Big Bend National Park Winter Landscapes & Wildlife

January 20 – January 25, 2026
Big Bend National Park, Texas

Join OM System Ambassador Lee Hoy in his home region at Big Bend National Park to be immersed in the winter wonderland of Big Bend National Park. Photographing landscapes in Big Bend National Park during winter offers a rare opportunity to capture the stark beauty of the desert under soft, golden light and cooler skies. The lower sun angle enhances the dramatic contours of the terrain, casting long shadows over the Chihuahuan Desert and highlighting the rugged features of the Chisos Mountains. Early morning mist in the Rio Grande Valley and the occasional dusting of snow on the high peaks add a unique and ethereal quality to photos. Iconic spots like Santa Elena Canyon and The Window Trail become even more striking with the interplay of winter light and color, offering breathtaking compositions for both wide-angle vistas and more intimate desert scenes. The lucky photographer may be rewarded with the rare snowfall, hoar frost or ice in the desert!

Wildlife photography in Big Bend during winter requires patience but rewards observant photographers with glimpses of elusive desert species. Cooler temperatures bring animals like mule deer, javelinas, and foxes out during daylight hours, and the park’s birdlife remains active, with species such as canyon wrens, hawks, and wintering birds. increasing your chances of spotting wildlife in their natural behavior. With a good telephoto lens and a steady hand or tripod, you can capture detailed portraits of these resilient creatures against the vast and varied backdrops of Big Bend’s canyons, riverbanks, and open desert.

Lee has taught countless nature photographers how to capture visually compelling landscape and wildlife images, and he enjoys it nowhere more than here in Big Bend National Park.

The Topics to Learn

Manual Exposure for Wildlife & Landscape Photography
Reading & Interpreting Natural Light (Light Quantity, Light Direction, Light Color & Light Quality)
Dealing With Extreme Tonal Differences – Exposure Bracketing & HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
Photographing Wildlife in Natural Settings
Fieldcraft for Approaching Wildlife Subjects & Landscape Scenes

Lee has taught these techniques worldwide, from Yellowstone National Park to the Galapagos Islands, Patagonia, Wyoming, and Alaska. Now, he’s bringing this knowledge to his favorite destination, Big Bend National Park offering a unique opportunity to learn at one of North America’s most unique national parks..

What’s Included:

Pre-workshop Zoom session for prep and Q&A
In-field instruction focusing on landscape photography
Opening presentation to prepare the photographers for capturing visually compelling images
Learning how to handle high contrast scenes with filters (built-in or external), exposure bracketing and HDR techniques
Post-workshop Zoom image critique

Learn from an OM System Ambassador
Lee has served as an OM System Ambassador since April 2019, and this workshop is in his own back yard!

Master the Trinity of Photography
You will understand the importance of each of the three elements of the Trinity of Photography (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) as they relate to landscape and wildlife photography.

Pre and Post Workshop Zoom Meetings to Facilitate the Learning Process
This workshop includes a group pre-workshop zoom meeting to help you prepare for the trip by discussing clothing, camera gear, accessories, travel suggestions, and more. It also includes a post workshop group zoom meeting for an image critique discussion for those who opt to share images for critique. Both sessions will be recorded and provided for repeated viewing.

Beautiful Winter Destination for Landscape & Wildlife Photography
Big Bend National Park is a great destination at this time of year. The weather is more mild (it can even be quite cold and potentially snow), the days are shorter so photographing sunrise and sunset is easier. With a wide variety of landscapes and wildlife, Big Bend is sure to produce some visually compelling images regardless of your photographic experience.

Trip Video of Highlights will be Provided
The workshop will be recorded through and a trip highlight video that will be provided to all participants post workshop!

Dates

The dates for the workshop is January 20 – January 25, 2026. The workshop begins at 4:00 pm on the 20th and concludes at 10:00 am on the 25th.

Group Size

Minimum Number of Participants is 6, Maximum is 10. Trip can be run at a lower size with increased trip fee.

Pricing

The price of the workshop is $2,349.00 which is paid in full upon registration.*See section below for what is included and not included.

Base Lodging

The workshop leader(s) will be staying at the Big Bend Station in Study Butte-Terlingua, Texas. This is where the opening session of the first day will be held.

Meals

The opening night’s meal (excluding alcohol) is included in the price of the event, all other meals are the responsibility of the participant.

Transportation

Participants are responsible for traveling to Study Butte-Terlingua, Texas and then around the park during the workshop. We recommend participants carpool as willing and able.

Nearest Airport

The closest major airport is in El Paso, Texas (airport code is ELP) or Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF). It is about a 3 hour drive with no stops and no traffic from either airport. El Paso is easier to access with much less traffic and construction, but you land in Mountain Standard Time and are traveling to Central Standard Time. I prefer El Paso over Midland.

Winter Landscapes & Wildlife Photography Workshop

*The price of the workshop includes guide services, pre and post trip zoom meeting, post workshop highlight video, and dinner on the opening night (Tuesday, January 20th). It does not include the following: transportation to and from Big Bend National Park; transportation around the park; alcoholic beverages; snacks; trip insurance (highly recommended); meals other than the opening dinner; airfare; national park entrance fee; lodging; and any other cost not specifically stated in what is included.

The participant may select any lodging of their choice, the workshop leader(s) will be staying at the Big Bend Station in Study Butte-Terlingua, Texas.

$2,349.00

Categories: OM System Only Photography Workshop, Photography Workshop

Workshop Related Information

Pre-Workshop Zoom Meeting

The pre-workshop Zoom Meeting will be Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 at 7:00 PM CST/8:00 PM EST. Participants will receive an email with the link within one week of the date of the meeting!

Cancellation Policy

The cancellation policy is as follows:

Cancellation on or before October 20th the participant will receive a full refund.
Cancellation after October 20th will result in forfeiture of the entire price of the workshop.

Post Workshop Image Critique

The post workshop image critique will be held via Zoom on February 12, 2026. Participants will receive an email with the meeting link following the workshop.