I’ve led lots of photo workshops over the years. By and large they’ve been wonderfully successful. I “vet” my locations carefully, investigating on-ground support, accommodations and so on. I trust the advice and warnings of my peers, evaluate difficulty and do my best to communicate any mental and physical challenges to my participants. For example, my Alaska workshops are fantastic, but rain is common and so we prepare for it with the right gear.

But once in a while things just don’t fit. Perhaps the participant wants perfection, exactly the right animals at the right time, the right light all the time. Although we try to go where the animals are (usually attracted by food sources such as grazing or fishing opportunities), the animals may not cooperate. Perhaps they’re bedded down in thick brush for the day. Perhaps those bears have found a new fishing hole or the fishing isn’t good (that happened to us this past summer but we found other great moments). As to the light? That’s one of the reasons I love Alaska, where the sun is always lower in the sky, meaning easier landscape contrast.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is inappropriate camera equipment and the inability to use that gear. That’s what I’m here for. Ahead of time I suggest the right gear to bring. For example, for most wildlife photography you’ll need a camera with a telephoto lens, as we like to give the animals space and vice versa. I discovered this to my chagrin on a recent Africa trip, where several participants brought only cell phones although I had warned them not to do this. The phones are truly amazing and indeed, I’ve taught short workshops on how to use cell phones for photography, but the phones are woefully inadequate in Africa. That magnificent elephant may appear as a far away gray dot, although we’ve had dramatic exceptions. The telephoto lens settings on the phones just aren’t “there” yet.

Do bring extra cards and batteries. The batteries should be fresh. I had a person once who used some ten-year-old batteries from the back of a closet. The batteries wouldn’t hold a charge. Similarly, on big trips, bring a couple of camera bodies. Dust and moisture are big enemies of camera gear.

For big trips like an African safari, you can rent gear surprisingly inexpensively. If you’re not a photographer, just put the camera on automatic settings and have fun. For most situations, Auto is fine.

Another problem is physical ability. Some of our trips require short walks, and often we’re photographing landscapes or animals from morning until evening. That means some of our participants just don’t have that energy, so they opt to stay at the hotel or lodge, missing out on some great moments.

Also, practice with your camera ahead of time. I’ve had folks come on a trip with a camera purchased days before. They end up with their nose in the camera manual (most are only online these days, so bring a .pdf version with you or your laptop or phone, as we often can’t get online in the remote places we visit) or asking me questions I can’t answer. I sometimes don’t know new cameras and sophisticated settings. You want to be paying attention to your surroundings, not your camera manual.