Photo Safaris Trip Reports

Wow! I can’t tell you just how great it was to be back out traveling and photographing again. It’s been a very long year. This was our first trip since COVID-19 put an abrupt stop to everyone’s travel jus... Read More

By Mark Thomas on May 17, 2022

After working some 40 years in nature travel I had seen whales in all of the oceans of the world, however most of my experiences with these charismatic marine mammals had been at a distance. I never felt emotionally connec... Read More

By Wayne Lynch on Aug 06, 2020

Originally, this entire trip report was going to be only five words—”Just Look at The Pictures!” But I didn’t think Joe would let me get away with that. Sooo…
 
If your ide... Read More

By Mark Thomas on Apr 15, 2020

Every photography tour that I lead for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris offers something special and unique. Picking favorites would be like picking a favorite child, or in my case, a favorite cat.  You know it is wrong. &... Read More

By Mark Thomas on Apr 15, 2020

The rain happened a few weeks before we arrived.  I should say the “deluge” happened, as this was no gentle rain. Roads were flooded and washed out, grasses grew higher and thicker than usual, and normal p... Read More

By John Shaw on Mar 10, 2020

When the grip of winter finally takes hold on the Yellowstone Plateau, the landscape is transformed into a winter wonderland of fire and ice. Meadows once carpeted by lush green grasses are now blanketed in several fe... Read More

By Jeff Vanuga on Feb 25, 2020

If Bernie Sanders were a bird, he would obviously be a Dalmatian pelican. Both Bernie and these big charismatic birds sport a white flyaway mop-top that would necessitate an entire tube of Brylcreem to keep under control.<... Read More

By Joe Van Os on Feb 13, 2020

On almost every day of our winter photo tour, the temperature in Ljubljana—Slovenia’s capital city—hovered around 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon.  Slovenia in Winter, indeed! This unseasonabl... Read More

By Joe Van Os on Feb 11, 2020

The Pantanal encompasses the world's largest tropical wetland area. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it also extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay. It c... Read More

By Mark Thomas on Dec 16, 2019

 
Nestled within the dramatic peaks of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado, Telluride is a gem of a town and a perfect location from which to base a weeklong photography tour. Its vibe is laid back, ye... Read More

By Todd Pierce on Dec 02, 2019

How to describe the Dolomites…  Wikipedia says that “the Dolomites are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form a part of the Southern Limestone Alps.”  Well, that doesn’... Read More

By John Shaw on Nov 12, 2019

The giant panda is the rarest of the eight species of bears alive today. They were mentioned in Chinese literature as early as 3,000 years ago. The prized black and white bruins were kept as pets by emperors and even entom... Read More

By Wayne Lynch on Oct 25, 2019

Late last August I led my fifth Brown Bears of Silver Salmon Creek photo tour. Like my four previous tours there, it was another amazing bear-viewing and photography experience. One of the advantages of Silver Salmon Creek... Read More

By Gary Alt on Oct 14, 2019

42°F!  That’s what the thermometer read early one morning.  42°F is definitely chilly.  But it’s even colder when you’re in an open boat going 40 mph through river mist at sunrise.&... Read More

By John Shaw on Sep 11, 2019

“Spectacular” is probably the best word I can use to summarize our 2019 Greenland’s Scoresby Sound photo voyage. A fantastic ship, good weather, smooth sailing, knock-your-socks-off fall-... Read More

By Joe Van Os on Sep 11, 2019

Our Spitsbergen trip began in the town of Longyearbyen located about 10 degrees North of the Arctic Circle on the Svalbard archipelago. Situated in the high arctic,  Longyearbyen is an excellent location from which to... Read More

By Jeff Vanuga on Aug 29, 2019

Our trip was just about over. As our boat was tying up to the dock in Petersburg, Alaska, the pungent smell of fish wafted from the nearby Icicle Seafoods plant. Our boat’s captain, Dennis Rogers, turned to me and sa... Read More

By Joe Van Os on Aug 15, 2019

This year, we had two back-to-back Costa Rica tours. Both were equally exciting and photographically productive. This trip report covers both tours.
 
After our welcome dinner and a brief talk about what... Read More

By Mark Thomas on Jul 31, 2019

Puffins are believed to have evolved in the Pacific. Today there are four recognized species—horned, tufted, and Atlantic puffins, plus rhinoceros auklets.  Millions of years ago when the continental configurati... Read More

By Joe Van Os on Jul 25, 2019

Utqiagvik, the town formerly known as Barrow, sits 350 miles above the Arctic Circle on Alaska’s northern coastal plain. It is one of the best locations in the world to photograph arctic nesting shoreb... Read More

By Eric Rock on Jul 03, 2019

The overnight rain showers had just subsided as our group’s flight touched down on the tarmac at Nome. The rain brought a glimmer to the unkempt charm of this coastal arctic community. We made the short drive to our ... Read More

By Eric Rock on Jul 03, 2019

It was heavily overcast and misty—a perfect day to visit a glacier. We headed out from Petersburg onboard the Northern Song, a luxurious motor yacht with a skilled captain who has worked in the waters of Sou... Read More

By Joe Van Os on Jul 02, 2019

Charles Darwin made his legendary visit to the enchanted islands of the Galápagos in 1835.  Today, more than 180 years later, the archipelago is recognized globally as a living laboratory of biological evolution and o... Read More

By Wayne Lynch on Jun 26, 2019

A highlight of our Namibia 2019 photo tour was the several outstanding opportunities we had for astral photography. Our first stop at the Quivertree Forest produced some beautiful images of the Milky Way, shining brightly ... Read More

By Mike Byrne on Jun 19, 2019

I have one word to describe my recent experience to Slovenia….Wow! What a picture-postcard country. As a young teenager I spent a summer living with a family in Switzerland and my exposure to the alps and ... Read More

By Jeff Vanuga on Jun 04, 2019