Magic in the Tetons is a wonderful, amazing woman’s photography retreat held in Moose, Wyoming.

We’re not in from Allen, Texas anymore!

This retreat will have you wandering and photographing all over The Grand Tetons National Park!

It is organized and guided by the lovely Kristen Ryan of Kristen Ryan Photography.  It’s just women, and was so refreshing in many ways.

The fresh, cool mountain air was delightful, the scenery was stunning, and I was so reminded of my life before kids as a national park traveller.  While I did miss the hubby and the kiddos, I so enjoyed the woman camaraderie!

We were up early, out late, napping during the day.  It was so worth it.  It was refreshing and amazing to connect with nine other like minded woman outdoor adventurers braving the dark and cold together with our cameras.   All of the ladies would just get up and go when we needed to, (except me who was the only one to  miss an afternoon shoot to nap),  we shared bits about our lives and our photography art.

I learned so much – how to set up my tripod quickly, how to shoot 1 scene with different exposures – exposure bracketing,  how to identify a bison sound in the pitch black (thank you – You Tube!), how to gaze at more stars than you’ve ever seen in your life, shutter painting, how to run with your camera from a ghost bear, shooting the night sky for stacking, long exposure photography over a lake, filters, to love clouds in landscapes, and more that I am forgetting.   On the editing side, I’m learning star stacking, luminosity actions, and how to combine those exposure bracketing images into a beautiful image.  It’s been two months since I’ve been back yet I am still learning!

The Milky Way – the sky lights up the night!

You know how much I love the MILKY WAY – here’s my learning curve and tips on shooting the Milky Way – from that article you can see how long I’ve been wanting to learn how to shoot it.  Upon our arrival to Wyoming, the weather indicated we’d have a lot of clouds all week long.  Clouds are great for sunrise and sunset, but not great at all for astrophotography.  Inside I was a bit sad about this – as I’ve read so much about the amazing dark skies in Wyoming!  I wanted to see them, to remember what it was like as a child to look up into the night sky. Thankfully we had a few night of delightfully clear skies,  and Wyoming DOES not disappoint as there were stars in almost every space in the sky.   While photographing the barn at Mormon Row one evening,  we did have an experience with a herd of elk, an animated horse, and a bison! THAT will never be forgotten!!! Scroll down and gasp at those stars.

Then, take a guess as to which image is currently my google screensaver!!!

Ohh the night of a million stars . . .

This is the Snake River, a spot made famous as photographed by Ansel Adams in 1949.

On our last day, we were on the hunt for a copse of aspen trees, to try  this panning technique.  So this “blur” is all done in camera – different and kinda cool!

More info you say?  Of course – Eliz Alex Photography (est. 2010) specializes in photographing families and children in Plano, Texas; Allen Texas; Frisco, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas areas.  Please message me to schedule your family’s photographic adventure!

Little people call her Camera Girl.  Elizabeth’s little people, two boys, call her Mommy.  She calls on her Canon, enthusiasm for the outdoors, creativity as a former toy maker, excitement for discovery, and addiction to Starbucks coffee to guide the littles, middles, and their families on photographic adventures.  Elizabeth’s love of nature and volunteer work at a local conservancy keep her connected to the land, and always seeking new settings where she can capture the natural light, the beauty of the local fauna, and the candid and the magical moments of the families she guides.