Are you ready to take some EPIC images in one of the most remote locations we visit?
In a land where you feel time has forgotten, live the Kazakh people that embrace traditions as old as the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria. A people who conquered part of northern China around 940AD.
Today, approximately 250 Kazakh men live in the western Mongolia province of Bayan-Olgi and carry on a tradition first depicted by the Khitan archives. This tradition is “horse riding eagle falconry”. The skill of using a Golden Eagle to capture prey while riding through the mountains.
Now, every October, a festival to celebrate the traditions and the craft of eagle hunting on horseback occurs. During this festival, up to 70 eagle hunters gather for the annual Kazakh Golden Eagle Festival of Mongolia. And in 2014 participants as young as a 13yr old girl to an 85yr old man showed the intimate crowd the art of golden eagle hunting.
I had the pleasure of witnessing the synchronicity between man (and a girl) and eagle over the course of two entertaining days. Both hunter and eagle showing off the skills needed to once tip the scales between starvation and survival; now showing off the skills to still feed a family, but more to embrace the long-standing heritage and show off the prowess of the art of hunting fox.
As I sat there and watched the two work in tandem, I couldn’t help but wonder how close the bond had to be between a wild golden eagle that was taken after birth from a nest and a hunter. Was it a skill that the two mastered together, or was it some pavlovian instinct of the eagle to hunt, combined with man’s superior mind. Was the hunter using training methods of reward so the eagle would hunt?
My answer came to me after closely watching both men and bird during my time living with a Kazakh family in Western Mongolia. There, immersed in the ways of the past, watching the eagle live with the family, I spotted the first of many first tender moments of man and bird.
The bond did not spawn from the birds need to hunt, nor did it come from training, it came from creating a special, and unfathomable respect between a wild bird and a simple man. The man would command, the eagle would listen, instinctively hunt as it has done for centuries, then wait for the hunter to arrive with prey in its talons.
Since that trip over six (6) years ago, I have gotten to know more and more of the eagle hunters in Mongolia. I’ve met their families, watched the children grow, and now, many have become friends that I look forward to seeing every year I return.
It’s been 6 years, 14 workshops and 1 scouting trip since I first stepped foot in Mongolia. It’s become like a second home. I’ve Explored more of the country, met more people from all corners of the country, and the entire experience has become a passion for me.
In 2018 the Federal Government of Mongolia actually awarded me with a citation for my commitment to embracing the cultures, writing articles on the country and sharing my Mongolian photos with the world to increase awareness and tourism in Mongolia.
In 2019, after everything I have learned, we have made some changes to our workshops. We are taking our experience that we have in Mongolia, using our knowledge of the people, and the understanding of a culture, and taking our Mongolian workshops to the next level…
GET READY!!! We are going higher, we are going more remote, and we are exploring the country in every season. The cultural experience is becoming a larger part of our offerings, the action photography will be unparalleled, and the night skies will be explored in some of the most remote locations in the world.
All the active Mongolia Workshops are listed on our workshop page. New ones listed as they become available. Most sell out soon after we announce. So, below, I am listing the trips that are going to be announced soon. If you have questions, please contact me and I will make sure your name goes on a waiting list. You will be contacted before we sell out our Mongolia trips
Mongolia in October of 2019 - Join us as we photograph Mongolia’s vast, breathtaking landscapes, live in the Ger tents of the nomad as they have for over a thousand years, and hear the cry of a soaring golden eagle during our private eagle hunter sessions as they perform the ancient art of eagle falconry. Together, we will also journey deep into the heart of the Gobi desert and spend time with Bactrian camel herders in some of the longest-stretching sand dunes in the world. Shoot the uncountable number of stars in the night sky over your gear tent. Top it off with some of the oldest Buddhist temples and ruins, abundant wildlife and legendary Mongolian hospitality, and you come up with a recipe for a thrilling workshop in one of the most inviting and beautiful countries in the world, Mongolia.
This workshop is chock-full of customizations that we have created just for you: private festivals, traditional musicians and singers to perform for us and allow us to photograph them in their traditional dress. We have hired personal chefs to cook our meals, and temporary ger camps will be set up deep in the back country of Mongolian landscapes not many people ever the chance to see. You will photograph nomadic families herding their horses through the areas we have hand-picked for maximum photography impact, and also enjoy a private photoshoot with monks in a temple that will be closed off just for us. We will live with nomadic eagle hunters, to experience the real nomadic culture of Mongolia, and you will have the photography and tour guidance from Lisa LaPointe and Kevin Pepper, who currently has lead more photo workshops in these areas of Mongolia than anyone else on the planet.
DUE TO A CANCELLATION, ONE SPOT LEFT - Click Here to Contact Me
Mongolia in February of 2020 - In the remote areas of the Altai Mountains in Western Mongolia lies a culture that was first written about in the 9th century. History shows that the Kazakh people here have been carrying on a tradition of hunting with golden eagles. A tradition that was a way of life of the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China since 940AD.
In March of 2020 you will travel to a remote location to see a culture that most people do not even know exists. Now, you can travel there with Kevin, an experienced guide and Pro Photographer who has been travelling to this area for the last six (6) years to visit this small community of eagle hunters that he refers to as his friends. Kevin has so much experience in Mongolia with the nomadic people that he is the only International PRO photographer that has been acknowledged by the Mongolian Government with a citation. In 2018, he was honored by the Mongolian Government for his commitment to embracing the different cultures, increasing awareness and helping to grow tourism in Mongolia through his images and articles on the people, and the culture
Join Kevin as he photographs Mongolia’s vast, breathtaking landscapes, live in the Ger tents of the nomad as they have for over thousands of years, and hear the cry of a soaring golden eagle during our private eagle hunter sessions as they perform the ancient art of eagle falconry in a truly remote area of the globe.
Our trip will take place during the height of hunting season that the eagle hunters prepare for every year. The winter season. A time when you will be presented with some of the most visually stimulating images you will ever take, meet some of the most welcoming and honorable people you will ever meet. Not to mention, get immersed into an ancient culture that rival something you would see on documentaries and read about in magazines.
Are you ready for quite possibly the most unique photographic and cultural experience ever? Yes, you need to a good level of fitness, but this experience doesn't require you to be a marathoner or weightlifter. It's more about your ability to handle cold weather and sometimes harsh conditions—and of course we'll get you prepared with the right clothing and gear. If you are tenacious, able to handle long days, can sleep on a bed in a yurt, use an outside bathroom, have a great mental attitude, and want a unique cultural photography experience, this workshop is for you.
You'll be rewarded with photos that very few have in their portfolio, and an experience something that even fewer have undertaken. Our group is exclusive and small. Are you Ready?
NOT ANNOUNCED YET - Click Here to Contact Me
Mongolia in September of 2020 - JIn the remote areas of the Altai Mountains in Western Mongolia lies a culture that was first written about in the 9th century. History shows that the Kazakh people here have been carrying on a tradition of hunting with golden eagles. A tradition that was a way of life of the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China since 940AD. In September of 2020, we are taking you to this ancient culture so you can hear the cry of a soaring golden eagle during our private eagle hunter sessions in the Altai Mountains.
Together, we will also journey deep into the heart of the Gobi desert and spend time with Bactrian camel herders in some of the longest-stretching sand dunes in the world by day. By night, shoot the uncountable number of stars in the night sky over these dunes. Top it off with Mongolia’s vast, breathtaking landscapes, living in the Ger tents of the nomad as they have for over a thousand years, and the legendary Mongolian hospitality, and you come up with a recipe for a thrilling workshop in one of the most inviting and beautiful countries in the world, Mongolia.
This workshop is fully customized just for us: private festivals, traditional musicians perform, and allow us to photograph them in their traditional dress. We have hired personal chefs to cook our meals, and temporary ger camps will be set up deep in the back country of Mongolian landscapes not many people ever the chance to see. You will also enjoy a private photoshoot with monks in a temple that will be closed off just for us. The photography, editing and tour guidance will be lead by Lisa LaPointe and Kevin Pepper, who currently has lead more photo workshops in these areas of Mongolia than anyone else on the planet.
NOT ANNOUNCED YET - Click Here to Contact Me
If you want to know more, please contact us by CLICKING HERE