Yellowstone Photography Tours

We are passionate about photography; in fact, all of the photos on this site (with the exception of the historical photos) were taken by Yellowstone Insight owner, MacNeil Lyons.

From professional photographers to point-and-shoot hobbyists, we can tailor the tour to meet your individual interest and photography goals.  We will strive to capture some of Yellowstone’s finer compositions each day.  Your guide’s skill and insights will help to position you and your equipment appropriately for the right light and in advance of wildlife.  Discuss your goals with us – we can plan a trip that should exceed your expectations!  Bring your “Top 10 Shot List” along and we will do our best to check them off!  It is our hope that you can expand your creative side among Yellowstone’s one-of-a-kind landscapes that are just teeming with life!

We hope that you join us with an advanced understanding of your personal camera equipment.  We would like to spend the precious time on tour not thumbing through your camera’s manual, but rather, be set up for ideal situations and scenarios that are unique to Yellowstone’s natural resources.

Tour Times

Your guide will plan to meet you early to take advantage of sunrise opportunities.

Summer Season – 5:00am   •   Winter Season – 6:00am

Sample Itinerary

Your personal and private Photography Tour begins before dawn to take advantage of the sunrise opportunities. We will meet you at your lodging or another pre-determined location.

During a typical one day Photography Tour, we will strive to capture some of Yellowstone’s finer compositions.  We will start the morning road-based, with a stop-and-go technique for seizing the favorable light or suitable subjects as we come across them. Bring a variety of lenses, as even the smaller aspects of the park can be entertaining. From a macro look at the lichen on the rock, or a small wildflower all the way up to a vast valley landscape full of magnificent bison.

A few standout moments while on a previous photography tour that can truly be considered, once-in-a-lifetime events:

  • In late September, we were the only people present as the Canyon Pack wolves singled out, chased and took down a cow elk just 60 yards from where we stood.
  • On the last day of May, on an undisclosed trail, we photographed a pack of wolves attack an adult grizzly bear just a few hundred yards away from us.

It is our hope that you can expand your creative side among Yellowstone’s one-of-a-kind landscapes that are just teeming with subjects to photograph! Each day in Yellowstone promises greatness.  All we need to do is open our eyes to what story might unfold during our time on tour. We will do our best to plan a trip that should exceed your expectations.

Choose a single day tour to focus in-depth on one topic or select a different subject for each day of a multi-day tour.

INCLUDED

  • door-to-door guide service
  • an upscale continental breakfast
  • beverages
  • binoculars (Nikon & Bushnell)
  • high-powered spotting scopes (Swarovski and Nikon) managed by your guide.

NOT INCLUDED

  • gratuities for your guide
  • Yellowstone National Park entrance fee
  • airfare
  • transportation to/from airport
  • hotel accommodations
  • rental car

Imagine the piercing eyes of a wild predator staring right back at you through your telephoto lens. Picture yourself photographing a quiet moment with an elusive forest creature or capturing a lightning strike over a waterfall.

Get inspired by scrolling through our gallery or click on a photo to learn more!

Company Disclaimer: as wildlife is exactly that – wild – there are no guarantees we can achieve “headshots” of wolves and bears. We will abide park regulations of 25yrds from all animals with the exception of wolves and bears, where 100yrds will be maintained. We will certainly do our best to make your day’s sightings match your expectations!

Tour Rates


Children under 5 are free!

ONE-DAY TOUR RATES

1-2 people = $850.00
3-4 people = $1,050.00
5-6 people = $1,250.00

MULTI-DAY RATES

Additional days after the first will be discounted at the amount of $50 per day.

Ready to book your yellowstone experience?

Testimonials

Wow, Wow and Wow!

“We used Yellowstone Insight and had the best day.  After the tour my grandson said , I learned more today about history than I’ve learned all year in school I think that sums it up. If you are thinking of calling MacNeil - do it! You will not be sorry.”

Kerry
Scottsdale, Arizona

MacNeil Lyons, The Best Yellowstone Guide Ever!

This guy is a master at coordinating a three-generation Yellowstone trip! In August our family, including grandchildren ages 14,11, and 9, spent two fabulous days learning about Yellowstone with MacNeil. He turned the geology of Yellowstone into a science lab, on a walk we "discovered" a Bison carcass, and all of this plus plenty of fun and a great breakfast to meet the needs of all ages. He is a smart and funny charmer. Don't even think about going to Yellowstone without talking to MacNeil first!

Jim P.
Bainbridge Island, WA

Exceeded our expectations by a wide margin!

Beth and I wanted to let you know how great our tour was. You did an outstanding job for us and it exceeded our expectations by a wide margin. We really enjoyed the time we had together and it was the highlight our trip and a fabulous wedding anniversary present for Beth. It was very memorable and only gets better in the retelling...!

J. Levine
Australia

MacNeil is an excellent guide, ranks up there with the very best!

MacNeil is an excellent guide, I've spent some time with wildlife guides both at home and  abroad and he ranks up there with the very best.

Dan and Hazel

The best day ever spent in nature! Thanks for making a magical experience!

Wow. Simply wow! Nancy and I are still reverberating with all we saw and learned on Sunday.  It was the best day, by far, that either of us has ever spent in nature, so many thanks for making it such a magical experience. He's an amazing naturalist and guide...I've taken a series of Sierra natural history classes with "experts", but MacNeil was by far the best.

Ellen
San Francisco

Better than advertised…guys like you make trips to Yellowstone, Lifetime Events!

We had a fantastic time with you! Better than advertised and would highly recommend you to anyone considering a great adventure in Yellowstone. We are all very impressed with your knowledge of the area and its wildlife, and your story telling. Guys like you make trips to Yellowstone ‘lifetime events’ that won't be soon forgotten.

Vicki & John
Houston, Texas

The most memorable visit I have ever had!

Thank you MacNeil for an absolutely fabulous trip and for your patience and expertise which made this one of the most memorable visits I have ever had, anywhere! I do hope to be able to come over to see you all again before too long.

David, Doha, Qatar

Thanks for providing a customized & memorable adventure for us!

Thank you so much for a phenomenal three days. Your vast knowledge and excitement  about Yellowstone brought so much more depth, meaning, and life to our experience than we could have gotten on our own. With your photography expertise and use of scopes, we were all able to come away with amazing photos. We greatly appreciated your attention to detail, thoughtfulness, and hearing about your experiences in the area. Thank you for going out of your way to provide a customized and most memorable adventure for us.

Bob, Sandy, & Shari
Maryland

Worth Every Penny!

My family was able to visit Yellowstone in September.  We hired MacNeil and were truly impressed by his knowledge of the park and wildlife.  The kids were able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, bull elk fight beside a mother grizzly bear and her 3 cubs.  The kids are still talking about the experience months later and always ask when they can see MacNeil again!  I think we will have to schedule another trip to Yellowstone just for MacNeil. The guided experience was worth every penny.  I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who would be in the area. You would never realize how much you have missed on your own in the park until you have spent a day out with MacNeil.

Beth H.
Missouri

Appreciated the geology, botany, history and current political dilemmas!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day with you. We saw so much and learned so much about so many different aspects of Yellowstone while you made our day comfortable, safe and fun. Pretty amazing that we were able to see so many animals in a day. Wolves, grizzly, fox, coyote, bison, mountain goats, big horn sheep, elk, raven (I probably left something out). I appreciated the geology, botany, history, and current political dilemmas. Thanks so much for guiding us, and for all you do on behalf of Yellowstone and it's creatures.

The Wilson's
Portland, OR

Being able to see the places you hold dear to your heart made us enjoy Yellowstone even more!

From the first moment, you made our journey enjoyable. We all benefited from your upbeat personality and vast amount of knowledge. You showed us the wolves in their natural habitat and how to detect different animal remains... Being able to see the places you hold dear to your heart really made us enjoy Yellowstone even more. Once again, thank you for taking us on a journey we all immensely enjoyed!

YSD High School
Denver, CO.

Both our boys are on the autism spectrum, yet with your help, you engaged them the whole time!

You were very knowledgeable and personable and we all learned a lot from your time with us.  The time and preparation you put into having things for the boys was so appreciated! Both of our boys are on the autism spectrum, so we knew the tour would be a real stretch for them... We hoped to keep them a little engaged and make it through at least a few hours... Instead, we made it almost the whole time with your help...  It was a wonderful experience for our family.

The Robbins
Houston, TX