Open Sky Expeditions

29/10/2024

Our Falklands and South Georgia travelers have returned from an EPIC voyage to the remote southern Atlantic. Two weeks amongst the sea, breathtaking wildlife, and stunning landscapes. Check out some images Temu Nana, the trip’s leader and photo pro, just sent our way. More to come from our travelers!

If you’re interested in joining us on a future expedition to Falklands and South Georgia, let us know and we will keep you updated with potential departures in the coming seasons.

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10/10/2024

Hit the link in our profile bio for NAMIBIA details and registration! Only a few days left to snag your $500pp discount on this incredible photo journey!

Trip dates: May 14-30, 2025
Leader: Temu Nana
Photo Pro: Michael Downey
Starting Point: Windhoek, Namibia

19/07/2024

Photograph Varanasi, India with us in February 2025. One of the oldest living city in the world and a center point for sacred Hindu and Jain tradition. The streets are a beautiful, chaotic convergence of ancient mysticism and modernity - a complex delight for photographers seeking something truly unique in the world.

Our upcoming South India photo journey offers a 3 night extension to this profound place. Highlights include:

➡️ A boat ride on the Ganges River to view the incredible crematoriums

➡️ The evening Aarti ceremony, where thousands of Hindus come to receive blessings on the river banks

➡️ A visit to Sarnath, the site of Buddha’s first sermon

Check out the full South India trip on our website, and send us a message if you’re interested in joining!

26/02/2024

ALAKSA - Live presentation / Q&A tomorrow night at 8pm!
Sign up to receive a $500 discount on the trip cost.

Join us to learn the ins and outs of our 9 day adventure through Alaska’s pristine Katmai National Park, where we will photograph brown bears in their natural habitat. Our presentation tomorrow is hosted by trip leader Temu Nana and photo pro Patrick Barron.

Sign up link in bio!

21/02/2024

Welcome to Open Sky Expeditions. We are curators of extraordinary journeys to the places we have found most compelling on this earth. Our mission is to create powerful travel experiences that awaken your sense of wonder, foster a profound sense of interconnectedness with the world, and ignite a vibrant spark of life within you.

And from there it is, we hope, that you will create art. Our photography journeys follow from this. As photographers it is our medium of expression. It is how we share what moved us in what we encountered. What we noticed. What stood out, with fresh eyes. What may be unseen by the rest. What beauty there is.

But we don’t have just lofty dreams or great imaginations. We back up our vision with extensive experience in high-end educational travel, and an intimate knowledge of what details one must carefully consider in designing & bringing to life journeys in far-off destinations.

Join us on an upcoming experience. Let the planet astound you. Let our expertise reassure you.

Do you have a travel idea not yet offered on our trip line-up? Let’s chat. We are always open to new destination inspiration and bespoke travel guidance.

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21/02/2024

Our Photo Journeys are the result of years of returning to the global destinations we have found incredibly inspiring and pouring our expertise and passion for building potent travel experiences in them - with an eye to what photographers will prioritize & find most interesting…And this we know intimately as photographers ourselves.

Each trip is meticulously developed via extensive on-the-ground scouting, as we pledge to present a compelling & logistically-sound production only once we are truly familiar with all the puzzle pieces available for it. They are brought to life via deeply-trusted in-country partners and encyclopedic local guides that enable rich exploration and an ability to meet the unexpected.

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer, or just learning the ropes, each of our Photo Journeys is designed to suit any skill level, with professional instruction to further elevate your shots.

13/02/2024

Sossusvlei, Namibia - rust-red dunes, bleached white pans and some of the best night skies on our planet. And our accommodations are nestled right in the heart of it all. Our team has booked some truly extraordinary lodges for our group traveling to Namibia in May. There’s still space for you to join!

What to look forward to on our Namibia trip:

✔️ Morning and afternoon photo shoots at Kolmqnskop, a deserted mining town reclaimed by the dunes

✔️Three days exploring world-famous Etosha National Park and it’s astounding wildlife.

✔️ A visit with the Himba, one of the last truly nomadic tribes in Southern Africa

✔️ Explore some of the tallest and most spectacularly beautiful dunes in the word at Sossusvlei

✔️ Sunrise at the iconic Deadvlei, one of the most striking photographic opportunities in Africa

✔️Search for elephants and lions in Damaraland

✔️Stay at deluxe hotels and lodges throughout

And so SO much more!! Sold? Simply send us a message. Let’s chat!

08/02/2024

Stunning photos by Open Sky’s photo tour leader Temu Nana from Namibia.

Only a few more spots left on our May 2024 Namibia trip, and it’s not too late to snag them!

This journey overall is an incredible, meticulously designed combination of landscape, wildlife, and cultural photographic opportunity. The itinerary includes visits to some of the most globally renowned protected landscapes in the world, such as the Sossusvlei’s massive sand dunes and the ancient trees of Deadvlei. We spend time in the colorful villages that uphold indigenous ways of life. And we photograph Africa’s top safari animals in Etosha National Park.

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31/01/2024

We’re eager to hear from our followers where you’d like to go next! We’ve got Bhutan on the loading dock right now as a possible new addition to our Photo Journey collection. Are you in??

Alex and a group of travelers experienced this country in 2019, and we’re excited to build this trip out for the future. DM us a location you’d love to see on our photo journey collection for 2025.

29/01/2024

A few quick and dirty edits of the most spectacular theyyam ritual (as seen on our recent South India photo journey)!

(Feb 2025 dates to be released very soon)

Theyyam is a religious ritual practiced by some Hindus in the states of Kerala and Karnataka in south India, normally from Nov-Feb or so.

In short, common people - traditionally from the lower castes - become gods and/or demons, distributing blessings or scaring people into good behavior.

It is highly stylized - as you can see - with elaborate makeup, specific dances/movements, and incredible costumes. It’s usually performed around small temples, with hundreds of local folks in attendance. Free food is distributed, and several different types of theyyam are performed over the course of 24hrs. This is not done for tourists and dollars, this is for the community, though they don’t mind tourists being there. For much of the time we were the only non-Indians in the crowd.

There are over 450 types of theyyam…this is just one. Not sure how it could have gotten any better than this photographically speaking! It started at 4am, involved incredible amounts of fire, and even a sacrificed chicken! (Not great for the chicken, but it made for amazing photos, and did not go to waste, of course.)

Tough shooting conditions, but we were all up for the challenge!

23/01/2024

Experience a photography opportunity like no other - Antarctica. A once-in-a-lifetime collection of photos and memories. December 11-18, 2024 we’ll be there. Would you like to join?

Send us a message if you’re interested!

19/01/2024

18/01/2024

Bangalore’s KR/City Market on our first full day in South India!

We’ve barely begun the ‘24 version of the trip and I’m already looking forward to next year!

16/01/2024

Our travelers are in India this week to experience the profound celebration of color, history, and culture this country emanates. From the river banks of the sacred Ganges in Varanasi, to the tranquil tea estates of Kerala, this trip is designed to inspire. These gorgeous photos were taken by Vicky Stromee on our 2019 trip to India. We’re excited to see the art our current travelers create alongside instructor and photo pro

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11/01/2024

Calling our wildlife people! Have you considered a trip to the Galápagos Islands to photograph some of the most rare and unique species on the planet? Our September 2024 trip to the Galapagos is a ship-board adventure through visually stunning ecosystem la rich with natural history and wildlife. The trip includes an expert naturalist guide, and a professional photography instructor. Send us a message if you’re interested.

Link to trip webpage for full details:
https://www.openskyexpeditions.com/photo-journeys/galapagos

08/01/2024

Some moody magic by Open Sky’s Trip Leader and Photo Pro Temu Nana. Our Norway Photo Journey is near and dear to our hearts - as it captures the essence of our name - “Open Sky Expeditions”. We spend a week traversing Norway’s backcountry to witness the sky’s endlessly inspiring aurora borealis displays. Between these night time excursions hunting for open sky, we photograph the country’s astounding fjord landscapes and Arctic communities, pictured here.

Our 2024 Norway trip roster is full and we couldn’t be more thrilled for their upcoming experience.

04/01/2024

This photo was taken at our Sahara Desert campsite by Open Sky’s very own Temu Nana, a wonderfully talented photographer, instructor, and trip leader with a specialty for capturing the magnificence of the night sky. Interested in learning astrophotography in some of the most unique star-scapes in the world? Many of our trips intentionally include opportunities to workshop this skill. Travel with us to Morocco, Namibia, Norway, Easter Island, the Atacama Desert, and more to create your starry night masterpiece.