Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Fall Foliage Instructional Photo Tours and Workshops

I am an Authorized Permittee of the National Park

Join us on a photo tour or workshop to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the surrounding areas. This incredible biodiversity makes this one of the top areas in the country for nature photography.

October is a magical time to be there. The lush forests, beautiful mountain ranges, rivers will be great with an explosion of fall color. We also will photograph wildlife such as black bear, white tailed deer, coyote, and wild turkey. White Tailed Deer and Elk will be in the rut and have large antlers. John will be explaining wildlife behavior onsite.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains some of the largest tracts of wilderness in the East and is a critical sanctuary for a wide variety of animals. Protected in the park are some 66 species of mammals, over 200 varieties of birds, 50 native fish species, and more than 80 types of reptiles and amphibians.

The reason for the large number of species is attributable to several factors, including vast differences in altitude and temperature, lots of rain (averaging 90 inches per year), the impact of the ice age, and the preservation efforts by the National Park Service.

The symbol of the Smokies, the American Black Bear, is perhaps the most famous resident of the park. The Park provides the largest protected bear habitat in the East. Though populations are variable, biologists estimate approximately 1,500 bears live in the park, a density of approximately two bears per square mile.

This tour will greatly enhance your skill as a photographer. We will be doing a lot of landscape, wildlife, and macro photography. We also have a conference room reserved for additional critique sessions and lessons. We will cover several subjects including exposure, depth of field, histograms, shutter speed, filters, macro, wildlife photography, digital darkroom, Photoshop, and Lightroom.

Our itinerary will be planned around lighting, weather conditions, and recent wildlife activity. We will take advantage of the lighting and the unique opportunities. Our goal is to capture the best images we can during our tour. Each day we will be starting before dawn and ending after sunset. However, we typically will take a short mid-day break to rest and recuperate. The tour is based in Townsend, TN which is close to the best park locations and centrally located to others.

When: October 22-26, 2021

Where: Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Vicinity

Tour begins and ends in Townsend, TN.

Itinerary:

Day 1: We will meet at the hotel. Check in time is at 3 pm.

We will have an introductory meeting, review safety guidelines, and discuss recent wildlife sightings etc. We also will discuss plans, goals and objectives for the upcoming week. We will then leave for an evening shoot continuing to sunset.

Day 2-4: We will meet and be on location before the sun comes up to take advantage of the morning light and the peak wildlife activity. There will also be an afternoon session continuing to sunset. Each day is paced to maximize photo opportunities and the schedule will be flexible to maximize getting the best light.

Day 5: Early morning photo shoot. We will conclude trip and return to hotel before check out time of 11 am

Group Size:

Our group size is small. It is substantially smaller than other tour companies.

Subjects:

This tour includes both landscape and wildlife photography. Participants should be interested in both. It is mostly landscapes but if we have a black bear in photo range in good light it will be a priority.

Requirements: Skill and Fitness Levels:

Anyone with an interest in photography from a beginner to professional.

The participants should have a love of nature and enjoy the company of other people in a small group setting.

There are several short hikes on this trip (under 3 miles and relatively easy).

Participants should be in good health and self sufficient.

What's Included:

Professional instruction on photography and wildlife (identification and behavior)

Transportation: Transportation is provided from hotel to field locations in our comfortable van. Many tours have multiple cars following each other. This is a problem since some of the best photo opportunities have only room for 3 or 4 cars. This forces the tours to skip some of the best locations. For wildlife photography if there is a bear on the side of the road it can sometimes be difficult to get a parking spot never mind with several cars.

Classroom and or Zoom Class:

This trip is planned to maximize time outdoors photographing. We may have classroom time to discuss photography, post processing and or give photo critiques. I will customize the program(s) to cover the wishes of our small group.

After the tour: You will be invited to zoom classes exclusive to past tour participants at no additional cost. Topics will be Lightroom, Photoshop, Wildlife Photography and Landscape Photography.

Permits:

Not Included:

The hotel is not included but we reserved a block of rooms under Slonina Photography.

Please mention Slonina Photography to get this rate.

Food and drinks will not be included. We will visit various restaurants in and out of the park. Each participant will be responsible for their own food tab.

Air travel is not covered.

Price: $1595 per person

Deposit: $300

Balance: is due 6 months before start date of trip

Payment:
Payment can be made by check to Slonina Photography.

We also accept credit cards thru our online shopping cart.

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Cancellation Policy:

Thank you for visiting our website we hope you can join us on this trip.

About Me:
John Slonina is a professional nature photographer who has been photographing for over 40 years. John has a love of natural history. During the workshop, you will receive information on photography techniques and the natural world. Understanding nature not only increases your appreciation of it but also helps you become a better nature photographer.