Schwabacher's Courtesy Travel and Tourism Board

Photography Tours

Ansel Adams will have nothing on you!

You’ve surely seen incredible photographs of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Have you dreamed of being the photographer behind the camera? Let our tour guides take you to the iconic spots...and more importantly when. Some of the tour operators will have professional photographers join you and give a personal photography class. Some host photography workshops that focus on finding the wildlife and of great importance, safely photographing them.

Photographers

And don't forget the stunning landscape in itself! Ansel Adams, arguably the most influential landscape photographer, captured his iconic image of the jagged Tetons in 1942 from the Snake River Overlook that is a simple turnoff from the highway. Many other notable photographers have shot our historic Moulton Barn that was homesteaded in the early 1900s.  

Basic Tips and Tricks for iPhone Photography

For those of you who do not have dslr cameras with multiple lenses do not fear! Most of us have a powerful camera right in our pockets - our phones! Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris who host customized photography tours interviewed Professional Photographer and Jackson Hole Wildlife Safari Guide Dwight Vasel to share his "basic tips and tricks" for iPhone - or any camera phone - photography. Give these tips a skim and get clickin! Remember though that our wildlife tour guides know the best places and best times to see the unique wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Tip #1: Charge your phone fully! It sounds simple, but low battery is a common disappointment. On a tour some guides carry extra charging cables but be prepared in case they don’t have them that day.  

Tip #2: Take a photo! If you don't snap the pic there won't be anything to look at. It's like with fishing...if your fly isn't in the water there won't be a fish on the fly! Just remember not to get your finger in front of the lens.

Tip #3: Zoom in for a closer shot. On an iPhone, tap the 1x with a circle around it displayed just above (vertically) or to the left (horizontally) of the word 'photo.' That will automatically zoom in to 2x. Tap the 2x again and your camera will zoom back to its original size. You can also zoom intuitively with your fingers.

Tip #4: It's all about video these days. If you're lucky enough to see a wolf and a wolf howling no less(!) that sound is something you're going to want to share with your friends! To do so use your finger to slide the word 'video' over until it’s highlighted (it's located next to the word 'photo'). The white button next to the word will turn red. Just push the red button and you are now capturing wildlife on the move using video. When you are done taking the video, press the red button again to stop.

Tip #5: Thanks to recent phone releases you can even zoom during a video! Just use the same techniques as when taking a picture. Make sure to keep your phone as steady as possible while you do this, or the extra movement may make the video too jumpy to view.   

Tip #6: Taking a picture and taking a video at the same time? Oh yes you can! You get the best of both worlds; videography and photography. Here’s how to do it. Get in the video mode. The white button next to the word video will turn red. Push the red button and start taking the video. When you do that, there will be a white button appear to the left (holding phone vertically) or just below (if holding the phone horizontally) of the red button. That’s your picture taking button. Push the white button and vouila!

Tip #7: Share your works of art! We don't need to tell you about Instagram or Facebook - they're no brainers! Make sure to tag Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris with @jacksonholesafaris and the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce with @jhchamber and we can share your work with our fans! 

Thank you to Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris and their Guide Dwight Vasel for these tricks of the trade. 

*And if you're lucky enough to be with a guide who has a spotting scope, you can angle your cell phone camera in such a way as to utilize the magnification. The angling can be tricky, but don't give up!