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Big Bend National Park Winter Landscapes & Wildlife

$2,349

Join OM System Ambassador Lee Hoy in his home region at Big Bend National Park to be immersed in the winter wonderland of Big Bend National Park. Photographing landscapes in Big Bend National Park during winter offers a rare opportunity to capture the stark beauty of the desert under soft, golden light and cooler skies. The lower sun angle enhances the dramatic contours of the terrain, casting long shadows over the Chihuahuan Desert and highlighting the rugged features of the Chisos Mountains. Early morning mist in the Rio Grande Valley and the occasional dusting of snow on the high peaks add a unique and ethereal quality to photos. Iconic spots like Santa Elena Canyon and The Window Trail become even more striking with the interplay of winter light and color, offering

Big Bend

Wildlife photography in Big Bend during winter requires patience but rewards observant photographers with glimpses of elusive desert species. Cooler temperatures bring animals like mule deer, javelinas, and foxes out during daylight hours, and the park’s birdlife remains active, with species such as canyon wrens, hawks, and wintering birds. increasing your chances of spotting wildlife in their natural behavior. With a good telephoto lens and a steady hand or tripod, you can capture detailed portraits of these resilient creatures against the vast and varied backdrops of Big Bend’s canyons, riverbanks, and open desert.

Lee has taught countless nature photographers how to capture visually compelling landscape and wildlife images, and he enjoys it nowhere more than here in Big Bend National Park.

The Topics

  • Manual Exposure for Wildlife & Landscape Photography
  • Reading and Interpreting Natural Light (Light Quantity, Light Quantity, Light Direction, Light Color & Light Quality)
  • Dealing With Extreme Tonal Differences – Exposure Bracketing & HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
  • Photographing Wildlife in Natural Settings
  • Fieldcraft for approaching Wildlife Subjects & Landscape Scenes.

Workshop Related Information

*The price of the workshop includes guide services, pre and post trip zoom meeting, post workshop highlight video, and dinner on the opening night (Tuesday, January 20th). It does not include the following: transportation to and from Big Bend National Park; transportation around the park; alcoholic beverages; snacks; trip insurance (highly recommended); meals other than the opening dinner; airfare; national park entrance fee; lodging; and any other cost not specifically stated in what is included.

The participant may select any lodging of their choice, the workshop leader(s) will be staying at the Big Bend Station in Study Butte-Terlingua, Texas.

Pre-Workshop Zoom Meeting
The pre-workshop Zoom Meeting will be Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 at 7:00 PM CST/8:00 PM EST. Participants will receive an email with the link within one week of the date of the meeting!

Cancellation Policy
Cancellation on or before October 20th the participant will receive a full refund.

Cancellation after October 20th will result in forfeiture of the entire price of the workshop.

Post Workshop Image Critique
The post workshop image critique will be held via Zoom on February 12, 2026. Participants will receive an email with the meeting link following the workshop.