Photography Workshops

Yellowstone Fall Photography Workshop | September 20th - 23rd 2026

A large bull bison walks though Hayden Vally on a foggy morning in Yellowstone National Park — A Bull Bison walks though a meadow on a foggy Yellowstone morning.

WHAT TO EXPEXCT

Yellowstone Photography Workshop 2026 overview

Yellowstone was the first national park in the world and there's no other place on earth like it. With a plethora of ever changing geothermal areas and large variety of wildlife, Yellowstone offers something for every nature photographer.

During the course of the workshop we'll focus our time photographing Yellowstone's unique landscapes and diverse animals, with an extra emphasis on the wildlife.

Fall is one of the best times to visit Yellowstone because the crowds of summer have thinned out and rut season (mating season) is underway. The rut is the best time to see Yellowstone's animals in their prime. You'll hear the bugling of bull elk as display their dominance amongst one another. By September their antlers have reached their peak, making for incredible photo opportunities. The fall season is also the only time of year where bull bison join the massive herds of cows and calfs.

Yellowstone is one the best places in North America to photograph wildlife. As we drive though the park, we'll search for wolves, bears, foxes, coyotes, bison, elk, moose, deer, otters, eagles, big horn sheep, pronghorn and more.

Fine Art Limited Edition Wildlife Photography | Â© Mike Wardynski Pronghorns get their name from the short prong on the front of their horns. While often called antelope or pronghorn antelope, these creatures are not related to antelope at all. In fact they have no close relative on the planet! As their name suggests, pronghorns grown horns not antlers. Here's the interesting thing though, Pronghorns are the only animal that sheds its horns and it is also the only horn that has more than one point. Pronghorns are the fastest land animal in North America with an average running speed of 40mph but they can reach speeds as fast as 60mph for short distances. Their eyesight offers an impressive 300 degree view and can spot movement up to four miles away! When danger is present, glands on its rump release a scent to let others know to lookout. Surprisingly, this ultra fast animal drinks very little water and can go weeks without it. Pronghorns receive most of their hydration form the plants that they eat. Since they must remain on alert from predators, Pronghorns only sleep for periods of ten minutes at a time. Traveling in herds during the autumn and winter also helps protect individual animals from predators. In the winter months herds can grow as large as 1,000 pronghorns. It is estimated that at one point there were as many as 100 million pronghorns in the North America. That number dwindled down to 13,000 by the 1920's due to hunting. Today the population is estimated to be around 800,000 making them fairly common wildlife in the great plains and Southwest regions of the US. Â© Mike Wardynski Photography — Pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park

PAIR THIS WORKSHOP WITH A FALL GRAND TETON WORKSHOP

If you'd like to get the most out your photography trip you can pair this workshop with the Grand Teton Workshop that is scheduled directly after the Fall Yellowstone workshop. (September 24th - 29th)

LODGING

The Fall Yellowstone Workshop will base out of The Antler Lodge in Gardiner Montana. Participants are welcome to use other lodging or camping accommodations but the Antler Lodge will be our centralized meeting point.

Fine Art Limited Edition Print | Â© Mike Wardynski Photography A building winter storm drops fresh snow on the mountain peaks of Yellowstone National Park. With an average elevation of 8,000 feet and its northern latitude, Yellowstone is known for its harsh winters. 150 inches of snow falls on Yellowstone every year, with the higher elevation receiving between 200 and 400 inches of annual snowfall. The entire park sits on top of a super volcano that has produced three massive eruptions over the past 2.1 million years. The last eruption was roughly 640,000 years ago. There are 19 super volcanos on earth yet modern humans have never witnessed such an eruption. Scientist believe that there would be signs of an eruption well before it happened. Some scientist believe that the ground could swell a couple of meters due to the expanding pressure beneath the surface. — Early September snow in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park.

WHATS INCLUDED

● Professional photography instructor

● Park Permits

● Post Processing Session

● SUV Transportation

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

● Lodging

● Airfare

● Meals

Yellowstone Photography Workshop 5-star Review graphic — Yellowstone Photography Workshop 5-star Review

ITINERARY

Day 1: 7:30pm Orientation

Days 2 through 4: We'll have morning and evening shoots with mid-day breaks everyday of the workshop. Our subjects and exact itinerary will be determined by weather and wildlife activity. It may sound obvious, but rest assured, finding good photo opportunities is the number one priority of this workshop.

WEATHER

The weather in Yellowstone is very unpredictable in September. It could be warm and sunny or snowing. It's a good idea to be prepared for all kinds of weather including sun, rain and snow. Typically the mornings are cold with lows in the 30's or 40's. Average daytime highs can reach into the mid 50's to low 70's if the weather is clear. Fall storms could bring dramatically colder temperatures.

RECOMMENDED CLOTHING AND GEAR

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECOMMENDED GEAR AND CLOTHING LIST

An elk stand a on a ridge during a Yellowstone photography workshop in fall. — Elk standing on a ridge in Yellowstone National Park

PRICE

$1,850

CANCELATION POLICY

Sometimes life can get in the way of a good a thing. Hopefully that doesn’t happen during this workshop, but if it does the following cancelation policy applies.

• Cancel more than 120 days before the workshop start: Full refund minus $200 cancellation fee.

• Cancel 0 - 120 days before trip – no refund unless your spot is filled or the workshop gets canceled.

Should you have to cancel after the cancelation deadline and I can find a replacement for your space at full price, I’ll refund your full payment minus a $200 cancelation fee.

“Cancel for any reason” travel insurance is strongly encouraged.

Bison on the bank of the Yellowstone during an autumn photography workshop by Wardynski Photo. — Bison on the Bank of the Yellowstone River at sunrise

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is the closest airport to Gardiner Montana? The Bozeman airport (BZN) is the closest airport to Gardiner Montana where the workshop will base out of.

• Do I need a large prime lens for shooting wildlife? A prime lens is not required for this workshop. In fact, most participants bring zoom lenses. You're more than welcome to bring a prime lens if you'd like to squeeze out every last bit of light.

• Do I need a tripod for this workshop? You'll get the most out the trip if you bring a tripod. We'll be shooting some landscapes and a tripod will help you get the best shots.

• What is the ratio of of landscape & wildlife photography? We'll focus on a combination of landscape and wildlife photography on this workshop. The mail focus of the workshop will be wildlife photography, but Yellowstone is beautiful so we'll spend some time photographing Yellowstone Falls and the geothermal areas.

Yellowstone landscape and wildlife photography workshops in autumn.