Your Guide to Choosing Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours - and My Unexpected Lesson!
Pay close attention or you’ll miss this quiet beauty!
Contents:
What are Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours
The Lasting Benefits of Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours
Why go on Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours?
How to Choose a Photo Adventure Guide
“Slow down, Tracy” Catherine whispered as I walked the forest path. Silently chuckling, I heeded Catherine’s advice, slowed my pace and focused on the forest around me.
Slowing down is a skill I attempt to practice in many areas of my life, but I didn’t expect a nature and wildlife photography tour to be the immersive experience I needed to “find” my slower pace. Hmmm…
As a photography enthusiast, I approached my first photo tour with excitement and a little trepidation.
What exactly happens in nature and wildlife photography tours?
I’m not an exceptional photographer nor have I mastered my camera! What am I getting myself into?
I’m someone who loves taking pictures but isn’t consistently good at it. I have been an active photography learner for decades, mostly self-taught through reading, online learning, and making it up in the moment. Mastering a camera in the field, however, is an effort that takes a lot of practice and more moments of frustration than I’ve ever committed to.
As the date for my photo adventure with professional photographer Catherine Babault came closer, I packed my gear (even things like lens filters still fresh in their store wrapper) and decided to show up curious and ready to learn. Catherine and I connected, in part, based on our shared interest in solo travel for women. With decades of solo travel experience, she has created unique women-only tours specifically designed for solo travellers on Vancouver Island. In the spirit of entrepreneurs supporting each other, she offered to take me on a full-day private tour.
Catherine Babault
“I like to work with clients who arrive with an open mind,” Catherine told me as we chatted about her work leading nature and wildlife photography tours and workshops. She loves meeting new people and is responsive to their interests and needs. Catherine guides clients of all abilities - people like me who dabble in photography as a hobby, people who want to fine-tune a specific photography skill, or people who are brand new to a camera. She also leads tours for other professional photographers, taking them to the best local spots. When people show up with fixed expectations of seeing a bear or cougar, they have missed the point! Instead, her approach is to guide people in the discovery of nature’s wonders through the camera lens. She educates about the ecosystems of the island and the behaviour of local wildlife. There are no guarantees when it comes to wildlife encounters, but she knows the best times and places for sightings.
What are Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours?
Catherine picked me up in her vehicle early in the morning, commenting that “early and mid-week works best because there are fewer people around.” Our day included visiting two public parks in the Comox Valley area. I was thrilled that even though I’m from the Island and often frequent the Comox Valley, I hadn’t been to either location! During the car ride, she talked through the first phase of our trip. Early morning is the prime time to spot wild animals so that would be our primary mission. We would not talk and we would walk slowly. Given my hesitancy with manual camera setting adjustments, I also had my camera on auto, turned ON, and mounted on a tripod.
Professional wildlife photographers develop heightened powers of observation. Catherine watches for slight movements, notices the landscape for signs of wildlife, listens intently to the many sounds of the forest, and notes the signs and smells that tip her about nearby animals. I followed her lead and, good student that I am, turned my observational dial to the max. It was intensely tranquil. Peaceful but not really relaxing, as I was scanning for animal tracks, looking in decaying trees for owls, and on standby with my camera should we see anything!
Eventually, after coming across a few joggers and dog walkers that surely scared away anything in the area, we dialled back from tracking wildlife and shifted our focus to using my camera to capture the beauty not hidden in the forest. Over the day (with a yummy homemade lunch she provided partway through) we visited a classic West Coast forest, a marsh with a bird hide, a seaside ravine, and a lovely waterfall - each offering different opportunities to learn new techniques and improve my photography foundation.
”What’s going on in your head?” I asked, making Catherine laugh! I’m fascinated with the process of creativity so I wanted to know what she was thinking about as she looked for pleasing compositions, as she adjusted the camera’s knobs and dials, and as she experimented with creative options. She graciously “thought out loud” for me and I felt validated and encouraged that great photography is a learned skill and wasn’t out of my reach.
The Lasting Benefits of Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours
After the Photo Tour day, I was eager to practice my new skills. This included figuring out my manual camera settings without Catherine’s encouraging guidance over my shoulder. But surprisingly, the skill that made the biggest impression on me was how to pay attention in the forest.
Her top three tips for finding nature and wildlife on a photo adventure are:
Go farther. Get to where fewer people walk to…it will truly increase your odds of capturing wildlife.
Look behind you. Often we focus on the pretty thing in front of us and fail to turn around to see stunning beauty behind us! You might be surprised by what’s there: an owl in a tree, a deer hiding, the sunlight kissing the forest floor…
Slow down. As I mentioned earlier, if you rush, you will miss so much!
Me, figuring things out!
I write a lot about slowing down in articles like Walking and Wellbeing OR Improve Travel with Mindful Seeing and the Art of Noticing. A slower speed allows you to feel more intensely. Yet I have a hiking pace that is NOT slow! I also have developed behaviours like making noise to keep bears and cougars away by giving them a heads-up about my presence. This photo adventure was a complete mindset shift: to slow down and be quiet in the forest so that I can both feel and see more!
To practice, I explored some trails with this approach later that evening and the following day. My husband came along, promising to keep a slow pace, stay quiet, observe everything, and go deep into the forest. (He managed 3 of the 4!) Surprisingly, it is exhausting to be hyper-aware with every step but it’s a skill that needs practice to master! For example, we were at the edge of a tidal marsh where a creek meets the ocean, totally absorbed by the incredible bird activity: herons sitting in a tree, ducks making splashy landings, a little chickadee hopping on and off nearby logs. I turned around to start heading back into the trail and my eye caught a flicker of movement… there was a tiny fawn standing three feet from us completely camouflaged in the roots of a tree. We had walked right past this spot at least 3 times!
I’ve seen many deer in my life, but it felt so special to share space with this beautiful little creature in the wild. We stood still, and I slowly got my camera in a better position. I was able to get a shot or two before she decided to make her move. We then spent the next 10 minutes following her, her mother and another fawn. We kept our distance as I took a gazillion pictures. Most pictures ended up in the trash bin as I experimented with settings and techniques in the moment. Happily, a few captured the delightful experience.
This brings me back to Catherine’s comment: Slow down, Tracy. It is great advice and I’ll keep saying this to myself in Catherine’s charming Parisienne accent!
Why go on Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours?
Besides being a fun and adventurous day in the wild, photo tours can:
improve your photography and camera skills (beginner to professional).
introduce you to a local photographer’s favourite places. This is a perk for visitors to an area, but even locals love new trails.
help you practice observational skills: being present, mindful, aware, and intentional. I also learned ethical techniques to find and observe wildlife along with techniques to notice and arrange creative photo compositions.
wrap yourself in the wild greens and browns of the lush environment, breathe in the smells of the earth, trees, and salty air, and enjoy the gentle cacophony of the forest. So good for your well-being!
How to Choose a Photo Adventure Guide
There are many options to consider when investing in the experience of nature and wildlife photography tours. First, figure out where you want to go (and why!). Then do your due diligence by researching available tours. Read websites, follow social media accounts, and ask friends and family. In doing research, you can better uncover a tour guide’s approach to issues that, in my opinion, really matter:
Ethics
If you are looking for a nature experience, I hope your top concern is a guide's level of respect for the environment and animals. Ethics in nature photography means that the guide won’t take you off the path and trample on plants to get a great shot or stress out animals by spending too long or getting too close. This is Catherine’s ethos and I greatly appreciate her deep respect for the natural environment.
One thing to look for is “no guarantees.” Photographers who guarantee a wildlife sighting might resort to unethical behaviours like feeding wild animals to lure them closer to get a picture. I remember taking a whale-watching tour that didn’t result in seeing any whales. But we DID see sea lions, seals, eagles, and rich, glorious ocean life! Imagine the danger to the whales if companies fed, cornered, or manipulated nature for a boatload of people to see and photograph them. Ick! The same goes for forest creatures like bears, owls, and eagles.
Ethics is paramount for cultural photography as well as wildlife photography tours. Does the guide emphasize their philosophy of photography as an act of respect versus exploitation? I continue to learn about the ethics of travel photography and encourage you to think about why and how you take and use photos.
Local knowledge
Many photo adventures similar to my tour happen in exotic locals where the guide is a tourist too. I’d look carefully at how they market their expertise and the locations they choose. Local guides deeply know the terrain and often wildlife behaviours and patterns that can tip them off to better viewing opportunities.
I’ve discovered an interesting phenomenon about expat tour guides (not just for photography). I have observed that people who CHOOSE to live in a place (vs. were born there) offer something special because they have dedicated time to get to know a place deeply as part of the process of choosing to call it their home. People born and raised in a place have great insight, of course, but those NOT from a place originally but who have rearranged their lives to call this new place home are often extra passionate, loyal, and knowledgeable.
A Match for You
A Photo Tour needs to be a good match for your ability and interests. Too advanced could be frustrating; too basic could be underwhelming. Are there mobility issues or concerns about how physically strenuous it might be? Also, consider the ratio between clients and guides. A group experience can add richness as you learn from others, but your direct time with the professional will be less. My best advice is to contact photography tour guides directly and talk through the particulars. In the end, you’re better off spending your money on people who are able (and want) to give you a great experience.
More about Catherine Babault
Catherine has been leading Nature and Wildlife Photography Tours since 2018 along with selling her prints and photo books. Her latest book is a testament to the wonders of nature and is an exquisite collection of what makes Vancouver Island so special, with bears holding a special place in her heart. She has spent years learning about bears and how to ethically take photos of them in their habitat. With bear spray within easy reach and a solid knowledge about how to behave in the presence of these (and other) creatures, she has developed a sense of ease around them. Her bear stories made my cautious but adventurous heart race. When I look for bears - slowly, and with camera in hand - Catherine is who I’d choose to be with!
Did you know that nature and wildlife are both strong sources of awe? Join the next Awe-venture Challenge to practice finding more awe in your everyday life! Learn more here.
