Name: Ultimate Photography Course
Start: 2026-04-18
End: 2026-04-19
Location: McKay Classroom

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McKay Classroom

Ultimate Photography Course

McKay Photography Tours

We had a wonderful time the itinerary was well thought out and executed very well. Glad we found you and look forward to traveling some more with you…

New Zealand 2025 Trip #2

This was a great workshop expanding both my photographic and editing skills. Toby and Frank did a wonderful job challenging us to push our skills through informative teaching sessions and daily assignments. I highly recommend this fun workshop. 

Advanced Photography Boot Camp: Push Your Limits in Sedona

Great trip, great tour. Love everything. We had great time. Strong recommend. 

Ecuador and Galapagos 2

Wonderful trip. Both Toby and Steve are excellent instructors.  Every day was a new learning experience
I recommend McKay photo tours for anyone who really wants to learn photography,

Epic Southwest

McKays once again provided excellence for this camping-based photo tour.  Lots of exploration to areas many do not have the opportunity to see and shoot.  The train ride from Durango to Silverton and then a subsequent trip back to Silverton to photograph the steam engine was epic!  Ally, Dave and Tim (instructors) are so awesome at hands-on sharing of techniques, angles, uses of various lenses allowed me to see possibilities I hadn't before.  Had a wonderful tour!

Colorado Fall Color

Excellent in every way!  Instructors were fantastic- knowledgeable and always available to answer questions or offer advice!  Knew the area very well and could change plans as the conditions changed to ensure all participants had great opportunities to capture amazing photos!  100% I will book again with McKay tours!

This was a great trip!  All of the participants were great - lots of fun.

Toby and Steve were exceptional.  They both have very different teaching styles with both providing great learning experiences and improving my photography.  Both are very impressive.  Will definitely look for other opportunities with them.

Epic Southwest #2

It was a wonderful trip with time in each of the 3 parks! Toby and Steve were awesome teachers and guides and both were totally focused on  helping us take our photography to a new level !  Lots of tips, techniques, and information sharing during our trip.
It was also great fun.. and a great group of people!
Looking forward to the next adventure with them!

Thank you Barry! We are so glad you had a great time and have enjoyed tours  with us. We look forward to seeing you in the future. - MPA Team

This McKay Photography Trip was a great experience for all levels of photographers and adventurers. The tour was planned out and executed flawlessly. I look forward to future trips with McKay Photography. 

Thank you Terri. Always awesome having you and Randy along!

Hi Ken,

thank you so much for such a great review!! We appreciate it and you.  Toby and Steve had a great time and we all always enjoy you in our tours!

This was an excellent photography workshop that I would highly recommend for intermediate level photographers. It's always a good trip when afterward you're hungering to go back . . . and I want to go back to Utah as there is so much to enjoy there. Toby & Steve do an excellent job of catering to all levels of skills. Some quick examples, Toby was routinely calling out the settings he'd recommend using for any given shot, and Steve was pointing out compositions that might work nicely. There was one evening where the weather wasn't cooperating but Steve suggested a comp where the subject matter was the gradient between blue skies and the pink hue that was forming at sunset. I took some shots of it, and was very happy when I got home and looked at them again. Can't say enough nice things and this is my 3rd or 4th trip with McKay photography, but there will be many more in the future.

Thank you Stephen for such a beautiful review. It means so much to all of us and especially Toby and Steve. They work so hard as you are aware and it is so appreciated when that is noticed  as well as written out. Thanks for being a great client and we look forward to many more tours in the future!  See you soon for the air2air adventure which will be something so unique and thrilling I cannot wait to share with you! - David McKay

Travel with the Mckay Photography group is always a first class experience.  The logistics are carefully planned out, the trip locations are epic, and the instructors are first rate.   This trip in particular afforded me several venues such as exclusive time in a slot canyon and horseshoe bend private viewing location which I could not have done on my own.  What is priceless, however, is the instructor knowledge of the best spots for photography and the personal attention given to each person.  The low ratio of participants to instructors allows for individualized instruction.  When I look back on the several trips I have taken over a few years with Mckay I am amazed at how far my photography has improved and had a great time visiting wonderful locations, and meeting many friendly people along the way!   I simply cannot say enough good things about the trips, instructors, and company - if I could give them 6 stars I would!

Hey Deb!

Thank you for the review and totally agree on hotels. As this was a "scout" trip, and trying to keep pricing within reason, we tried to get as much in as possible. But YES, a two nighter would be great at one of those fantastic hotels! ! So glad you had an amazing time! We were so thrilled with both portions and it seems the guest were as well. Thanks for joining on this first endeavor to Ecuador and Galapagos!

Wonderful trip!  Ecuador was beautiful and the Galapagos Islands were fascinating!  The only thing I would suggest is a two night stay at one of the resort hotels in mainland Ecuador so people can rest and do laundry if necessary.  Perhaps a day trip somewhere near the hotel would be possible.  The guides were all outstanding as was the catamaran crew.  I highly recommend this photography trip to others.

Dear Linda,

YES and THANK YOU! I as well as everyone seemed to be so thrilled with both portions of the tour. Ecuador mainland and where we were able to visit, WOW! The scenery, the people, the guide, the hotels.....just so wonderful. Galapagos.....HOLY MOLY awesome right?  We are so glad you had an awesome time! We can't wait to see you in Japan in 2026! Thank you again for your friendship and joining us!

This was an incredible trip. I can’t recommend this trip enough!  First of all, Ecuador is a stunning, diverse country. I had no idea! :-)! A photograph’s dream. Or for anyone who was to gain strong insight into this incredible country.   And the time in Galápagos is sooo valuable.  There are no words to describe the “awe”  of these island and snorkeling discovery

Finally, the attention to detail by McKay Academy to logistics, hotels, food, and flexibility in beyond expectations 

Go. You’ll love it!

Dear Liz,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback earlier. We really appreciate . 

Thank you again for your honesty and thoughtfulness and for this review! - Toby

We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the group, Toby and Steve.  Phenomenal experience - highly recommend!  

Dear Chuck and Sally,

We truly appreciate when guests take the time to leave feedback as you have, and while we’re grateful for positive reviews, our team gives everything we have to make each trip a five-star experience. Toby and Steve I know worked incredibly hard on this tour as they do every tour going above and beyond.

 Sometimes, there are circumstances, like hotel situations, that are unfortunately beyond our control. As you have traveled on many tours with us, you know that we do everything we can for that 5 star experience. Yet, sometimes there are situations we just cannot control. 

When those factors influence a review of our service, it can feel discouraging, especially because we know how hard everyone works to create something special for each guest.  Issues specific to the hotels themselves might be better directed to platforms like Google or Yelp where they can reach the hotel staff directly.

We would love to offer a better solution to a hotel in Bryce, unfortunately, there just isn't anything possible that would allow us to get into the park as needed for what is most important, the photographic opportunities. There are only two hotels in the area that work that close to the park entrance, both are always sold out, and both owned by the same company and they just do not have an incentive to be better.

 We take a lot of pride in our work, and reviews are so important to our reputation and our ability to keep doing what we love. Reviews affect others joining us on trips significantly.  If you’re open to it, we’d be grateful if you could consider this.  Thank you so much for understanding, and for supporting our team. We look forward to seeing you again soon in Japan! David McKay

We had a great time, Toby and Steve were very helpful. Everyone in the group seemed to get along okay. 
 Only problem we had was with the Bryce hotel it was a dump. The other hotels were great.

Thank you Terri! So glad you had an awesome time!!

Perfect balance of culture, gorgeous landscape and wonderful wildlife. Highly recommend this trip!

Ecuador and Galapagos 1

Thanks Janet! It is always awesome to have you and Eric along on the tours.  Toby and Steve truly enjoy you both!

A wonderful trip! Great people, great photo instructors and guides! Fast paced and busy with a great diversity of landscapes.

Hi Sally, We are so glad you had a great time. So sorry in the hotel mess up that happened between you and the operator that handled that for you over there based on your communications with them . I know they were awesome paying for you to be transported to the correct hotel etc as well and clarified everything . We simply do not have control over those items . But glad you had a great time in the tour!

We had a great time. Wonderful group. The ship was nice with great crew and excellent food. Only problem was the screw up with our hotel reservations.

Galapagos

Thank you Janine for such a wonderful review. We are so happy you had an amazing time! I will for sure pass this on to Frank and Steve and Kristi! - David

Alaska Eagles-Group 2-2025- I had an amazing and very special time.  The instructors were fantastic.  Between the beaches and its Eagles are magical.  Kristi’s guided tide pool walk was a once in a lifetime experience.  The bear excursion was blessed with blue skies, sun, bears, 3 cubs and a wolf.  A very magical experience all around.  I would do this again and again if I could.  Tracking Eagles is humbling and invigorating.

Alaska Eagles Base Tour

Thanks Stephen! So glad you had an amazing time at such an amazing place!

This was an epic photography experience.  We were able to get shots of eagles not otherwise possible to obtain.  The logistics,  facilities, and McKay staff were all awesome!

Glad you had an awesome time and YES very difficult to photograph  eagles in flight! Great recommendations for the future tours noted as well!

What a treat this trip was! I had never been to this part of Alaska and was in awe. I loved Kristi and Between Beaches. She was wonderful taking us on a tide pool walk. I learned so much about the various life in the seas and how they survive during low tide. Brought the beach to life. She had great throwing skills tossing the fish heads out to the dive bombing eagles. Eagles in flight are very hard to shoot. I tried and did just OK. But then one good shot is a success on a photography trip....right? BTW - photographing eagles in flight chasing food is HARD.
The accomodations were lovely. But we agreed that it would have been helpful if Kristi or one of her team could have showed us the highlights of the room...like how to turn on the shower outside. One thing to note for future McKay trips here is to recommend that guests bring flip flops or shower shoes and a lightweight robe. Also there are Muck Boots at the lodge for guest use....so one does not have to bring their own if they don't want. Getting food ahead of time was a great idea. Being able to buy exactly what we wanted for breakfast and lunch was great. The pace was really good. The setting was beyond beautiful. Going into Soldovia was fun....and having an assignment photographically was fun too. Image reviews are favorite parts of McKay trips. I learn from others work.
Seeing bears was super fun. A suggestion would be to advise guests that they should be prepared to walk up to 20 minutes at a time and often through thick brush. Be careful of sneaky branches. But to be relatively close to the bears grazing was pure magic. We were very lucky that the weather was on our side. I really loved this trip. Alaska is truly a unique place to visit

Thanks Diane! We knew it was going to be a hit! We love it and what a great way to get incredible eagle photographs with pristine backgrounds and a beautiful location!  I think we are going to try and make this at least a semi annual!

Another epic McKay tour! Every detail from transportation, meals and accommodation was taken care of before we arrived. Each day we were informed by the instructors what to expect the next day for photography opportunities. And both instructors were super helpful with editing of the photos, making suggestions on how to improve on the next shoot. This is a tour that I’d repeat in the future.

Alaska Eagles Base Tour 2

Thank you Linda! Such an awesome place and so much fun photographing these majestic birds in flight! Supper bummer weather wouldn't allow for the beer photography. But there is always another time! :)

This trip was incredible!  I highly recommend.   The weather was perfect (amazing considering this was Alaska..)  The fellow photographers were all super nice, considerate, and fun to be with.  But the location and time with the Eagles was beyond any expectations I had.  Our host at Between the Beaches was beyond extraordinary.  I recommend her site as the very perfect location to experience the eastern-southern corner of Alaska.  And as always with the McKay group, our 2 guides and photography experts were super helpful and always considerate.  The only not wonderful part of the 8 days was due to strong winds that prevented the pontoon planes from flying to Hallo Bay for a day, shooting the local bears. 

This is a fantastic trip.  We were very lucky to have an extra small group which only enhanced the experience.  

I very strongly recommend

Thank you so much! It was so great to have you both on Safari and we look forward to seeing you again!

Although we are not really photographers, we really enjoyed this tour. There was great communication from even before we booked the tour through the end. David offered some great recommendations on camera equipment that wouldn’t break the bank.

This is definitely the way to do a safari. We loved being stationed in one spot and then taking drives to where the animals were each day.

David and Ally provided just enough instruction for us newbies without overwhelming us with too much information. We were actually able to take some really nice photos. We would definitely consider another McKay tour in the future.

Tanzania 2025

Great class!! I learned more about my camera in three hours with David than the last six months reading “Photography” books! I also bought his brand new book and it is fantastic!! Love the way he explains concepts and really pushes the basics as foundational knowledge!! 

Master Camera Pt 2

Great class to learn to. " see" and get the effects I want through my lenses especially the wide angle and I could get his newest book in classroom David has great energy and passion to make you excited to get out there to be creative!!

Loved class even better second time around!! Relaxed atmosphere great presentation and David made sure we all understood the subjects with class booklet to take home with our notes he gets you excited to get out there and capture unique images!

Master Camera Pt 1

This workshop really helped me understand my camera settings. David and Ally are great teachers and draw from their years of experience. I can’t wait to join them on a photo tour.

Ultimate Photography Course May 3rd and 4th

It was an amazing weekend!  It was a great mix of explanation and time to practice.  David used common sense steps and language to analyze any photo situation. I really enjoyed the on site photo shoot as well.  I highly recommend this program for someone who has dabbled in photography and wants to take it the next level.  I look forward to traveling with this group in future years.    

Toby and Tim are excellent photographers and teachers.  They were always available to provide whatever assistance was needed from equipment, composition, camera technique, to post processing.  We had a great time photographing Oregon's waterfalls and coast and I hope I get to travel with them again.  
Mike B

Oregon Coast and Waterfalls

This course was great.  Comprehensive, even for a non-novice photographer.  I learned about a few gaps I had in my understanding.   Jokes were funny!   The group had a good sense of purpose and humor.  

This was a very detailed  and comprehensive course truly aimed at all levels of photographers.  David and Ally were excellent, knowledgable and fun.  They both taught with enthusiasm and high energy, and were able to answer any question thrown out.  It was especially useful being able to practice with the camera, what was taught in the class.  
I would recommend this course for the beginner or advanced level photographer.  For me, learning how to do flash photography was especially useful.  Many thanks for offering this course!


Great trip!   Beautiful scenery, wonderful instructors and great travel mates.  

Learned to smooth out the water for the falls and to look for the little things.  Gained greater understanding of my camera and how focal length and shutter speed work together.   

had a great time.  can’t wait for next trip

I learned so much and feel somewhat better about taking pictures and understanding my camera.  We covered so much information, but the handout is very useful in helping me recall it.  I think now I just need to practice everyday in all situations.  I enjoyed our group and found it chatting with others with the same camera also helpful.  David and Ally are always very quick to help with any questions.  I wish we had had more time to work on setting up to make photos more interesting.  

Having lunches together was very nice and also delicious.  

I had a great time and learned a lot. Highly recommended. I understand my camera  much better than I did before as a beginner.  The people in the class were friendly and welcoming.  I did the Bodie trip previously and was delighted he did a 2 day intensive photography class since I live in LA. It was well worth the fly up. Look forward to doing another trip with them.


Great 2 day technical photo instruction.  Instructor was very knowledgeable.  Included both classroom and outdoor photo shoot work.

This was an excellent workshop.  David and Ally McKay are highly experienced and talented photographers able to boil down the key aspects into points even very new photographers can easily understand.   I thoroughly enjoyed the class and photography sessions and recommend this to people at all levels.

Awesome can not describe this tour.   Small group of avid photographers experience the thrill of taking images from the back of one aircraft to photograph other aircraft that come up and join and play over the Arizona desert. 
The people are great and work tirelessly to make things happen.  This March tour was done in the same  weekend as the Davis Monthan AFB Air Show. Several of the show performers were the one's who came 'out to play'.
I've gone twice and loved every  minute of both.  this is a very specialized and as far as I know, only tour like this.

Gary

Air2Air Adventure Veterans

Thanks Danny.  It was an awesome adventure and we sure enjoyed having you on the tour!!

Great time !  Dave and Ally are the best.

Thank you James!! Toby and Steve are awesome and so glad you had such an amazing time!!

An amazing photographic adventure. Brilliant organization, wonderful instructors, guides and drivers. Everything I wanted from a winter trip to Yellowstone and couldn’t recommend any higher. 

Yellowstone Winter - 2025

Thank you Gail! Yellowstone in Winter is so special and we are so happy you had a special time! Thank you and hope to see you again!

The trip was a great success.  The guides were fun and informative.  We were able to access beautiful areas of the park and see a wide variety of wildlife.  The documents provided prior to the trip were very helpful.  The hotels were stellar.  

I took the first two McKay introductory courses to photography.  The were both excellent.  In particular, the first course was super helpful.  It got me better acquainted with my camera.  It also helped me better navigate user's manual more effectively.  The second course was also helpful, but not so much as the first one, at least from my perspective.

Hey Eli! 
Thank you for your review. I am glad you had a great time. I am sorry if you felt we felt short a bit on the instruction side. I know both Ally and I are always available and felt we spent a considerable amount of time with people instructing and in each location if people followed us as we suggested, would get a lot of one on one time. I know that I was always available to chat with you any time you had a question and would check in as well as call out to everyone in various areas what we suggested but also allowing people to be on their own as they wanted or chose to be.  We strive to be the very best at what we do and so I appreciate you letting me know. I am not sure exactly what we could have done differently but will re assess with Ally as well with her thoughts. We always strive for 5 stars as we care so deeply for our clients on each and every trip and am sorry we fell short of your expectations on our instruction. Each trip is different and has its own set of challenges and variables which we enjoy so its not "stagnant' and can flow  but also with various types of guest and expectation's about how we do what we do. Next time, if you feel at all you need more instruction time, please make sure to simply hang with me as I go as well! I am always happy to simply have you just staying right by my side asking away!

Noting this was our first McKay hostedphotography trip.  Overall we enjoyed the trip and felt that for the most part it was an excellent value and fabulous way to see and experience the country.  However we did feel it fell short of expectations in one aspect. Highlights and strong points of the trip included hotel accomondations which were fabulous, the itinerary which was comprehensive, and the logistics which were smooth and fluid. We were well taken care of throughout by the McKay staff. The local Vietnamese tour guide was fabulous adding insightful knowledge and perspective of the country.

The one area that fell slightly short of expectations and preference was photography instruction.  Other than technique recommendations at the very beginning of the trip, the suggestions , guidance and tips for the remainder of the tour was on the light side.  The places we were taken had strong photographic and educational appeal, however it was pretty much up to the individual photographer to figure out how to take advantage of the locations with some minor exceptions.Having spoken with other travellers who had taken other trips, it appears that this aspect is variable on each trip. 

As an amateur photographer, I would have appreciated and enjoyed more consistent regular tips and recommendations for each shoot, with perhaps real time feedback during the shoot.  Also would have gained from a very brief review at the end of the day among the group of favorite pictures to facilitate group learning. Having discussed this with other travellers, this aspect might be variable on different trips.

Other than that the trip was fabulous and a wonderful experience.


Vietnam Trip 1 - Jan 20th, 2025

What a treat to be able to fly business class on all of the inter Vietnam flights. Getting through security and being able to use the lounge was a real pleasure. Everything was planned very well. And Long's help as the guide was invaluable

Vietnam/Cambodia 1 Flights

I have long wanted to go to visit Vietnam. I have seen many photos from this part of the world....and that got me excited to go myself. It was well planned with the most wonderful hotels and guides.Traveling around the country by plane was easy due to the business class tickets....big thank you for that. It was a nice mix of touristy sites as well as stunning photographic opportunities. I can wait to get started editing my photos. It is a magical country. And added bonus was a wonderful group of fellow photographers/travelers. We all enjoyed each others company a great deal

Awww thank you! I love teaching and so glad you enjoyed the class!

David is a great instructorl  Starting with the very basics and building up from there in a clear manner, thanks!

Thank you Dana! What a great group of people we had on the trip also! We look forward to sharing more of the world with you- David and Ally

This trip was more than I expected!  The photography locations the McKays took us to were stunning and so much fun to get away from the crowds. The other people on the trip were fun to meet and exchange photography ideas. Will definitely do another trip!

Ultimate Photography Course

Ultimate Photography Course

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