Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop and Tour Dates for March 2025
The Crane Trust offers unparalleled opportunities to capture images of the largest migration of Sandhill Cranes in the world. Over a million Sandhill Cranes visit this region during the month of March each year.
The Sandhill Crane Photography Workshops and Tours at the Crane Trust are designed and led by award-winning photographer Cheryl Opperman. These tours provide an immersive experience for intermediate and advanced photographers, using a digital SLR or mirrorless camera.
Participants have numerous opportunities to photograph from custom-built Crane Trust photography blinds on private land along the Platte River as hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes leave the river at first light and return to the river at sunset. Additionally, during the Sandhill Crane Photography Workshops or Tours, there will be opportunities to photograph cranes and other wildlife on county roads, as well as the Crane Trust bison herd and prairie landscapes on the Crane Trust property.
If you are interested in a 2025 Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop or Tour, please be sure to call or email us so we can reserve your spot. The Sandhill Crane Photography Workshops and Tours are very popular with limited space available in order to keep our group sizes small.
We do get cancellations and may add additional dates when possible, so be sure to email info@cherylopperman.com or call 303-829-9453 to join a waitlist for notifications if the dates you want are full.
2025 Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop Dates
- March 8-11, 2025 Registration Now Open
- Cost: $3795.00 per person (includes instruction, lodging, meals, and local transportation)
- Single Supplement $350 (if you want a room without a roommate)
2025 Sandhill Crane Photography Tour Dates
- March 6-8, 2025 Registration Now Open or
- March 11-13, 2025 Only 4 Spots Left or
- March 13-15, 2025 Only 3 Spots Left
- Cost: $1895.00 per person (includes lodging, meals, and local transportation)
- Single Supplement $195 (if you want a room without a roommate)
Please email or call to sign up or join a waitlist. Email can get lost in the cloud, so if you do not hear back, please just give us a quick call. We will email the registration form once we know there is space available for the dates you want. This helps us avoid overbooking.
Instructor/Guide Cheryl Opperman
303-829-9453
info@cherylopperman.com
Jenny McIvor
Travel Insurance:
We strongly encourage you purchase comprehensive travel insurance and we work with InsureMyTrip to offer our clients hand selected plans that will help protect your trip from a number of different perils. Feel free to follow the link below to visit the InsureMyTrip website. The site is easy to use to shop for plans and their staff is extremely helpful if you have any questions. They also have a number of informative articles about travel and insurance under the “Learn” tab on their website. Please be aware that some plans will not cover pre-existing conditions unless you purchase the policy shortly after making the FIRST deposit.
Travel Insurance Quotes – Compare & Buy Trip Insurance
Why choose us?
Learn from a professional with both formal education and over 30 years of field experience
Choosing a qualified instructor with the best skill set can mean the difference between an average experience and a great experience. Teaching photography requires more than just knowing how to take beautiful photographs. Truly exceptional instructors must have extensive knowledge about fundamental photographic principles, utilize the latest technology, and be able to explain and apply the appropriate techniques in the field.
Cheryl Opperman’s degree from one of the world’s best photography colleges, plus over three decades of real-world experience, makes her one of the most skilled professionals in the industry today.
Whether you are just beginning to learn photography or have been taking pictures for years, Cheryl is passionate about sharing her knowledge to help you discover new techniques, develop your own unique style, and reach your photographic goals.
Benefit from the efforts of a local conservation Organization while also supporting their work
Working with a local organization is equally important for a successful photo workshop or tour. The Crane Trust was established in 1978 to protect this diverse and vital mixed and tall grass prairie ecosystem. It is home to numerous wildlife species including a genetically pure herd of bison and contains the largest sandhill crane roost in the world during the annual migration. Sandhill crane workshop and tour participants benefit from the expertise of the Crane Trust biologists and staff and can rest assured that a significant portion of their workshop and tour fee helps to support their important mission of habitat preservation.
Access to private land and custom photo blinds
All of the sandhill crane photography workshops and tours are conducted on the Crane Trust’s private land using custom blinds built specifically for photography. The blinds are positioned for the best light with an unobstructed view of the river and the viewing windows are designed to accommodate large lenses with plenty of room to pan with the birds in flight as they land in or leave the river. Special tripod slots allow participants to position their gear through the windows and comfortably sit behind their mounted cameras in a provided chair. The blinds themselves are camouflaged so well that the cranes are unaware of our presence which protects these magnificent birds and allows photographers to capture only natural behaviors.
We have exclusive access to these blinds which ensures we will be the only photography group using each blind location on the river. These unique conditions all allow for better photographic opportunities. Participants in the Crane Trust Photo Workshop and Tour will also have access to photograph the Crane Trust’s genetically pure bison herd.
Small class & tour sizes
The Crane Trust Photography Workshops are limited to no more than 10 people, making it possible for a lot of personal attention. Lead Instructor, Cheryl Opperman teaches detailed classes each day specific to sandhill crane photography and her knowledgable assistant provides help in the blinds and classroom. In addition to photographic and classroom opportunities, Cheryl conducts private critiques so that you receive individualized feedback about your work.
The Crane Trust Photo Tours are limited to 8 participants and are designed for more advanced amatuer or professional photographers who simply want good river and roost access. We provide some helpful tips, but no formal classroom instruction and no instruction in the blinds.