Program Directed by
Portia Watson
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Yellowstone
Photography Workshop in America's First National Park
With erupting geysers, endless grasslands teeming with wildlife, and gem-colored geothermal pools, Yellowstone National Park is the perfect place to explore the field of photography. This summer, venture into this geological wonderland with a team of talented photography instructors and your program expert to document bears and bison, pronghorns, wolves, elk, bald eagles, and more. Explore different photography techniques and styles through daily interactive lessons, take compelling landscape photos that capture the magic of this national park, and document its unique geologic phenomena through your camera’s lens.
- Highlights
• Practice landscape photography in the United States’ first national park
• Explore Yellowstone’s Geyser Basin and photograph Old Faithful
• Head out on a sunset shoot to document bison and elk at dusk
• Whitewater raft down the Yellowstone River with experienced guides
• Explore Yellowstone’s Geyser Basin and photograph Old Faithful
• Head out on a sunset shoot to document bison and elk at dusk
• Whitewater raft down the Yellowstone River with experienced guides
“We knew Yellowstone would be exciting but we had no idea how much difference the group leaders would make for enhancing the experience.”
—Stacey & Shay S., Little Rock, AR
Featured
Expert
An Expert joins each Career program for a portion of the itinerary, lending their insights and perspectives to the experience.
2025 Expert will be announced soon!
2025 Expert will be announced soon!
Drew Rush is a wildlife and natural history photographer with a passion for national parks. Before embarking on a career in photography, Drew spent ten years guiding on the Snake River and taking people into the heart of Yellowstone National Park. His...
Drew Rush is a wildlife and natural history photographer with a passion for national parks. Before embarking...
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and leaders in Bozeman, Montana. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Bozeman & Yellowstone — 9 days
Begin your photo program with two nights in the mountain town of Bozeman, Montana, get to know your group, and prepare for your time in Yellowstone National Park. Once inside the park, delve into the art and technique of photography, working in small groups with your accomplished photo instructors and program expert. Head out on photo shoots each day, trying out new techniques with the wildlife and landscapes you encounter. Practice managing light and depth of field, work with flash, and learn to improve your composition. Then return to the classroom to review and edit your images and prepare for the next day’s assignment.
Settle into our accommodations near the National Park, and enjoy beautiful mountain views and opportunities to observe the park’s fascinating wildlife. Hone your eye for great landscape shots during visits to vibrant hot springs, geyser basins, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Find your adventurous spirit while hiking to dramatic vistas and through fields of alpine wildflowers.
In the evenings, tell stories around a campfire, review the day’s images, and work on editing your photos for final presentations. Head back out after dark to photograph Yellowstone’s nocturnal ecosystems. Capture the glow of golden hour during a sunset shoot in the Lamar Valley, practice taking wildlife photos in low lighting, and master the art of star photography under Yellowstone’s vast night sky.
Spend your last two days back in Bozeman, organizing and editing your work, and working with your group to curate and install a pop-up gallery show featuring each student’s original images.
Return — Travel Day
Head to Bozeman’s Yellowstone International Airport for independent flights home, or arrange for parent or guardian pick-up from Montana State University dorms. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and leaders in Bozeman, Montana. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Bozeman & Yellowstone — 9 days
Begin your photo program with two nights in the mountain town of Bozeman, Montana, get to know your group, and prepare for your time in Yellowstone National Park. Once inside the park, delve into the art and technique of photography, working in small groups with your accomplished photo instructors and program expert. Head out on photo shoots each day, trying out new techniques with the wildlife and landscapes you encounter. Practice managing light and depth of field, work with flash, and learn to improve your composition. Then return to the classroom to review and edit your images and prepare for the next day’s assignment.
Settle into our accommodations near the National Park, and enjoy beautiful mountain views and opportunities to observe the park’s fascinating wildlife. Hone your eye for great landscape shots during visits to vibrant hot springs, geyser basins, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Find your adventurous spirit while hiking to dramatic vistas and through fields of alpine wildflowers.
In the evenings, tell stories around a campfire, review the day’s images, and work on editing your photos for final presentations. Head back out after dark to photograph Yellowstone’s nocturnal ecosystems. Capture the glow of golden hour during a sunset shoot in the Lamar Valley, practice taking wildlife photos in low lighting, and master the art of star photography under Yellowstone’s vast night sky.
Spend your last two days back in Bozeman, organizing and editing your work, and working with your group to curate and install a pop-up gallery show featuring each student’s original images.
Return — Travel Day
Head to Bozeman’s Yellowstone International Airport for independent flights home, or arrange for parent or guardian pick-up from Montana State University dorms. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Photography Workshop
This program is designed for students to learn photography skills in the classroom and apply them in one of the world’s most iconic and picturesque places. Students benefit from personal guidance from professional photographers and a program expert who have extensive experience in the field and working with students. Participate in daily photography lessons, edit-and-critique sessions, and field assignments. Capture photos of elk and bison, hone your eye on the colors of Wyoming’s canyons and geysers, practice star photography, and work on motion photography with Yellowstone’s many waterfalls. On some days, the group will prioritize waking up before sunrise, as the early morning hours are prime for spotting wildlife, and the soft, diffused light makes for stunning photographic opportunities. On other days, we may choose to extend our shooting hours into the evening instead. The late summer sunsets provide a unique opportunity to capture the landscape bathed in warm, golden hues and another good chance to see wildlife. Students will be split into smaller groups during interactive photography tutorials and experiences while coming back together as one big group for presentations, editing time, and classroom lectures. The program culminates with a pop-up gallery presentation of the students’ work, and students come away from the program with an improved understanding of camera controls and a solid understanding of how to create successful images.
Technology
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to the program, and keep their devices throughout. During in-country orientation, leaders will lock phones with a code, unlocking them for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer travel program. This photography workshop includes several active excursions such as hiking and rafting. It is important that you have a desire to be active, and that you are interested in trying all activities, including hiking and rafting.
Accommodations
In Bozeman, we stay in dormitory-style single room accommodations. For our time in Yellowstone, we stay at a small lodge close to the entrance of the park. Classrooms are equipped with projectors so we can share and critique our work.
Meals
While on campus in Bozeman, the group takes the majority of their meals in the campus dining hall or outside with picnics and meals to order. In Yellowstone, we pack lunches for days of exploration, or stop at Yellowstone’s many cafeterias and restaurants.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Photography Workshop
This program is designed for students to learn photography skills in the classroom and apply them in one of the world’s most iconic and picturesque places. Students benefit from personal guidance from professional photographers and a program expert who have extensive experience in the field and working with students. Participate in daily photography lessons, edit-and-critique sessions, and field assignments. Capture photos of elk and bison, hone your eye on the colors of Wyoming’s canyons and geysers, practice star photography, and work on motion photography with Yellowstone’s many waterfalls. On some days, the group will prioritize waking up before sunrise, as the early morning hours are prime for spotting wildlife, and the soft, diffused light makes for stunning photographic opportunities. On other days, we may choose to extend our shooting hours into the evening instead. The late summer sunsets provide a unique opportunity to capture the landscape bathed in warm, golden hues and another good chance to see wildlife. Students will be split into smaller groups during interactive photography tutorials and experiences while coming back together as one big group for presentations, editing time, and classroom lectures. The program culminates with a pop-up gallery presentation of the students’ work, and students come away from the program with an improved understanding of camera controls and a solid understanding of how to create successful images.
Technology
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to the program, and keep their devices throughout. During in-country orientation, leaders will lock phones with a code, unlocking them for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer travel program. This photography workshop includes several active excursions such as hiking and rafting. It is important that you have a desire to be active, and that you are interested in trying all activities, including hiking and rafting.
Accommodations
In Bozeman, we stay in dormitory-style single room accommodations. For our time in Yellowstone, we stay at a small lodge close to the entrance of the park. Classrooms are equipped with projectors so we can share and critique our work.
Meals
While on campus in Bozeman, the group takes the majority of their meals in the campus dining hall or outside with picnics and meals to order. In Yellowstone, we pack lunches for days of exploration, or stop at Yellowstone’s many cafeterias and restaurants.
A Day in the Life: Yellowstone
Due to the dynamic nature of this summer program, each day is different and the group remains flexible throughout the program to take advantage of photo opportunities as they arise. Here is a sample day in Yellowstone:
- Morning
6:00am
Shoot during sunrise and prime wildlife spotting hours in Yellowstone National Park
8:00am
Break into smaller teams shooting in and around the park
10:00am
Break for snacks before heading back to our accommodations
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Join a group critique led by instructors to discuss each student’s top images
1:00pm
Enjoy lunch and downtime before heading out on your afternoon assignments
5:00pm
Eat dinner together as a group at our accommodations
- Evening
7:00pm
Group meeting to discuss the day and learn about the next day’s activities
9:00pm
Continue reviewing and editing your images or relax with friends before lights-out
A Day in the Life:
Yellowstone
Due to the dynamic nature of this summer program, each day is different and the group remains flexible throughout the program to take advantage of photo opportunities as they arise. Here is a sample day in Yellowstone:
- Morning
6:00am
Shoot during sunrise and prime wildlife spotting hours in Yellowstone National Park
8:00am
Break into smaller teams shooting in and around the park
10:00am
Break for snacks before heading back to our accommodations
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Join a group critique led by instructors to discuss each student’s top images
1:00pm
Enjoy lunch and downtime before heading out on your afternoon assignments
5:00pm
Eat dinner together as a group at our accommodations
- Evening
7:00pm
Group meeting to discuss the day and learn about the next day’s activities
9:00pm
Continue reviewing and editing your images or relax with friends before lights-out
“He not only learned a great deal of technical skills, but the guidance and support from the leaders and experts were were exceptional. Additionally, he cultivated strong friendships and bonds with the other students that continued even after the trip.”
— Rachael & David S., Rydal, PA
Program Directed by
Portia Watson
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
