Idaho Wilderness trek photo tours and photo workshops

This photography tour is not currently in the schedule, but can be added by request

$TBD USD per person, land only | Single room supplement is 14% of trip cost
See discounts for repeat clients, early enrollment, room sharing, and 2 trips in 12 months etcetera

Indicates that we have sufficient enrollments and will run the trip
Indicates that the trip will run pending one or more enrollments

5 places are available at this time

Ask a question via email: Click here

Updated Thursday the 17th of May, 2012

Gateway airport: Boise, Idaho [BOI]

Arrival window: By 12 noon on day one

Search Kayak or your preferred airline for a fare

For cost, enrollment link and other details go here.

Also see the photography tour calendar for trips that precede or follow this one

PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR OVERVIEW: Five inclusive days to explore a piece of the wilderness sandwiched between Idaho and Montana. We’ll go horseback into a remote chunk of the largest wilderness in the lower 48 States. Mountains, rivers, wildlife, wildflowers, cowboys and a Salmon River raft shoot, etcetera

The ‘spud state’ as it is known, is also a place to lose oneself when one considers that it’s 83,574 square miles are populated by a mere million people. That’s just 4.7 people per square mile, and is mostly the result of the vast wilderness that envelops east central Idaho and spills into western Montana. Our trek will take us into a piece of this unspoilt jewel where photographic subjects will be mountains, wildlife, wildflowers, and our own cowboys, etcetera Do join us for this refreshing sojourn.

INCREASING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS: There isn’t a straightforward way to describe everything you will learn on one of our photography tours in just a few words, but I'll give it a try . . . I instruct, encourage, nurture, coach, nudge, help and guide clients etcetera, all day and every day. This includes one-on-ones and 'collective instruction', i.e. advice given to the whole group at each photo stop. Subjects and techniques discussed and demonstrated are composition strength, shutter speeds, exposure compensation, how aperture choice influences depth of field, lens choice, filter use, long exposure effects, deliberate blur, macro and so on. I also encourage you to 'see' an image when the opportunity presents itself, i.e. to be on the lookout for those less obvious shots that are no less stunning. Lastly, I conduct image critiques both on location - digital camera screens are ideal for this - and via the use of laptops. PhotoShop sessions are also included as time permits. For more details regarding what you'll learn go here.

TRAVEL TO THE GATEWAY AIRPORT
o It is recommended that clients arrive a day early to be fresh for the trip, and to also counteract possible flight delays.
o Early arrival also enables you to explore the gateway city should you wish to do so.
o When booking flights, add a day for overnight travel or two days if also crossing the Pacific Ocean/International Dateline.
o The last day of the trip is the date you should arrange your flight home unless you plan to stay on. Thank you!

DAY 1 | To McCALL, IDAHO
Arrive Boise where I'll meet your flight at around midday, and following a leisurely introductory lunch in the city, we’ll line up a city skyline shot from a quiet position overlooking Ann Morrison Park. Then north into the Payette River canyon where we’ll shoot scenics with a smattering of whitewater adventurers. Cascade Lake and old barns are other options for us as we continue north to McCall. The town, on the edge of Payette Lake, has been voted among the 5 most desirable places to live in recent years and you’ll see why.
McCALL, 1 night

DAYS 2, 3, 4 and 5 | The WILDERNESS
First light on Payette Lake this morning for those up to it, and following breakfast we’ll head for our rendezvous with our outfitting crew. Our four night base camp is located in a meadow below the rock scape that is Needles Mountain in the Boise National Forest. We’ll get in on horseback, though you’ll have an option to hike, or both, if you prefer. Chief outfitter on the trip will be Mark Downing, and he and his co-wrangler will see to it that we are comfortable and well fed throughout our stay. They will also cooperate for some exclusive cowboy shots which John has set up often on the Yellowstone/Teton trips in recent years. The twilight cowboy shots will be particularly striking.
During our sojourn there will be wildlife, wildflowers and landscapes to be shot, or you may just want to relax once in a while. We also recommend you bring your rod if fishing is your ‘bag’. John will be on hand for photographic assistance and direction at all times or as you need it, and should you have a camera malfunction, you’ll be really glad John is along!
TENTED WILDERNESS CAMP, 4 nights

DAYS 6 and 7 | McCALL AREA and SALMON RIVER
By early afternoon we’ll be back to ‘civilization’ as it were, and enjoying the comforts of our hotel back in McCall. Dinner overlooking Payette Lake will be quite a contrast to the other ‘paradise’ we were in the midst of 24 hours earlier!
On day 7 we will skirt Payette Lake and move north for pictures of the Burgdorf and Warren communities. Each is remote and our pictures will capture the essence of what the west once was. Then down to the Salmon River via French Creek to shoot the rafters as they take a drenching in the many rapids. The rapids are why the Salmon is known as the ‘River of no Return’. Back to McCall via Riggins on more conventional roads, and following dinner some of John’s two projector programs called Visual Journeys, to close the day.
McCALL, 2 nights

DAY 8 | Flights home
Following breakfast we’ll take a leisurely ride to Boise with a handful of photo stops en route, and arrive in good time for early afternoon flights.

Photographer/Leader John Baker