Having just returned from Costa Rica and now going through my thousands of images, I’m always surprised when I come across something I had completely forgotten we photographed. It’s like reaching into the pocke... Read More By Mark Thomas on May 17, 2023
Regal is this cat with stripes. A few years ago, Joe Van Os introduced me to the alluring and diverse sub-continent of India when he assigned me to the Ultimate Tigers photo safaris. With Bengal tigers being the focus of t... Read More By Eric Rock on May 02, 2023
Death Valley has a reputation for extremes. It is the lowest place, the driest place, and the hottest place in North America. Yet, it is but a “stone’s throw” from our highest mountain in ... Read More By Melissa Scott on Apr 13, 2023
Humpback whales have bad breath! I can definitively report that—after numerous “bubble-net” feeding groups of humpbacks surfaced close to our boat while we were down-wind of their moist fishy breath. And ... Read More By Joe Van Os on Apr 12, 2023
Bald eagles have made a remarkable recovery from the days in the mid-1900’s when they bordered on the threat of extinction throughout much of their range. Now, sightings of this familiar symbol of America are much mo... Read More By Joe Van Os on Apr 07, 2023
Most of the time it’s easy to understand how the Joseph Van Os photo tours get their tour names. And this trip being christened “Japan’s Winter Wildlife” is no different. What the title can’t ... Read More By Eric Rock on Mar 27, 2023
Much of the vast Canadian prairies have been “tamed” by agriculture. And starting in the 1950’s, the province of Alberta underwent a massive oil boom from which the petroleum industry further help... Read More By Joe Van Os on Mar 27, 2023
This year’s Mexican whale photo safaris provided many amazing photographs as well as an important life lesson. It’s a common belief that emotions such as happiness and grief, curiosity and boredom, and fear and... Read More By Wayne Lynch on Mar 14, 2023
On the western fringes of the Yellowstone Plateau lies one of five gateway communities to Yellowstone National Park—West Yellowstone, Montana. In winter, snow averages range from 3.5–5 feet. That combined with ... Read More By Jeff Vanuga on Mar 14, 2023
We began the tour with dinner at our first hotel, the Golden Star in Thessaloniki. This proved to be the ideal starting point, a sea front aspect close to the airport and a short distance from the cultural heart of Thessal... Read More By James Rogerson on Feb 14, 2023
Editor’s note: Mark Thomas clearly loves the Pantanal, its jaguars and wealth of other wildlife. I think he would live there if he could! This is a long trip report that we are breaking into two parts. It tru... Read More By Mark Thomas on Feb 03, 2023
Being the third largest cat on the planet and by far the largest cat in the Americas, jaguars are always the main attraction on our Cuiaba River boat trips. And they do not disappoint! In 2022 there were more cubs than eve... Read More By Mark Thomas on Feb 03, 2023
In the big dry desert country of western North America, there is no better place for landscape photographers to explore the unshielded boney crust of the earth and no place in the US that offers a better combination of ali... Read More By Eric Rock on Jan 16, 2023
It has been three years since my last Madagascar tour. COVID struck this island nation harshly, with three separate 6-month lockdowns. In addition, five cyclones hit Madagascar earlier this year. Life on the island hasn&rs... Read More By Mike Byrne on Jan 13, 2023
Just slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia, Costa Rica falls into the category of being a small country. So, why is there such a huge variety of wildlife here? What quickly becomes apparent once on the ground, i... Read More By Mark Thomas on Jan 12, 2023
Contrary to popular belief, the leaves of deciduous trees like aspens do not actively switch color in the autumn, but rather reveal underlying pigments that already exist. During the spring and summer, trees produce an abu... Read More By Todd W. Pierce on Dec 22, 2022
There is something about arriving to the Yosemite Valley that conjures up emotions and feelings of grandeur. We made our group arrival through the south entrance while driving along the scenic Wawona road. Just as we began... Read More By Eric Rock on Dec 15, 2022
I saw Greenland for the first time many years ago from the cockpit of a 747 jetliner on a flight between Europe and my home in Calgary, Alberta. From 35,000 feet the ice below us stretched to the horizon in every direction... Read More By Wayne Lynch on Dec 15, 2022
One of the first places photographers think of when considering an Africa photo safari is Kenya. This is for very good reason! Kenya offers one of the greatest diversities of large animals in a grand landscape foun... Read More By Eric Rock on Dec 01, 2022
My first glimpse of Faroese terrain came through a fleeting hole in the fog as my plane descended toward the runway on a rainy June morning. Although streaking beads of water obscured my view through the window, I spotted ... Read More By Todd W. Pierce on Nov 22, 2022
I have been eagerly awaiting this tour far longer than I ever imagined. Finally, it is here, and Scotland is glorious in all its moods and fall colours. I first scouted this tour with local guide Warwick Lis... Read More By Mike Byrne on Nov 01, 2022
Every photo trip I lead, I can count on one question getting asked of me—and no, it isn’t where is the bathroom? I am usually asked, what is my favorite trip to lead? I almost inevitably answer, every trip I do... Read More By Eric Rock on Nov 01, 2022
After the social distancing and confinement of the past two years, everyone on this year’s Ultimate Galapagos trip was especially happy to be travelling again and enjoying the many discoveries and images they would m... Read More By Wayne Lynch on Oct 28, 2022
Fall in Glacier National Park—one of my favorite times to be there! It was such a treat to be able to share Glacier with a wonderful group of women photographers this past September. The mornings and ... Read More By Melissa Scott on Oct 28, 2022
Word has it that Grimsey Island was inadvertently discovered by Norwegian Vikings sailing their square-rigged longships more than a thousand years ago. It’s said they were searching for the Hebrides Islands off the S... Read More By Joe Van Os on Aug 12, 2022