I led three consecutive group tours this spring in Yellowstone. The first group was my largest, made up of six fun-loving, adventurous photographers from all corners of the US. Bill, Dee, Jack, Rick, Sheila and Steve really made this week a lot of fun, and we had some tremendous sightings and encounters throughout the week.
One of the best things about the tour was how many “firsts” and “must-see goals” we achieved. While everyone always wants to see bears and wolves (which we did get), some of the smaller more elusive species made an appearance for us as well. Beaver, mountain goat, red fox, great horned owl–among others–all put on a show. Sometimes we didn’t have time for photos, but we still managed some rarer sightings, like when a pine marten ran along the river in front of us.
Without further ado, here are some of the favorite images my clients sent me from our week-long adventure.
Big thanks to this bunch for a really fun tour experience! Here’s some of what they had to say about the trip:
“I have not stopped talking about this trip since I got home. Thank you Max for being such a fantastic tour guide, you never stopped working hard, finding the wildlife we most wanted to see and more. Getting to spend time with so many different animals, including bears, wolves, badgers, elk, moose and many more was amazing—and I’ll not forget the trip to the Beartooth Highway. Every day was an adventure. This was my first photography tour, I learned so much and was lucky to be with such a great group of people, it was non-stop fun. I will definitely be arranging another trip in the future. Once again, thank you Max for leading such a great tour!” – Sheila L.
“For as long as I can remember, seeing wildlife has been my greatest passion. When asked what my dreams were as a young boy, I invariably replied “to go to Africa.” I was fortunate to live that dream for the first time a decade ago. I’ve been traveling the world to experience nature and its amazing creatures for many years. My favorite place to explore in North America is Yellowstone National Park. I’ve been there numerous times and always return home with a smile on my face. This year I decided to do something different and elected to forgo exploring the park on my own in favor of participating in a Tour hosted by renowned photographer Max Waugh. I had fairly high expectations for this journey as a result of following Max’s trip reports for the past couple of years. My expectations were not only met, but they were exceeded tenfold!” – Steve S.
“Thanks to all for a great trip… All kudos to Max and your super efforts in getting us in position to find the animals. Can’t argue that 0400 is too early to look for the bears, wolves, beavers, moose, etc…. now I am CULLING through hundreds of photos and am getting starry-eyed.” – Dee W.
Thanks so much for your fantastic tour. I have been telling all of my photographer friends that this an experience not to be missed! This was my first nature photography tour, and I was not sure what to expect. I had many animals on my “to see and to photograph” list, and thanks to your knowledge of the park, of the animals and their habits I was lucky enough to check off all them. I really appreciated how you led the group and created such a positive and friendly atmosphere for all of us. I want to especially note how you helped provide everyone, regardless of their skill and experience, an opportunity to achieve their photography goals for the week. The tour was an unforgettable experience for me, and I am looking forward to taking another tour with you. Thanks again!!” – Rick P.
“Great trip! Max offers door to door service which is a necessity for me because I do not drive. Very well organized and dedicated to the guests’ success. Going back soon!” – Bill R.
If you’re interested in joining me on my upcoming fall tour in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons or on one of next year’s two spring wildlife tours in the park, check out the Yellowstone tour website for more information.
