Arrive in Bozeman, where you will be greeted and picked up for the scenic drive toward Cooke City and Skyline Guest Ranch. As you travel, the landscape slowly shifts from valley farmland into rugged mountain country, hinting at the wild week ahead. Keep your eyes open for early wildlife sightings along the way.

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At Skyline Guest Ranch, you will settle into your room, meet the hosts, and have time to unpack and breathe in the mountain air. In the evening, gather around the table for your first home-cooked ranch dinner, featuring hearty comfort food and warm conversation. 

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After dinner, Julia will lead a relaxed welcome session. You will go over the plan for the week, talk through gear, camera settings for wildlife, and what to expect from long, full days in the field. It is a gentle, grounding start before the early alarms begin.​​​

This is your first true field day, and it begins in the dark. Wake well before sunrise for hot coffee and a quick breakfast at the ranch, then head into Yellowstone toward the Lamar Valley. As the sky lightens, you will position yourselves to watch the day unfold in one of the most wildlife-rich valleys in North America. The focus this morning is on behavior and moments. Bison with calves, antelope moving through the sage, and the possibility of wolves pacing the valley are all on the list. With patience and quiet observation, you might also catch glimpses of foxes trotting along the hillsides or pausing to listen in the still air. You will spend the day following the light and the animals, stopping at pullouts and overlooks that give you the best vantage points. Lunch is a packed meal enjoyed near the car or at a quiet spot where you can keep your eyes on the landscape while you eat. As the sun drops lower in the sky, you will continue to work the evening light before returning to Skyline Guest Ranch for another delicious dinner. The night ends with time to review your images, charge batteries, and rest up for another full day.

Day three begins with another pre-dawn departure for the Lamar Valley, taking advantage of the morning light. By late morning, you will begin making your way toward Hayden Valley and the Yellowstone Lake region. This area is known for excellent bear viewing in spring, and your day will be shaped around finding and photographing grizzlies and black bears as they forage on hillsides, dig in open meadows, and move along the forest edges. Throughout the day, Julia will offer tips on composition, timing, and ethical wildlife photography, ensuring you capture strong images while giving animals plenty of space and respect. Back at Skyline Guest Ranch in the evening, you will enjoy dinner before gathering for a more formal editing workshop. With laptops open and memory cards at the ready, Julia will walk you through her workflow from import to export. Topics may include file organization, basic raw processing, color and contrast choices, and how to build a visual story from a sequence of images. This structured session gives you tools you can apply immediately during the rest of the retreat.

Sleep in this morning and enjoy a warm breakfast at Skyline before heading up into the high country of the Beartooth Mountains. The historic Beartooth Highway offers a beautiful change of scenery, with sweeping views, dramatic ridgelines, and a sense of open sky that feels entirely different from the valleys below. As you climb higher, keep your lens ready for mountain goats, golden eagles, moose, marmots, and other wildlife that thrive in this alpine environment. You will enjoy a picnic lunch on the summit of the pass, taking in the crisp mountain air and the wide, breathtaking landscape that stretches in every direction.

In the late afternoon, return to Skyline Guest Ranch for a relaxed editing session where you can review images, organize your files, and put new skills into practice. After an early ranch dinner, the group will head back into the Lamar Valley for a dedicated sunset shoot. Evening light floods the valley with warmth, wildlife becomes active again, and the golden hour often brings some of the most memorable photographs of the entire week.

Day five is intentionally flexible, allowing the group to focus on the species and locations that feel most meaningful after a week of exploring Yellowstone. With guidance from your team and input from everyone, you may return to the Lamar Valley for wolves and bison calves, spend more time searching for bears by Yellowstone Lake, or follow reports of fox kits, elk calves, or bighorn sheep lambs. This open structure creates space for personal goals, creative curiosity, and the chance to pursue the wildlife encounters you still hope to capture. You will spend the entire day in the field, moving with the light and adjusting plans as wildlife activity unfolds. Lunch will be enjoyed on the go, so you never have to step far from the action. It is a final opportunity to deepen your skills, refine your eye, and savor the unique rhythm of photographing Yellowstone in wild spring. In the evening, return to Skyline Guest Ranch for a warm farewell dinner. It is a relaxed and celebratory night, filled with good food, shared stories, and the camaraderie that forms after days spent together in the field. This closing meal marks the perfect end to a week of learning, adventure, and unforgettable moments in America’s first national park.

On your final morning, enjoy a lingering breakfast at Skyline Guest Ranch!
 

You will then load up for the drive back to Bozeman, offering one last drive through the breathtaking northern region of Yellowstone National Park.

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By the time you arrive in Bozeman, your memory cards will be full, your skills sharpened, and a part of your heart firmly rooted in this incredible corner of the world.