Harpy Eagles, Brazil

For many Naturetrek guests, photography is simply a tool for cataloguing the incredible diversity of wildlife that can be found on our natural history holidays. However, for others the ability to create a lasting impression of a particularly beautiful, unique or unusual subject is just as important as the pursuit of the animal itself. Our group holidays cater for both such interests, with all of our tours suitable for those with a secondary interest in photography, as well as dedicated photography departures which are specifically designed for those requiring the time and space to maximise their photographic opportunities.

During our group photography departures, we take care to ensure that our guests are able to make optimum use of timing and lighting, and we will also provide expert tuition by professional photography leaders. There are times, however, when wildlife photography is not so conducive to group travel, and this is becoming more common with the growing number of specialist photography hides being set up throughout the world which can generally only accommodate a couple of guests at a time. Luckily, our Naturetrek Tailormade team are on hand to offer specialist holidays for smaller groups or individuals who would like to embark on a hide-based photography tour. This particular type of travel does generally require a great deal of patience, as the wildlife does not perform on cue, and one should expect to spend many hours in the hide, often in quite cramped conditions. Those who do so, however, can expect to be rewarded with some superb photographic opportunities, which are impossible to achieve elsewhere. Below we have described two of our favourite wildlife photography encounters that we are able to organise for Tailormade clients:

Those who have recently watched David Attenborough’s Seven Worlds One Planet documentary will have been enthralled by the captivating footage of the critically endangered Iberian Lynx that was shown in the series’ European episode. Unlike the BBC film crew who were initially unable to find these elusive cats, our expert naturalist guides spend each day tracking the Lynx, and so our groups have achieved excellent success in finding them. In addition to tracking by vehicle and on foot, a specialist photography hide has recently been set up offering the unique opportunity to photograph them at close quarters. A female and two kittens have regularly been sighted at the hide for a year now, while a male visits during the mating season. Due to its remarkable success rate the hide is virtually fully booked throughout the winter season. However, our guides do have some availability for Naturetrek guests at the end of February which would be suitable for any photography enthusiast looking for a mid-winter break.

The opportunity to see the majestic Harpy Eagle is a wildlife experience that is understandably on the bucket-list for many intrepid naturalists. This powerful raptor is notoriously elusive and so for the last couple of years we have been thrilled to achieve great success with this species in Panama’s Darien Province and Brazil’s Amazon Basin. In Brazil, we work with researchers who are constantly monitoring the presence of the Harpies, and our local operators are often able to set up towers high above the ground enabling fantastic photography at eye-level to the nest. We were recently delighted to hear of a chick born in the basin, and guests have been enjoying views from a tower just 36m from the nest. Whilst this particular mother and chick duo are only likely to stay around continuously until mid-January, our local guides know of plenty of other nests, and so to date our guests travelling on a Harpy-photography holiday have achieved a 100% success rate for sighting the species. Generally, these towers are only suitable for groups of up to four guests, so are a perfect option for those travelling on Tailormade holidays, and these visits can be organised as stand-alone trips, as part of a longer Tailormade photography holiday, or even as an extension to one of our popular group holidays to Brazil.

For further information or to organise your own Tailormade photography holiday please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..