The right photography workshop can shape how you see the world long after the trip ends. This article explores how teaching style, ethics, group size, safety, and communication influence not just the images you make, but the experience itself.

There’s a unique rhythm to photographing nature’s extremes—the frost on a leaf and the caribou crossing a ridge. In this guide, I share how I plan a single trip to capture both ends of that spectrum, from macro to mammals, using a lightweight two-lens setup, location strategy, and ethical field practices that let nature lead the story.

What began as a long-anticipated photo safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Chobe River became a deeper creative and personal journey. In this reflection, I explore how setting aside expectations and embracing a slower, more intentional approach to photography allowed for more authentic storytelling—focusing not just on dramatic moments, but on the quiet, often-overlooked connections that reveal the true spirit of place.