David W. Shaw Photo Workshops & Tours
The Best Places.
The Best Times.
Alaska & Beyond · Small Groups · Expert Guidance
Personal Knowledge
Every trip I lead is somewhere I've been, photographed, and know intimately. I don't send you somewhere new to me — I take you somewhere I love, at exactly the right time of year, to exactly the right places. That's the difference between a tour and an experience.
Regional Expertise
I lived and worked in Alaska for over 20 years — it's not a destination for me, it's home. After relocating to Salida, Colorado, I've built the same depth of knowledge across the Mountain West. I know where the wildlife will be, when the light will be right, and how to get you there. For destinations further afield — Botswana and Brazil — I work exclusively with locally-owned operators who know their home the way I know mine.
Professional Experience
Photography is what I do, not a hobby I've turned into a business. I'm a working wildlife photographer and biologist with hundreds of publication credits in national magazines and conservation publications. I teach because I'm genuinely passionate about the craft — and because I know what separates a good image from a great one.
Individual Attention
My groups are small by design — usually five to eight photographers. That means you get real feedback, real instruction, and real access to me throughout the trip. Not a workshop where you're competing with twenty other people for a good angle.
































