The cloud forest is a world apart from what many think of when they picture the tropical latitudes. Standing over 8,000 feet in elevation, these high mountain forests begin to feel a lot like the Smoky Mountains of the southern Appalachians had a one-night stand with tropical paradise after too much rum, and this was the result. Oaks and elms, those hardy species of colder temperate zones, covered in thick carpets of moss, find refuge here atop the mountains and mix with tropical palms and about 800 other species of trees that challenge pronunciation. Metric tons of epiphytic plants in the form of bromeliads and orchids seem to drip from every surface not covered in moss. And at times it feels like every bird, every flower, every reptile, every amphibian, is an endemic species found nowhere else on Earth – with new species being discovered every year.

Thanks to both the elevation and cold nature of cloud forests, where temperatures can dip into the 40s at night, life here has evolved in unique and myriad ways. Flowering plants, for instance, which depend on pollinators, have been forced to develop relationships with species of birds and mammals here, who themselves have radiated into a kaleidoscope of new species to fill these ecological niches. This is why Panama, a country the size of South Carolina, has 59 different species of hummingbirds, for instance (many of which we will see and photograph).

The Cloud Forest of Panama workshop will also be a master class in flash photography. Participants are not expected to know or understand flash beforehand, of course. This is, after all, a photography workshop and not just a tour.

Much of the workshop takes place from purpose-built blinds that allow us the opportunity to enter into the world of tropical wildlife in ways that would not be otherwise possible. This allows us to put in the time necessary to create extraordinary images of both tropical birds and mammals from close distances.

This workshop is specifically timed to provide us with the best opportunities for resplendent quetzals. Considered by many to be the most beautiful bird in the world, these extraordinary members of the trogon family are a primary focus of this workshop. Our time in the cloud forests coincides with the statistical peak of when these birds are the most active bringing food to their young.

If you are interested in bird photography, in how working photographers utilize blinds/hides and how you can apply this to your photography back home, in learning to master flash, in photographing species few people have ever seen let alone photographed, in multi-flash hummingbird photography, and the adventure and jaw dropping beauty of the tropics without the blistering heat and drenching humidity, then this is the workshop for you.

NEW FOR 2025

Before we head into the mountains, we will spend two full days exploring the gallery forests along the Panama Canal and Lago Gatun in search of wildlife such Geoffroy’s tamarins, white-faced capuchins, tiger herons, toucans, snail kites, and so much more.

This addition to the workshop doubles the diversity of species we will have the opportunity to photograph and is one of my favorite locations in all of Panama.