Hoping to catch the early morning flight to Ulgii, arriving at 9.30 am. Ulgii is the largest town in western Mongolia and an estimated 80% of the world`s eagle hunters live here. We purchase all the necessary things from the local market for the migration. Night stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

After a quick breakfast, we will drive to Ulaankhus for 3 hours and set up our first camp alongside Yermyek’s winter place. Ulaankhus is a district of Bayan-Ulgii Province in western Mongolia. In this river valley, our friend and host, Kazakh eagle hunter, Ermikh and his family have their cosy winter house, where you will be warmly welcomed. This family lives in their autumn camp in Yurts which are close to their winter houses made of wood and clay. Same as their assistants lived 1000 years ago.

After finishing the greeting and tea and snacks we’ll be doing photography sessions of the eagle hunters. There will be possibilities to gather 3 to 4, or even more, eagle hunters for photography. Tonight we’ll stay with the family but we will have our own yurt or camp for the night. Our expedition cook will prepare western food & local cuisine, a hot meal, coffee and snacks.

Packing down the winter camp: A day spent with our Kazakh hosts who will be packing up all their possessions ready to leave the next day. Accommodation will be at our personal tents by the side of the family house.

Leave for the migration at first light. For the next 2 days, we will accompany the family on their epic migration in the Altai mountain ranges. The work starts very early on migration day. Not only is the family ger dismantled, but also the animals have to be rounded up – although they often migrate in their separate herds. The animals seem to know the routine by instinct. After all, migration is a cyclical routine.

Traditionally the men rode on horses, women rode on horseback or on a pack of animals and Bactrian camels were traditionally used to move possessions. Everything is made ready and prepared for moving: ger parts, carpets, pots and pans, shelves, stoves. Nowadays, if the family has access, trucks are used for moving the ‘home.’ Herder starts herding early in the morning before sunrise, and we’ll walk with the nomads and their herd at the same time as taking photographs while we follow the families to their spring camp. Each day our ground team will drive ahead in special 4×4 vehicles and set up our Ger or tents for sleeping and dining.

Our walking will be approximately 10 to 15 kilometres per day. While the walking is not terribly difficult, anyone who gets tired or simply wants a break can always hop into one of our vehicles. Photography from sunrise to well past sunset each day. Overnight accommodation will be in a Ger(yurt) or Tent.

Migration towards Saina’s Tuvan ethnic group Autumn shelter. During the nomad’s migration, you will have the chance to take photos of the Livestock, Herdsmen, Landscapes, Lakes and snow-capped mountains. The herding families don’t need to rely on maps or GPS devices; they use the sun, the shape of hills and mountains and landmarks to find their way. Overnight accommodation will be in a Ger(yurt) or Tent.

A leisurely day spent at Yerbol eagle hunter’s Spring camp. Early morning photographing landscapes and exploring the neighbourhood areas. The focus of our afternoon will be to travel with our eagle hunter to one of the beautiful peaks around this valley to capture an epic ‘eagle hunter on horseback’ shot. A beautiful and very isolated spot in the snow-covered mountains of Tavan Bogd national park. The best time to shoot will be sunset and dusk so we will make time for everything precisely. Overnight accommodation will be in a local village hotel.

A natural light portrait early in the morning session with our local eagle hunter friends. Today after a good rest we drive 200 Km back to Ulgii town (full-day driving) in our expedition vehicles where we visit the local market and local sightseeing and enjoy local friends in the evening. Night stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

This is the last day in Ulgii for this trip. Drive to our other eagle hunter family’s summer camps. We’ll shoot portraits and horse races on the river. Eagle Hunters shoot at the top of the mountains in the afternoon light. Night stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

7:00 am domestic flight back to Ulaanbaatar. In the evening, we will have a final supper at my favourite restaurant in Ulaanbaatar, then get a well-deserved night’s sleep back at our UB Hotel. If we have an afternoon flight then we’ll shoot an early morning landscape in the nearby mountains.

Tearful goodbyes as our driver drop you off at the airport to connect with your international flight. Have a safe trip!

Sure! If your significant other wants you there by their side then be our guest! Similarly, if you just want to come alone without a camera then don’t feel that you need to be into photography. This expedition is designed to be an immersive experience for everyone and we have hosted many non-photographers on previous expeditions. During my last Mongolia trip, I spent many hours just spending time with the families and walking alongside the animals helping to corral them rather than shooting photographs. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of things to occupy your time as a non-photographer.

This is not an especially cold-weather trip so you don’t have to bring warm clothing. But in the high mountains, there will be slightly cold. So it’s better to bring light warm clothes. Clothing-wise, layers are the key since you will be potentially both walking and sitting in cold vehicles. The amount of each that you choose to do will depend on your fitness and preference. Our support vehicles will follow our route at a distance as much as possible offering everyone the chance to travel in a vehicle if needed. Part of our team will travel ahead each day and set up camp at our daily destination with mattresses and camel wool blankets in each ger.

This is a suggested packing list to make your trip a fulfilling and comfortable experience.

• Backpack
• Waterproof bag cover
• Normal Gloves
• Comfortable light boots for walking
• Headlamp/flashlight
• Lightweight trousers
• Normal and wool socks
• Sunglasses
• Suncare cream
• Waterbottle with 1 litre of capacity
• Wet tissues
• Money belt/ pouch
• Insurance confirmation copy
• Emergency contact number
• Carry your essential and basic medicines for headaches, fever, stomach upset, etc.

You should bring cameras, a laptop (for editing in the evenings), and a head torch these kinds of things instantly spring to mind. Don’t worry about recharging since we will have generators to top up our gear each night. Once you confirm your booking with a 40% deposit, we will send you all the information you need to fully prepare yourself for this epic journey.
This is just an idea about the suggested camera and accessory:

• One or two DSLR or Mirrorless (Full Frame or Crop Sensor) cameras. If you use a full-frame DSLR or mirrorless camera, for much of the time, when photographing the Eagle Hunters or Reindeer People, you will want to cover focal lengths of around 24-70mm or 24-105mm and 70-200mm. However, a kit lens (18-55/3.5 or 4.0) will also work.
• For photographing hunters from a distance, consider bringing a larger zoom or prime telephoto lens for photography, of up to 300mm.
• If you bring a good quality bridge camera instead of a DSLR or mirrorless camera, it will be best if it has an optical zoom of 18-20x or more, combined with a reasonable wide-angle at the other end of the zoom range.
• Protector for your lens.
• A Sturdy Tripod could be required to shoot some low light images.
• Power Bank & Electric Socket Extension.
• Adequate memory card and Card reader.
• Be sure to bring plenty of spare battery power for your camera and external hard drive with adequate space and a card reader. There will likely be only limited access to power when we stay with the nomads.
• A Computer with photo-processing software [Lightroom, Photoshop]. (If you are not having this software, don’t worry we’ll provide it.)
• Carry a small size soft cloth or towel which you may require to wrap your camera during the night shoot.
• Carry a microfiber to wipe the lens if ice crystal forms.

All of the places we visit on this trip will be accessible in our trusty Russian 4-wheel drive vehicles so physical fitness is not a huge priority on our summer trips. Shooting the eagle hunters on hilltops might involve a little trekking to get to good vantage points and at a couple of points on our journey it may be necessary to walk alongside our vehicles so that they can ascend particularly steep terrain. There are absolutely no tarmac roads where we are going. Please bear this in mind before you book.

If you choose not to come with us when we travel on foot, don’t worry, there will be plenty of other things to occupy your time back at camp since we always set up alongside local families who are happy to have visitors. In the past, people have had some very unique experiences by choosing to do this.

• The altitude will be 3500-4000 mt. max
• You may not be able to take bath for two days.
• In many places, we will face issues with the Internet & Mobile networks.

During this season, the weather conditions in western Mongolia are usually warm and sunny, with typical daily maxima being between ranging from +10°C to +25°C during daytime and +8°C to +15°C at night until the end of August.

Registration is open from 1st January 2024 till 15th June 2024 or till the seat reservations end.

Only a maximum of 4 hardworking participants will be selected for this workshop. This is not a fancy tour; it’s a real expedition and you have to walk a lot, so your physical fitness is very important.

Participants will be granted the expedition based on email confirmation on a first come first serve basis. Feel free to call +91 8509333385 or +918900702900 for any further assistance.

To reserve your spot 40% of the full tour amount is required to pay at the time of your booking. Balance amount to be paid 60 days before the tour. You can pay using the online payment link on our website or ask for the account details or PayPal to transfer the payment. Your reservation may be cancelled if full payment has not been received by the last date specified and communicated. Once the payment is done, please send us a copy of the bank receipt (a screenshot is also fine) of your payment details. Once we confirm your payment, we will send you the confirmation email along with the Rules and regulations of the tour, which makes you, a confirmed candidate for the photo tour.

In the event of a cancellation or modification of your confirmed booking, Exposure’s Cancellation and Refund Policy for Photography Workshops will be applicable, and you need to fully agree to be bound by them. Any refunds will be made within 15 working days from the date of written confirmation of cancellation, via the same mode with which the payment was made to us.

To reserve your spot 40% of the full fee is required at the time of your booking. You can pay using the online payment link on our website or ask for the account details or PayPal to transfer the payment. Your reservation may be cancelled if full payment has not been received by the last date specified and communicated. All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of the postmark (standard mail or electronic).

Cancellation deductions will be as per the following policy of full fees:

• 40% cancellation of the total fee if cancelled 90 days before the start of the expedition or earlier than the expedition.
• 100% cancellation of the total fee if cancelled 59 days on or before the start of the expedition.

Please read all details on this page and the Detailed Terms and Conditions, Disclaimer / Undertaking in the Registration cum Booking Form.