Nature Photography Workshop in the Tetons

Workshop Faculty

Jim Richardson

Jim Richardson is a photographer for National Geographic Magazine and a contributing editor for its sister publication, TRAVELER Magazine. Richardson has photographed more than fifty stories for National Geographic. Richardson’s work has taken him around the world, from the tops of volcanic peaks to below the surface of the soil that provides our food, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and many places in between. ABC News Nightline produced a story about the long process of assembling a National Geographic coverage by following Richardson in the field and at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition to his color photography, Richardson has built a distinguished body of black-and-white documentary work about rural Kansas life.  His audiovisual presentation, “Reflections From a Wide Spot in the Road,” has toured internationally.  His 40 years of photographing life in the Kansas town of Cuba, population 230, was published in National Geographic and featured twice by CBS News Sunday Morning, most recently in May 2004.   His 1979 study of adolescence, “High School USA,” is now considered a photo essay classic and is used in college classrooms. Richardson was named Kansan of the Year in 2007 by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas.  In 2015 he was honored by his fellow National Geographic photographers as their “Photographer’s Photographer.” And in 2017 Kansas State University bestowed an honorary doctorate for his work in cultural and environmental communications. He is co-founder of Eyes On Earth, an educational collaborative seeking to inspire next generation environmental photographers. Jim’s career at National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Traveler spanned over 35 years, during which time he produced over 50 stories.  His stories ranged from poignant location based essays to complex scientific and geographical issues coverage. He’s valued for his compelling storytelling and his deft command of technical skills. Beyond his picture making he’s also highly regarded as a presenter and teacher. His lectures draw corporate clients to international venues. His topics ranged widely from world food, small towns and light pollution to include his much sought after whisky tastings. Whether discussing documentary, landscape, night sky or iPhone photography, he brings a down-to-earth practicality to his lectures that is as enjoyable as it is instructive.

Workshop Faculty

Michael Forsberg

Michael Forsberg is a Nebraskan whose 30-year career as a photographer and conservationist has been dedicated to wildlife and conservation stories in North America’s Great Plains, once one of the greatest grassland ecosystems on Earth. His images have been featured in publications including Audubon, National Geographic, Nature Conservancy, and Sierra magazines. His fine art prints are in public and private collections, and his solo exhibitions have traveled nationwide.

In 2017, Mike received the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography from the Sierra Club in Washington, DC, and the Environmental Impact Award from the North American Nature Photography Association. Also, in 2017, his image of sandhill cranes on the Platte River was selected to illustrate USPS’s Forever stamp celebrating Nebraska’s 150 years of Statehood. In 2000, his photograph of a Nebraska tallgrass prairie was issued as an international airmail stamp in the United States Postal Service’s American Scenes Series. In 2020, Mike received the J. Sherwood Chalmers Medal from The Garden Club of America.

Mike is the author and photographer of On Ancient Wings – The Sandhill Cranes of North America, self-published in 2005, Great Plains – America’s Lingering Wild, published by the University of Chicago Press in 2009 and Into Whooperland – A photographer’s journey with whooping cranes, self-published in 2024. He was featured in the Nebraska Public Media documentary Crane Song and co-produced Great Plains – America’s Lingering Wild, based on his book of the same title, released on PBS in 2013.

In 2011, Mike co-founded Platte Basin Timelapse (PBT) in partnership with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Michael Farrell Photography and Fine Art. Today, it is a conservation storytelling project that informs scientific research, builds educational content, and tells stories of a Great Plains watershed in motion. The documentary Follow the Water, based on the project and Mike’s traverse across the Platte Basin watershed, was released on PBS nationally in 2019.

Mike is a faculty member in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a Fellow with the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Daugherty Water for Food Institute, a member of The Photo Society, and a Senior Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Workshop Faculty

Melissa Groo

Melissa is a photographer, writer, and conservationist. She considers herself a “wildlife biographer,” telling stories with images and words that showcase the unique character and beauty of wild beings.

She’s a Sony Artisan of Imagery, an Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, and advisor to the National Audubon Society on photography content and ethics. She’s a contributing editor to Audubon magazine.

Melissa is an assignment photographer for Audubon and Smithsonian magazines, traveling far afield to cover conservation stories. Her work also appears in publications such as National Geographic, National Wildlife, and Living Bird magazines. Melissa is represented by National Geographic Image Collection and has a long-term gallery at Audubon Greenwich in Connecticut.

Workshop Faculty

Morgan Heim

Morgan (Mo) Heim raises a camera for one purpose – to capture moments in an animal’s life that will make us consider what that life means. Inevitably, those stories involve people as much as wildlife. How we treat them. Why we need them. What we love, or hate about them. Mo, used to work as a wildlife ecologist for NOAA on things like killer whale surveys and the Elwha Dam Removal project. She later earned a Master’s in environmental journalism and is a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). She has covered endangered fishing cats and shrimp farm development, and the environmental impacts of marijuana grows in our nation’s forests. In 2016, she became a National Geographic grantee for her collaboration on urban coyotes. Her photographic work has appeared in outlets such as Smithsonian, Discover, NationalGeographic.com, Nature Conservancy Magazine, and bioGraphic.com.

Workshop Faculty

Dave Showalter

Conservation photographer and author Dave Showalter is based in Colorado and focused on the American West. Dave has published three books – the new book: Living River – The Promise Of The Mighty Colorado, Sage Spirit, The American West at A Crossroads by Braided River (2015); and Prairie Thunder by Skyline Press (2007). Dave’s photographs and articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Audubon, Conservation Biology, Outside, Outdoor Photographer, National Parks Magazine, High Country News, Wilderness, Colorado Life and elsewhere. In partnership with Braided River, Dave’s exhibit “Colorado: Sage Spirit and Roaring Rivers” was displayed at Denver International Airport 2018/2019 and viewed by over 2 million people. Dave is faculty with the Summit Series of Photo Workshops, a Senior Fellow Photographer in the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), and works in partnership with numerous conservation groups, including Audubon Rockies, The Nature Conservancy, and Trout Unlimited Headwaters (Colorado River).

Dave travels extensively presenting Living River, Sage Spirit and a range of western topics. Please contact Dave directly through this site to plan a presentation, hire Dave for assignment, or plan a photo workshop.

Workshop Faculty

Mariah Lundgren

Mariah is a conservation storyteller, filmmaker and photographer. She is dedicated to telling stories within the Great Plains and the American West. She loves giving voice to the voiceless and telling stories that will help people better understand our natural world.

She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a BS in Environmental Studies, and a minor Fisheries & Wildlife. She is the producer & project manager for the Platte Basin Timelapse project; a long-term documentary project using time-lapse and traditional photography and multimedia storytelling to educate about the Platte River Basin and what it means to live in a watershed today. This project has taught her the art and importance of storytelling and science communication. She is also a photographers assistant with Michael Forsberg who is Senior Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and is represented by National Geographic Creative.

Allen Murabayashi

Allen Murabayashi is the Chairman and Co-founder of PhotoShelter, the worldwide leader in photography portfolio websites, photo sales, marketing and archiving tools for photographers. Allen previously served as a founding employee and Senior Vice President of Engineering at HotJobs.com.

Owner / Director

Chris Steppig

Chris is the owner and director of Summit Workshops. Summit was his first job out of college and nearly 20 years later, this is home.  He is in charge of all workshop operations, scheduling, logistics, faculty, social media, marketing and sponsorship. Chris has a passion for conservation, travel, and education and the workshops are a dream platform to help others reach new heights as not only photographers but as people.

Chris is an affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers. The iLCP is a U.S. based non-profit whose mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography. This affiliation provides a tremendous opportunity to help deliver great content and also be an advisor on matters large and small.  He is also a professional advisor for Outdoor Photographer magazine.  Through collaboration and great communications with the editor of the magazine, there have been countless articles written by Summit Alumni in the magazine over the years.

Faculty / Staff

Matt Stirn

Matt is a photographer, writer, and archaeologist based between Boston and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He holds a graduate degree in Environmental Archaeology and focuses on stories related to culture, history, and conservation. Matt is a Contributing Editor for Archaeology Magazine, a National Fellow at The Explorer’s Club and has written and photographed over three dozen feature stories for publications including Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Global News, and GEO.