midnight sun is the ability to walk around the island at any time of night or day. Because of the strong winds I got some of my favorite flight shots. Cloudy days can be like a giant soft box and with the black and white on the puffins it helped with our exposures. Plus, we didn’t have to worry about sun angles or cutting shadows. So that was a big plus.

There is a restaurant on the island where we had our lunches and dinners. There is also a “Cod Dog” food truck on the island and everyone was anxious to try one as they came highly recommended. They were delicious.

I spent a lot of time doing portraits of birds with out-of-focus flowers in the foreground. Those types of images appeal to me. On our last morning before our ferry off the island, we revisited a few of our favorite photo spots. I ended up capturing a couple of photos that filled out my Grimsey gallery nicely.

Overall, I loved the trip, so did all of the participants. There is something very special about having so many puffins, razorbills, terns, etc... just outside your door and then having the freedom to go out and photograph them at any time of day while feeling completely safe— no words. Harold Klein accompanied me on this trip as well. He had signed up for it long before I had asked him to join the team. He and Michael will now be taking over the trip. They both loved everything about the island and are eager to return. Harold is a dedicated workshop leader and is a lot of fun to be around. Everyone on the trip said they would like to travel with him again.

As far as my gear selection that I brought for this trip: I could have left the 400-800mm lens home. With the conditions we were handed, the new Sony 100-400mm f/4.5 lens was a work horse. Plus, I used the new Sony 7r6. This was the first time I shot with both of these, and it is now my “killer combo”” for trips like one. I will also bring it to the Falkland Islands as my main set -up. It was crazy sharp and lightweight. Plus having an f/4.5 all the way through proved invaluable. The only tiny issue I see with the lens is the zoom slides from 400mm to 100mm when you put the lens downward. Even though it’s an internal zoom. There is a smooth/tight switch that you can put on tight to keep it from gliding, but it tightens up the zoom ring which does not help when photographing birds in flight. I ended up working it out, but I did get tripped up a couple of times thinking I was at 400mm. I’m sure the second generation will fix that but for now, I am happy to have this lens. I found it sharper than the 200-600mm and I liked being able to shoot a bit more wide open. As far as the camera, the auto focus worked perfectly. I had absolutely no issues with the camera and it was comparable to my a1. Plus, the files looked incredible!

I added a small sampling of my photos from the trip to this blog, I hope you like them. If you would like ot sign up for next year’s trip CLICK HERE.