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| © Norwegian Coastal Voyage Inc. |
| The MS Fram taking photo-trekkers to Petermann Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. |
Antarctica
Mentor Series Worldwide Photo Treks • A high-tech ship is the HQ for this tour to the Antarctic Peninsula led by Tom Bol and Rosanne Pennella. The tour is planned with Norwegian Coastal Voyages to make sure views from onboard are always picture worthy. Smaller excursion vessels help photographers get closeups of local wildlife, including elephant seals, chinstrap penguins, and killer whales, set against the stunning scenery of sparkling ice and turquoise waters.
Cost: $6,366-$10,597 (choice of lodging, with round-trip airfare from New York City)
The Payback: Tour members learn about ways they can help protect the gentoo penguin colony on Petermann Island.
Website: mentorseries.com
Yellowstone National Park
 Wildshots • In Yellowstone in autumn, the megafauna gather in droves on America's answer to the African savanna. Put aside the grizzlies, the herds of elk, the packs of wolves, the superheated water shooting a hundred feet into the sky, and there, in the middle of it all, is the majestic American buffalo. With Wildshots, a U.K. based company that deals in photo-ecotours, photographers get 13 days worth of bison sightings, not to mention hikes, drives, and climbs in the most dramatically intact ecosystem in North America.
Cost: $3,950 (includes lodging, meals, daily transportation, and park fees)
The Payback: Wildshots organizers are careful to create tours that have as little impact as possible on the park's delicate environment. Participants are educated about ways to use images to aid conservation efforts and to protect the animals they see.
Website: wildshots.co.uk
CI pledge
Even with so many Earth-friendly photography tours to choose from, the bigger the trip, the more likely you are to impact the environment. Conservation International, a non-profit organization that sells carbon offsets and supports other conservation efforts, is asking summer travelers to pledge to make their trips as low-impact as possible. The Travel Pledge prompts those who sign up to commit to measures such as patronizing responsible travel companies, reducing energy consumption and garbage output, and avoiding ill-gotten food and souvenirs. Almost 2,000 people had signed the pledge within the first few days, and a partner organization, Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation, has agreed to donate $5 to Conservation International for each person who takes part. For more information go to getinvolved.conservation.org/travel.
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