Discover: NANPA Summit 2025
Field Trips
Get Out In the World!
A highlight of the NANPA Summit Experience is the lineup of field trips. From on-site guided Bird Walk & Photo Walks to in the field adventures in Saguaro National Park and other nearby locations, you will want to sign up for one (or more!) of our Field Trips! You can sign up for a field trip when you Register for the Summit, and if you are already registered, you will be sent instructions on how to register before this opens to the new registrants! To ensure as many attendees as possible can attend, each Field Trip slot has a $25 Reservation Fee when you sign up.
Thursday, May 15th
Slow Motion Video (In the Field)
with Tim Timmis (for Wednesday Super Session Participants)
Conquering the Desert Chaos
with Wayne Suggs / Sponsored by Muench Workshops
Desert Discovery Trail / Saguaro NP
with Don Carter
Night Photography in Saguaro NP
with Gabriel Biderman / Sponsored by B&H
NOTE: For “off-site” Field Trips, transportation is NOT provided by NANPA and will need to be coordinated on your own. NANPA / ASMP is not responsible for the activities on or during these Field Trips, and you agree that you attend and engage with these various trips at your own risk. NANPA / ASMP is helping to coordinate them as a courtesy to all Summit Attendees.
Friday, May 16th
Languages of Light / A Photowalk
with Karen Hutton / Sponsored by Fujifilm
Bird Photography Around the Hotel
with Kathy Adams Clark / Sponsored by Strabo Tours
Slow Motion Video (Review Session)
with Tim Timmis (for Wednesday Super Session Participants)
Saturday, May 17th
Tucson Botanical Gardens
with Brenda Tharp & Jed Manwaring
Thursday, May 15
Slow Motion Video (In the Field)
Tim Timmis | 6:30am – 8:30am
As a follow-up to his “How to Take Slow-Motion Wildlife Videos” Super Session, Tim will lead the group around the hotel grounds to practice taking slow motion videos. The grounds are natural and filled with birds, lizards, butterflies, flowers, etc. so we should be able to capture videos of several different subjects. Please bring your camera/lens, tripod/fluid head, extra batteries and memory cards. A zoom lens in the 100-400 range would be ideal. On the following day, we will meet in the hotel to review the videos that you captured in the “Slow-Motion Video Review” session.
Conquering the Desert Chaos: Mastering Composition and Creative Techniques in Saguaro NP / Sponsored by Muench Workshops
Wayne Suggs | 6:15pm – 10:00pm
The desert is wild, unpredictable, and full of photographic potential. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to embrace the chaos and turn it into a visual masterpiece. We’ll delve into the art of composition—finding balance and order amid the unpredictable environment—and explore advanced techniques like focus stacking to ensure your images are razor-sharp from foreground to background.
We’ll also take a deep dive into wide-angle photography, unlocking its potential to create immersive, dynamic scenes that capture the vastness and texture of the desert landscape. Whether it’s dramatic skies, intricate cacti, or sweeping dunes, you’ll walk away with the skills to confidently tell the story of the desert in all its raw beauty. Get ready to thrive in the unpredictable and see the desert through a whole new lens!
Desert Discovery Trail / Saguaro National Park
Don Carter | 6:00pm – 9:00pm
The Desert Discovery Trail, is a short, paved trail that offers easy access to the Sonoran Desert. This trail features many large and impressive saguaros along with impressive views of Avra Valley to the west and the Quinlan Mountains and the Baboquivari Mountains to the southwest. You can leave the paved trail to wander the desert and find that perfect saguaro for your sunset foreground.
This is the desert; it does have things that sting and bite so proper attire is required. The experts say there is no such thing as a jumping cholla cactus, but I don’t believe them. Also, bring a hat, headlamp, sunscreen, and plenty of water. The parking at Saguaro West is limited, so we will meet at the Red Hills Visitors Center on Kinney Road and ride share to the trailhead.
Night Photography in Saguaro National Park
Sponsored by B&H Photo Video
Gabriel Biederman | 6:30pm – 10:30pm
Saguaro National Park is an amazing place to do night photography. The Saguaros stand tall like guardians under the stars and the rest of the landscape looks pretty surreal once the sun goes down.
Join B&H rep and National Parks at Night co-founder Gabriel Biderman on this unique dark sky field trip. Gabe will share his tips on focusing, composing and light painting at night in a very special and easy to navigate location in Saguaro National Park.
- Class is from 6:30pm-10:30pm – bonus sunset and moonrise opportunities!
- Class limited to 20 attendees.
- We’ll meet at the Red Hills Visitor Center and carpool to the specific location that only has 6 parking spots.
Friday, May 16
Languages of Light / A Guided Photowalk
Sponsored by Fujifilm
Karen Hutton | 5:30am – 7:00am
Join award-winning photographer Karen Hutton for an immersive photowalk on the stunning grounds of the Westin La Paloma, where Tucson’s magical light speaks in a desert language waiting to be translated through YOUR unique vision.
What if light isn’t just something we photograph, but a language we can learn to speak through our own visual stories? During this journey, Karen will guide you in discovering your authentic presence, perception, and connection with light. Whether you’re working with professional gear or a smartphone, you’ll learn to recognize and capture those distinct “light languages” that transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary images.
You’ll leave with:
- Fresh ways to translate light’s language through your personal lens
- Practical skills you can apply anywhere, anytime
- A deeper understanding of how composition and light create emotion
- Techniques to infuse your images with YOUR distinctive voice
- New connections with fellow visual storytellers
Karen’s signature blend of technical expertise, artistic vision, and joyful exploration creates an experience that’s both educational and inspirational. Her unique ability to “hear” what light is saying allows her to help others discover their own visual voice.
Space is limited to ensure personal attention. Bring your camera of choice, comfortable walking shoes, and an open heart ready to experience light in an entirely new way!
Bird Photography Around the Hotel
Sponsored by Strabo Tours
Kathy Adams Clark | 6:15am – 8:15am
Join Kathy Adams Clark for a morning bird walk around the grounds of the La Paloma Resort. Target birds are great horned owl, Costa’s hummingbird, vermilion flycatcher, ash-throated flycatcher and more. The hotel grounds were landscaped with the help of the experts from the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. The mature landscaping and water features attract a wide variety of birds plus butterflies, lizards, and rabbits. Bring a lens in the 100-500mm, 80-400mm, or 160-600mm range. A tele-extender is helpful. No long walks are planned.
Slow Motion Video (Review Session)
Tim Timmis | 6:30am – 8:30am
As a follow-up to the “Slow-Motion Video Field Trip”, Tim will provide a critique of your videos that were taken on the hotel grounds. Tim will provide a critique and make suggestions for potential improvements. We will also discuss any follow-up questions that you may have about taking videos. Please bring a flash drive that can be plugged into Tim’s computer for viewing your video on the screen.
Saturday, May 17
Tucson Botanical Gardens
Brenda Tharp & Jed Manwaring | 8:30am – 10:00am
The Tucson Botanical Gardens connects people with plants and nature through art, science, history and culture.
Meet Your Guides:
Tim Timmis
Tim is a retired Chemical Engineer with his passion being wildlife photography. He has been an active wildlife photographer since 2005. With living close to Galveston, TX, he specializes in shorebird photography using a ground pod to get eye level with the birds. Tim has also made multiple photography trips to Yellowstone in winter, Lake Clark in Alaska for coastal brown bears and Churchill in Canada for polar bear photography.
Tim started taking slow motion videos using his Canon R3 mirrorless camera during his 2022 trip to Alaska. Capturing a coastal brown bear opening clams with her claws in slow motion is amazing. He won honorable mention for one of his slow-motion videos in the 2024 Audubon Photo Contest and had two videos selected in the top 15 videos for the 2023 Audubon Photo Contest. Tim has also led bird photography workshops and fieldtrips at Galveston’s FeatherFest since 2011. Visit www.timtimmis.com to see some of his photos. He also has a blog at www.timtimmisblog.com.
Karen Hutton
Karen Hutton is a Professional Fujifilm X-Photographer, award-winning Landscape & Travel Photographer, Mixed Media Artist, Kelbyone Instructor/Educator, Speaker, Author. Based in the American West of Nevada, Karen’s art has been exhibited in shows and installations throughout the U.S. and Japan, including Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, NYC and Tokyo. She and her work have been featured work in numerous magazines, podcasts and interviews. Project collaborations include: Fujifilm Global, Fujifilm North America, Fujifilm Original Photographic Paper, Gravity Haus Truckee, Ivor Andrew Ad Agency, Google, private art collectors – and many others.
A lifetime of creating photographically began as a child, after a transformational vision of light. Now her “artist’s paintbrush” is both her camera and digital mediums, where she creates art intended to uplift hearts, minds and souls.
In her words: “I believe that art is love made visible. That Awe is a prime emotion given to us by the Creator for its power of transformation. And that the more we experience it, the happier + lighter we become. I believe in discernment, truth, wisdom, strong artistic choices, love and the power of uplifting others.”
Through stunning imagery, humor, thought-provoking ideas and a genuinely positive outlook, she inspires people to discover their artistic voice in photography — while making it all feel like an unforgettable and eyeopening adventure. Adoring fans + customers call her “Pure JOY, LIGHT & absolute FUN!”, “An inspirational gem” and “Incredibly artistic. Captivatingly genius. World class!”
Wayne Suggs
Wayne Suggs, a native of New Mexico, has been photographing the Southwest for almost 50 years. His love for the landscape was ingrained through family explorations and camping trips with his parents and siblings. For Wayne, pressing the shutter is secondary to experiencing the wild places, solitude, and being completely immersed in nature.
Photography has allowed him to explore even more, give back, and be a voice for the environment. Wayne’s work can be seen in many local and national publications. He has authored five books, with his latest coffee table book, The Color of Dreams.
Wayne has been a Pro with Muench Workshops since 2016. His work can be seen in galleries throughout the State of New Mexico and also on his website at www.waynesuggsphotography.com.
Gabriel Biderman
Gabriel Biderman has been has been involved in the photo industry for over 30 years. Over the last 24, Gabe has been working for the marketing department at B&H Photo. There he honed his event marketing skills at trade shows, seminars and workshops as well as worked with professional creatives all over the world.
Gabriel is also the co-founder of National Parks at Night, the leading source for night photography education and hands-on workshops since 2015. He has also been teaching night photography online with Creative Live, B&H, schools (Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Maine Media Workshops) and at various trade shows and institutions since 2008. Gabe has photographed numerous eclipses since 2017 and he is the author (with Tim Cooper) of Night Photography – From Snapshots to Great Shots. His work has been exhibited in New York, London, San Francisco, and Hawaii.
Kathy Adams Clark
Kathy Adams Clark has been a professional nature photographer since 1995. She enjoys talking to photographers who are trying to find marketing opportunities for their work.
Kathy’s photos have been published in hundreds of places including Family Fun,, Nature’s Best, New York Times, Birder’s World, and Ranger Rick. AAA Journey, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Highways magazines have used Kathy’s photos on their cover. Her photos have also appeared in numerous books and calendars including the Barnes & Noble Ireland Countryside Calendar, the cover of the Arbor Foundation Rainforest Calendar, and the Sierra Engagement Calendar. Kathy’s photos of Houston were compiled into a calendar offered in Costco.
Her photos appear every week in the “Nature” column in the Houston Chronicle written by her husband, Gary Clark. Kathy and Gary have worked with national publishing houses to produce ten books that combine their photography and writing skills. Their latest books are Book of Texas Birds published by Texas A&M University Press and Backroads of Texas published by Voyageur Press.
Kathy’s photography is featured in Portrait of Houston published by Farcountry Press. Photographing Big Bend National Park, published by Texas A&M Press, is written by Kathy and uses her photography throughout.
Kathy is Past-president of the North American Nature Photography Association. She teaches photography and is a popular speaker at local and national events. She leads photo tours through Strabo Tours to countries including Costa Rica, Brazil, Spain, Africa, Italy, Peru, Morocco, and Norway.
Don Carter
Don is a retired professor who is taking photographs full time while traveling around the southwest from his winter base in Tucson.
Don specializes in desert wildlife, landscapes but is currently working on nightscape and deep sky astrophotography projects. Don is a past president of the North American Photography Association and prior member of the NANPA Board of Directors.
Discover:
Your Next Adventure!
Expand your skills and connect with a community of explorers. Don’t miss your chance to turn your passion into purpose—register now and experience an oasis dedicated to all things photography at NANPA Summit 2025.