Cost

• $3,900 (Airfare, hotel, meals and transportation are not included.)

• $1,300 non-refundable deposit due on signup. Balance of $2,600 due by January 15, 2028

• Free 2 Hour Image Review and Processing Bonus Session after the tour to help with processing questions

Tour Objective

The objective of this workshop is to provide participants with exceptional opportunities to photograph the diverse birdlife of South Texas, from colorful songbirds and raptors to herons, egrets, shorebirds, and terns. We will work to create a wide variety of images, including intimate portraits, birds in flight, behavior, and environmental photographs.

Throughout the trip, we will focus on making the most of each opportunity through careful attention to light, backgrounds, perspective, composition, and bird behavior, with the goal of helping every participant return home with a diverse collection of beautiful and memorable photographs.

Description

South Texas is one of the premier destinations for bird photography in North America. Its unique location provides opportunities to photograph a remarkable combination of species, including birds whose U.S. range is largely restricted to South Texas, resident desert songbirds, game birds, raptors, and spring migrants passing through the region. By combining several days on a private ranch with time along the Gulf Coast, this workshop offers an exceptional variety of species and photographic opportunities.

The first 3.5 days will be spent on a private South Texas ranch with photography blinds specifically designed for bird photography. Songbirds and raptors are attracted to food and water, with carefully selected perches positioned to create clean backgrounds and strong photographic opportunities. We will work on everything from beautiful perched portraits to behavior and birds in flight, while taking advantage of both resident species and spring migrants moving through the area.

For the final 2.5 days, we will move to the Gulf Coast, where the photography changes completely. Here we will concentrate on herons, egrets, terns, shorebirds, and other coastal species in an open environment offering opportunities for flight, behavior, portraits, and more environmental images. Expansive horizon views also give us excellent opportunities to work with changing evening conditions and, when the weather cooperates, dramatic backlighting near sunset.

What makes this workshop especially exciting is the variety. In a single trip, we will move from controlled blind photography with colorful South Texas specialties to the completely different experience of photographing birds along the Gulf Coast, giving us an exceptional range of species, behaviors, settings, and photographic opportunities.

Travel

You will be responsible for renting your own vehicle, arranging airline travel and making hotel reservations .

Hotel

TBD

Schedule

Expect to leave early and come back late each day to give us the most time to capture high quality images. 

Morning Sessions: Meetings will be at predetermined locations. Expect to be up early enough to shoot at sunrise. Morning locations will be a short drive from the hotels. Morning sessions will end when the light gets too harsh. 

Lunch Time: Optional image review and q/a session will focus on processing and composition. On cloudy days, image review sessions are subject to be limited in order to shoot as long as possible.

After Lunch: There will be personal time before the evening sessions.

Evening sessions: Meetings will be at predetermined locations. Expect to be at the shooting locations early in order to scout and prepare for the best light of the day.

Meals

Most hotels offer a continental breakfast. Lunch and dinner is with the group, if you desire.

What to Bring

Photography Gear

• There are a large variety of birds which we will photograph between 400mm-600mm (minimum focal length of at least 400mm lens is required). A prime lens or telephoto zoom would be ideal. Note that for most songbirds you do not need more than 400mm. For the raptors and birds on the gulf a 600mm lens is recommended. I shoot with my 600mm lens and my 300mm lens with the 1.4x

• If you own a telephoto prime and a zoom you may want to bring both

• 1.4 teleconverter is optional but highly recommended

• I recommend bringing a back up camera.

• Bring lots of extra batteries and a rapid charger.

• Bring as many  memory cards with as much storage as you can as it is not uncommon to fill up 320gb or more in a single session.

• I also highly recommend bringing a laptop or other external storage to transfer your images from your memory cards.

Other Gear

• Ground pod (highly recommended for the coast) and  monopod or tripod -  whatever you prefer to shoot with in the blinds.

• Waterproof lens cover

• Soft bristle paint brush (to get sand off your gear)

• Bug spray

• Sunblock

Clothes

• Bring dark colored clothing for the blinds 

• Bathing suit or beach appropriate clothing for the coast

• Surf shoes

• Hat

Weather

Weather conditions can vary during the trip, and we will make the most of the conditions we are given. If we experience rain, the photography blinds are fully covered, so you will remain protected, although the end of your lens may occasionally be exposed to some moisture.

April mornings in Texas can be cool, so I recommend bringing layers that can easily be removed as temperatures rise. Daytime highs are typically in the 80s, and conditions can become quite warm, particularly while spending extended periods inside the blinds.

Please come prepared for a range of weather conditions so we can take advantage of the photographic opportunities available to us throughout the trip.

Physical Activity

This trip requires very little walking. The photography blinds are located only a short distance from the vehicle, and our coastal photography locations also require only short walks.

Texas can be hot, particularly while spending extended periods in the blinds, so staying properly hydrated is important. Please bring plenty of water and be prepared for warm to hot conditions throughout the trip.

My Responsibilities

My responsibility is to put you in the best possible position to have a successful and productive photography experience. That begins well before we enter the field. I will research and scout locations, monitor bird activity, weather, light, and other conditions, and use that information to determine where I believe we will have the strongest photographic opportunities.

Once we're in the field, I will continually evaluate the birds, conditions, and opportunities and adjust our plans when necessary. Our schedule will remain flexible so we can take advantage of what nature gives us. Sometimes that means staying with a productive situation, and other times it means recognizing when it's time to move on and look for something better.

I will help you make the most of each opportunity by working with you on camera settings, positioning, perspective, backgrounds, composition, anticipating behavior, and fieldcraft techniques. When appropriate, I will also use proven techniques to attract birds while always treating the birds and their habitat with respect.

Throughout the trip, my goal is to put us in productive locations that offer a variety of photographic opportunities and the potential to photograph a diverse range of species. Wildlife is never predictable, but I will use my experience and knowledge to give us the best opportunities possible under the conditions we're given.

Most importantly, I am there to teach. Ask questions. Show me your images. If something isn't working, let me know. Whether you need help with your equipment, technique, field approach, or deciding how to make the most of a photographic opportunity, I will be there to help you get as much as possible from our time together.

My Ask

Enjoy yourself, take in the experience, and hopefully go home with cards full of beautiful photographs. Come ready to learn, photograph, and make the most of every opportunity we get.

I love talking about birds, photography, cameras, and gear, so ask questions throughout the trip. I’m here to help, and if there is anything you need or anything I can do to make your experience better, please just ask.

Enjoy being out in the field. We’re going to work hard to create great photographs, but we’re also going to have a lot of fun doing it.

Cancellation Policy

Participants who cancel more than ninety (90) days before the trip’s scheduled departure date may receive a refund of all amounts paid, less a $500 cancellation fee, only if Isaac Grant Photo Tours, LLC is able to fill the vacated spot. If the spot cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.

Cancellations made within ninety (90) days of the trip’s scheduled departure date are non-refundable under all circumstances.

Because cancellations can occur for unexpected reasons, participants are strongly encouraged to purchase travel insurance. This cancellation policy applies regardless of whether a participant has purchased travel insurance or whether a travel insurance claim is approved or denied.

Participant Conduct

All participants in workshops and tours operated by Isaac Grant Photo Tours, LLC agree to conduct themselves in a respectful, lawful, and professional manner at all times, including, but not limited to, treating fellow participants, guides, staff, property, and the public with respect, and complying with all applicable laws, as well as all instructions, policies, and guidelines provided by Isaac Grant Photo Tours, LLC. Isaac Grant Photo Tours, LLC reserves the sole and absolute right, in its discretion, to remove any participant at any time for behavior deemed unsafe, disruptive, unlawful, or otherwise inconsistent with these standards or the orderly operation of the trip. Any participant removed under this provision must leave the workshop or tour immediately and shall forfeit all fees and payments made. Isaac Grant Photo Tours, LLC shall have no liability or responsibility for any additional costs or expenses incurred by the participant, including, without limitation, lodging, transportation, rental vehicles, meals, or any other incidental expenses.

Insurance

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Unexpected circumstances can arise before or during any trip, and travel insurance can help protect your investment if your plans are disrupted.

Because policies and coverage vary considerably, each participant is responsible for selecting their own coverage and carefully reviewing the policy’s terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions to understand what is and is not covered.

Please review the cancellation policy carefully before registering. The cancellation and refund policy applies regardless of whether you purchase travel insurance or whether a travel insurance claim is approved or denied.