Private bird photography sessions at Great Salt Lake

Overview and rates

Join me at Great Salt Lake for an evening bird photography session! Each session will last about 3-4 hours during my favorite part of the day at the lake, which is sunset. We will choose from one of several locations either at the lake itself or in the surrounding wetlands or uplands depending on your photography goals, the weather conditions, and the birds that are around that week.

Great Salt Lake is a large terminal basin lake with some unique features. The lake is bordered by high alpine mountains to the East, and low desert hills to the West. When the lake is full of water, the horizon disappears at some points due to the great size of the lake and the curvature of the earth. On windless days, the lake becomes perfectly still and reflects the sky and landscape like a mirror. Sunsets can bring beautiful colors and glowing light. In spring and fall, waves of different birds arrive to feed and gain strength at Great Salt Lake for their migrations, and some wonderful behaviors can be seen. All together, these features make Great Salt Lake a truly stunning location for bird photography.

$50 deposit per person per day to reserve your session, balance due upon successful completion of the session. These are private sessions at $400 for one person or $700 for two people. You can request one or multiple days. If you’d like a morning session or a more comprehensive multi-day workshop, contact me directly and we can arrange it!

$500 per session (one person)

$800 per session (two people)

Dates available

I have taken a full time job and I will not be offering private bird photography workshops this year. However, I have teamed up with Ray Hennessy to offer a single group workshop April 14 - 19. There will be four spots available and our last one was an absolute blast. Book ASAP if you want to join us!

https://www.rayhennessy.com/wildlife-workshops/great-salt-lake-experience

Requirements

Photography skills
You must have your own camera gear and basic camera skills. I can help you find the birds and make the most of the conditions, but I won’t be able to teach you how to operate the camera in these sessions. Ideally, you should be comfortable shooting in manual mode to take advantage of the various lighting scenarios we might encounter. If you’re not sure, contact me or schedule a remote consultation with me ahead of time, and I can give you some tips to help get you to that point!

Mobility
You will need to be able to carry yourself and your gear through mud and some uneven terrain. You need to be able to get down on the ground, crawl short distances, and lie prone for periods of time.

Camera equipment
You need a DSLR or mirrorless camera and a telephoto lens (I suggest at least 400mm). I highly recommend bringing something to support your camera low to the ground in mud and shallow water, such as a ground-pod, beanbag, or float. If you’re not sure what to use, I have a couple of loaners you can try. I’ll send you a complete gear list as the time gets closer for your session.

Clothing
We could be getting wet, muddy, possibly very cold or very hot, and the biting insects can be absolutely bonkers, so you will need to bring the right clothing and gear. April and May can be blustery with occasional snow and rain. Once the temperatures warm up (usually by mid-May), bugs are a major consideration. By mid-June it can be very hot (and bugs are still a big deal). Temperatures are usually hot in July and August, often above 90F during the day. Temps start to cool off again by mid-September, with frost and stormy weather likely by mid-October. At a minimum you will need full coverage from insects and the weather, muck boots, and waterproof gear for laying in the mud. I will send you a complete clothing and gear list before your session!

Travel
If you are traveling, you will fly into Salt Lake International Airport, which is located literally on the shores of Great Salt Lake. Be sure to get a look at the lake as you fly in! I will send you more information about where to stay when you book your session.

The birds

We will be focusing on water birds (especially shorebirds), though we may decide to pursue other good opportunities that we find according to the season. We are likely to find:

American Avocets
Black-necked Stilts
Eared Grebes
Wilson’s Phalaropes
Red-necked Phalaropes
California Gulls
Franklin’s Gulls

Depending on the week and the location we visit, we may also see:

Shorebirds, including Snowy Plovers, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Dowitchers, Willet, Killdeer, Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs
American White Pelicans
Western Grebes, Clarks Grebes, and Pied-Billed Grebes
White-faced Ibis
Waterfowl, including Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal, Common Goldeneye, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail, Canada Geese, Mallards, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, and Tundra Swans
Herons, including Great Blue Herons, Night Herons, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Cattle Egret
Other wetland birds, including terns, cormorants, wrens, blackbirds, sparrows, and swallows
Though the highest density of raptors is in the winter season, we may see some raptors, including Burrowing Owls, Great-Horned Owls, Northern Harriers, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, Merlin, Kestrel, Rough-legged Hawks, Red-Tailed Hawks, and Bald Eagles.