Epic Southwest and Slot Canyons 2020

Announcing our 2020 EPIC Southwest Tour! We have ADDED even more to the already awesome tour and we have made this a smaller group of 12 photographers This tour includes 2 days at Bryce National Park AND a special Cultural evening with Navajo Dancers performing for us at sunset at Horseshoe Bend Overlook on their PRIVATE access area! Plus we are driven to the exclusive overlook area saving us the mile hike each way! Horseshoe Bend, PRIVATE Slot Canyons, Horseshoe Bend W/Special performing Navajo Dancers, Zion National Park. Bryce National Park, Valley of Fire State Park Photograph America the Beautiful series! This tour only allows for a small group without exception. Once again, we are offering new tours with smaller groups! This tour will allow for only 12 photographers with 2 Instructors! This is exciting but also means our tours sell out even quicker now! We have gained INCREDIBLE, EXCLUSIVE, access to a Slot Canyon that you will find breathtaking. This is why we have to book this so far in advance in order to guarantee our exclusivity to this amazing slot canyon. See the info below! YES, we have amazing incredible EXCLUSIVE access. This is not Antelope and with good reasons. This is two plus hours of our group freely roaming with MPA teaching and shooting. YES, we are the ONLY group during our time. No one is able to do anything like this that we are doing because of our relationship with the slot and the people. Not to mention we are also working on some very special Navajo possibilities culturally. 🙂 Please do not hesitate to email with ANY questions you may have. We are here to help you make your dream tour a reality and will do what we can from our end to make that happen. All of the details, pricing, and scheduled itinerary are below. *Hiking- The hikes will be easy and short for the most part. Occasionally, a longer more strenuous hike may be optional and offered. For those that choose not to do such a hike, there is no problem as there will always be two groups and sets of instructors making this a tour almost anyone can do. Thank you! David and Ally McKay

Epic Southwest and Slot Canyons 2020

We have ADDED even more to the already awesome tour and we have made this a smaller group of 12 photographers This tour includes 2 days at Bryce National Park AND a special Cultural evening with Navajo Dancers performing for us at sunset at Horseshoe Bend Overlook on their PRIVATE access area! Plus we are driven to the exclusive overlook area saving us the mile hike each way! Horseshoe Bend, PRIVATE Slot Canyons, Horseshoe Bend W/Special performing Navajo Dancers, Zion National Park. Bryce National Park, Valley of Fire State Park Photograph America the Beautiful series! This tour only allows for a small group without exception. Once again, we are offering new tours with smaller groups! This tour will allow for only 12 photographers with 2 Instructors! This is exciting but also means our tours sell out even quicker now! We have gained INCREDIBLE, EXCLUSIVE, access to a Slot Canyon that you will find breathtaking. This is why we have to book this so far in advance in order to guarantee our exclusivity to this amazing slot canyon. See the info below! YES, we have amazing incredible EXCLUSIVE access. This is not Antelope and with good reasons. This is two plus hours of our group freely roaming with MPA teaching and shooting. YES, we are the ONLY group during our time. No one is able to do anything like this that we are doing because of our relationship with the slot and the people. Not to mention we are also working on some very special Navajo possibilities culturally. 🙂 Please do not hesitate to email with ANY questions you may have. We are here to help you make your dream tour a reality and will do what we can from our end to make that happen. All of the details, pricing, and scheduled itinerary are below. *Hiking- The hikes will be easy and short for the most part. Occasionally, a longer more strenuous hike may be optional and offered. For those that choose not to do such a hike, there is no problem as there will always be two groups and sets of instructors making this a tour almost anyone can do. Thank you! David and Ally McKay

Bodie Ghost Town Exclusive!

Bodie Ghost Town Photography Tour! EXCLUSIVE PRE-OPENING AND AFTER CLOSING ACCESS featuring a session that includes access to many of the buildings and access after-hours for star photography and light painting! This is something new and an incredible EXCLUSIVE experience! May 26th-28th, 2020 This will sell out FAST WOW, Just WOW! EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to one of the best preserved Ghost Towns in the Nation! Bodie Ghost Town in the Eastern Sierras of California has long been considered one of the best-preserved Ghost Towns in the Nation. People come here every year to wander and explore and photograph. NOW, Imagine EXCLUSIVE access we have been able to obtain that will allow us to photograph and have the town all to OURSELVES after hours and under the stars from 6pm-1am! THEN, Imagine a morning in which we arrive at 6am before the park is open to the public and have access to enter many of the buildings to photograph! With special permits and fees paid to help fund the Bodie Foundation, we have been able to secure the ability to do this! HOW AMAZING!

Bodie Ghost Town Exclusive!

Bodie Ghost Town Photography Tour! EXCLUSIVE PRE-OPENING AND AFTER CLOSING ACCESS featuring a session that includes access to many of the buildings and access after hours for star photography and light painting! This is something new and an incredible EXCLUSIVE experience! May 29th-31st, 2020 This will sell out FAST 12 photographers PLUS 2 Instructors!! WOW, Just WOW! EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to one of the best preserved Ghost Towns in the Nation! Bodie Ghost Town in the Eastern Sierras of California has long been considered one of the best preserved Ghost Towns in the Nation. People come here every year to wander and explore and photograph. NOW, Imagine EXCLUSIVE access we have been able to obtain that will allow us to photograph and have the town all to OURSELVES after hours and under the stars from 6pm-1am! THEN, Imagine a morning in which we arrive at 6am before the park is open to the public and have access to enter many of the buildings to photograph! With special permits and fees paid to help fund the Bodie Foundation, we have been able to secure the ability to do this! HOW AMAZING!

Joshua Tree National Park 2020

This is a PERFECT tour for all levels. With hands-on instruction, no matter your skill level, we will have you getting awesome images, AND learning along the way! Sunsets, Milky Way, Starry Nights and Painting with Light! Part of the MPA "Photograph America the Beautiful" Tours! A tour for a specific purpose! One of our most popular tours returns for 2020! June 13th - 16th, 2020 with dark skies! 3 FULL NIGHTS DEDICATED to the sunsets, stars and learning how to photograph the nighttime skies and paint with light in one of the top places in the world to do so! PLUS - Learning to edit your images including how to star-stack for circles of stars! Join us as we capture amazing images, and truly learn many of the secrets of astral photography and painting with light! PLUS-A bonus day of learning to edit using Lightroom and Photoshop and how to star stack images to get the effects of the image above! Joshua Tree National Park has long been considered by many as the best place in the United States to photograph the night skies due to such low light "pollution". This tour is specifically set up for the dates when the dark skies should be at their best. This is an OPTIMUM time of year to do this. You do NOT NEED night time photography experience to do this tour! This tour is for you to learn and we are right there with you in a small group setting! *Hiking difficulty - There is very little hiking on this tour. Almost everything we photograph is within a VERY short walk to our vehicles and many times, just right outside of our vehicles! If you have any concerns or special circumstances, please do not hesitate to reach out with your questions.

The Adventure: Are you ready for an adventure of a lifetime? Join us and a SMALL group of only 8 photographers as we travel via our PRIVATELY chartered vessel throughout some of the most pristine waters and locations in the world to photograph INCREDIBLE wildlife in Alaska including Brown Bears, Eagles, and Whales of all types! All, up close and personal but in a very safe environment with our private guide, chef, and Captain! These expeditions originate in Kodiak and proceed through beautiful fjords and bays to the Katmai Coast. This diverse expedition combines the spectacular bear viewing experiences of Katmai with the abundant marine wildlife you can only get in Kodiak. We will be aboard the Island C which holds the Coast Guard’s official Oceanographic Research Vessel (ORV) designation, and the highest safety rating available to commercial vessels of her class. This allows us to hidden gems and amazing locations and wildlife that not everybody can go to or see. In fact, we will be in locations very few have ever seen. Plus, as the ship has been chartered by us exclusively, we can stay as long as we want in any area OR move as we need to for the best wildlife opportunities! These expeditions originate in Kodiak and proceed through beautiful fjords and bays to the Katmai Coast. Each day will offer bear viewing and also offer whales, eagles, puffins and more to photograph! *Hiking difficulty - There is a little hiking on this tour. Almost everything we photograph is within a very short walk. If you have any concerns or special circumstances, please do not hesitate to reach out with your questions.

Glacier National Park 2020

Glacier National Park – Photography Tour! Part of the MPA- “Photograph America the Beautiful” Tours! Join MPA once again back to Glacier Natl Park after a 2 year break! VERY LIMITED Opportunity that we have to book EARLY! July 9th – 13th 2020 The famous “Go To Sun” road is only open on average 2 months a year…we are going at that time and therefore, HAVE to book early. See all details below! So now is your chance to photograph one of the most iconic locations in the U.S AND the World! Once again, we are now creating SMALLER more intimate tours. That is great but ALSO means they sell out even sooner! Do not miss out! Glacier National Park has long been considered the crown jewel of the national park system. With incredible scenery and locations that rival anywhere in the world. Virtually an unlimited scenic palate to photograph! Our tour is set for mid July which is PRIME photography time for wildflowers, and the opportunities to see and photograph wild-life including Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep, Bears, Moose and more! It also allows the high probability we will be able to drive and photograph along the “Go To Sun” road though the park. A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS including Beginner through Advanced! VERY LIMITED SPACE available on this tour! ONLY ONE TIME for 2020! As always, we expect this tour to sell out! Don’t miss it! Registration and more details below.

Oregon Coast and Waterfalls Tour 2020

Oregon Waterfalls, Columbia Gorge and Coast! A weekend photography getaway for you! We are returning by popular demand after a 2 year break! A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS! Including Beginner through Advanced! Great fun and learning at a great price! No matter what your photographic level, you can attend this tour. Beginners through advanced will find this tour wonderful in so many ways. You will be instructed personally by David and Ally McKay, Toby Gelston of Photorec.tv and the MPA team! If you are a beginner, or unsure, you will fit right in with our personalized instruction! Each guest will be taught personally one on one at your pace and skill level! No need to feel intimidated at all. We've got your back! Everyone knows of Multnomah falls and it's beauty. However, there is SO MUCH MORE in the area to see that most people never know is even there! Tons of incredible waterfalls, nature scenes, and beauty! With the recent fires in the Eagle Creek and Gorge area, it's important to know how much is available to photograph that is untouched. We will be photographing Multnomah Falls and the surrounding Waterfalls in that area as well as stops around the beautiful Columbia Gorge. We will ALSO be photographing at Silver Falls State park and along the awesome Oregon Coast line! 3 FULL days of photography! Come explore and photograph with us in this awesome location!

Zion Hiking and Photography Tour 2020

Zion National Park - Small Group Photography October 8th - 11th, 2020 Adventure Tour - Hike the Narrows! Group Size Limit 8! One Instructor, with a MAX of 8 participants. I am going to share my favorite Zion NP locations, along with awesome astrophotography opportunities and a Zion Narrows hike!* And, pack in an optional night of astrophotography just outside Las Vegas. Zion NP is gorgeous and wild and unlike any other park. Join me as we get away from the crowds and capture epic SW scenery in beautiful and peaceful locations. Transportation from Las Vegas to Zion NP is included. We will stay just outside the park. Amazing photographic opportunities right outside our door. This trip is designed to minimize drive time and maximize our time capturing amazing photographs in a friendly and supportive environment. Please note that this is a much more active tour than typical McKay trips - with longer & more strenuous hikes to beautiful destinations. See below for more details on the recommended fitness level for participants. *Conditions permitting A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS including Beginner through Advanced! This is also a FUN tour! VERY LIMITED SPACE on this tour! Adventure with Toby into the Narrows! Join me along with a small group of workshop participants for an adventurous tour of one of my favorite national parks! I first ventured to Zion NP in 1999 and fell in love with the unique beauty and stunning sandstone formations. On subsequent tours, I have explored the nooks and crannies and want to share with you this incredibly beautiful park. This tour will explore the Narrows of Zion NP - one of the most EPIC hikes on the PLANET! That’s not hyperbole. You will hike in a narrow, stream filled slot canyon with sandstone walls rising thousands of feet above your head. Beautiful scenes around each corner. We will also explore some lesser-known corners of the park offering amazing photographic opportunities. The Zion Narrows hike is weather and river flow dependent. This hike requires wading in cold water for hours but the rewards are simply amazing. We will rent appropriate shoes and walking sticks to make the journey safer. Waterproof bags for your camera gear will be available to rent too. We will also take the time to hike to beautiful vistas providing awesome scenery and multiple photographic opportunities along the way.

Zion Hiking and Photography Tour 2020

Zion National Park - Small Group Photography October 12th - 15th, 2020 Adventure Tour - Hike the Narrows! Group Size Limit 8! One Instructor, with a MAX of 8 participants. I am going to share my favorite Zion NP locations, along with awesome astrophotography opportunities and a Zion Narrows hike!* And, pack in an optional night of astrophotography just outside Las Vegas. Zion NP is gorgeous and wild and unlike any other park. Join me as we get away from the crowds and capture epic SW scenery in beautiful and peaceful locations. Transportation from Las Vegas to Zion NP is included. We will stay just outside the park. Amazing photographic opportunities right outside our door. This trip is designed to minimize drive time and maximize our time capturing amazing photographs in a friendly and supportive environment. Please note that this is a much more active tour than typical McKay trips - with longer & more strenuous hikes to beautiful destinations. See below for more details on the recommended fitness level for participants. *Conditions permitting A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS including Beginner through Advanced! This is also a FUN tour! VERY LIMITED SPACE on this tour! Adventure with Toby into the Narrows! Join me along with a small group of workshop participants for an adventurous tour of one of my favorite national parks! I first ventured to Zion NP in 1999 and fell in love with the unique beauty and stunning sandstone formations. On subsequent tours, I have explored the nooks and crannies and want to share with you this incredibly beautiful park. This tour will explore the Narrows of Zion NP - one of the most EPIC hikes on the PLANET! That’s not hyperbole. You will hike in a narrow, stream filled slot canyon with sandstone walls rising thousands of feet above your head. Beautiful scenes around each corner. We will also explore some lesser-known corners of the park offering amazing photographic opportunities. The Zion Narrows hike is weather and river flow dependent. This hike requires wading in cold water for hours but the rewards are simply amazing. We will rent appropriate shoes and walking sticks to make the journey safer. Waterproof bags for your camera gear will be available to rent too. We will also take the time to hike to beautiful vistas providing awesome scenery and multiple photographic opportunities along the way.

New England Fall Colors 2020

New England Fall Color Photography Tour! Join us as we journey together into the heart of New Hampshire and parts of Maine for some of the best Fall Color photography available! ! New England has long been considered by many as the best place in the United States to photograph fall color and covered bridges. This tour is specifically set up to maximize both and to avoid crowds by going at the end of the season. We actually LOVE the end of the season as we find that there are less crowds and awesome color! The last few years "PEAK" season has actually been later as well. We have also extended this tour because there is just so many opportunities and back roads to wander and photograph! We realize that part of the great journey of photography, is to just wander! So while out with us, we will look for new and awesome back-road hidden gems along they way. It will also allows ut o possibly have time for Image Reviews and Editing techniques! No matter what your photography experience, we have you covered. This tour is for you to learn and we are right there with you in a VERY small group setting! *Hiking difficulty - There is very little hiking on this tour. Almost everything we photograph is within a VERY short walk to our vehicles and many times, just right outside of our vehicles! If you have any concerns or special circumstances, please do not hesitate to reach out with your question A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS including Beginner through Advanced! This is also a FUN tour! VERY LIMITED SPACE on this tour! ONLY ONE TIME THIS YEAR! As always, we expect this tour to sell out! Don’t miss it! Registration and further details below.

Fairbanks Alaska Northern Lights 2020

A Photograph “America the Beautiful” Photography Tour! Symphony In The Sky! Northern Lights Photography Tour – Fairbank, Alaska A photographic AND bucket list experience of a lifetime! 3 nights specific to photograph Aurora! All 3 of our 2019 tours sold out in a few hours, we expect the 2020 tour to do the same! Availability is limited and WILL NOT LAST! This is a SMALL GROUP tour with only 10 clients and 3 instructors! HURRY as you do NOT want to miss out! Join us as we once again visit our dear friends Frank and Miriam Stelges at Aurora Bear outside of Fairbanks, AK. Frank and Miriam have been our host for the last few years, BUT this next tour we are planning something new! Beyond the 3 days of working to photograph the Aurora also are these highlights! This tour is limited to ONLY 10 people. PLUS we will have 3 instructors for amazing hands-on learning! YES, a VERY Small and intimate learning and friendship experience! Included will also be a day-time shoot in the area! This tour will take place at their private home with incredible Aurora opportunities and landscape. An official Alaskan outdoor Bar B Que is included! Learn light painting and have fun even when the Aurora is not out! Truly incredible art from nature we get the honor to see and photograph! Join us in Alaska for our Northern Lights photography tour. If you have ever wanted to see the lights and photograph them, this IS a tour to be on! A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS including Beginner through Advanced! Great fun and learning at a great price! No matter what your photographic level, you can attend this tour. Beginners through advanced will find this tour wonderful in so many ways.

Fairbanks Alaska Northern Lights 2020 Tour 2

A Photograph “America the Beautiful” Photography Tour! Symphony In The Sky! Northern Lights Photography Tour – Fairbanks, Alaska A photographic AND bucket list experience of a lifetime! 3 nights specific to photograph Aurora! This is a SMALL GROUP tour with only 10 clients! HURRY as you do NOT want to miss out! Join us as we once again visit our dear friends Frank and Miriam Stelges at Aurora Bear outside of Fairbanks, AK. Frank and Miriam have been our host for the last few years, BUT this next tour we are planning something new! Beyond the 3 days of working to photograph the Aurora also are these highlights! This tour is limited to ONLY 10 people. PLUS we will have 3 instructors for amazing hands-on learning! YES, a VERY Small and intimate learning and friendship experience! Included will also be a day-time shoot in the area! This tour will take place at their private home with incredible Aurora opportunities and landscape. An official Alaskan outdoor Bar B Que is included! Learn light painting and have fun even when the Aurora is not out! Truly incredible art from nature we get the honor to see and photograph! Join us in Alaska for our Northern Lights photography tour. If you have ever wanted to see the lights and photograph them, this IS a tour to be on! A Photographic excursion for ALL LEVELS including Beginner through Advanced! Great fun and learning at a great price! No matter what your photographic level, you can attend this tour. Beginners through advanced will find this tour wonderful in so many ways.

Winter Yosemite National Park 2021

Yosemite + Winter = BEAUTIFUL! ONLY 10 Spots for this SMALL group tour at a great price! Our first tour for the 2021 season is announced and it is one of our favorites! Yosemite is photographed more than any other National Park in the United States and with good reason. Join us as you learn photography and hang out with others that love photographing as much as you do in one of the most beautiful, iconic, locations in the world! We are continuing to work to bring you even better photographic experiences and tours with smaller group settings. That, of course, is awesome but ALSO means we SELL OUT EVEN FASTER then before! Join us in what was Ansel Adams playground! See and photograph Half Dome, El Capitan and some of the most famous photographic spots in history. PLUS, the many hidden areas of Yosemite and off the beaten path locations we know are just as beautiful. No matter what your photographic level, you can attend these tours. Beginners through advanced will find this tour wonderful in so many ways. You will be instructed personally by David and Ally McKay, as well as the amazing MPA team.

Tours – McKay Photography Academy

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Epic Southwest and Slot Canyons 2020

March 14th – 23rd, 2020
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Epic Southwest and Slot Canyons 2020

March 25th – April 3rd, 2020
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Bodie Ghost Town Exclusive!

May 26th – 28th, 2020
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Bodie Ghost Town Exclusive!

May 29th – 31st, 2020
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Joshua Tree National Park 2020

June 13th – 16th, 2020
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Kodiak Alaska 2020

June 21st – 27th, 2020
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Glacier National Park 2020

July 9th – 13th, 2020
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Oregon Coast and Waterfalls Tour 2020

August 27th – 31st, 2020
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Zion Hiking and Photography Tour 2020

October 8th – 11th, 2020
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Zion Hiking and Photography Tour 2020

October 12th – 15th, 2020
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New England Fall Colors 2020

October 14th – 20th, 2020
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Fairbanks Alaska Northern Lights 2020

December 3rd – 7th, 2020
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Fairbanks Alaska Northern Lights 2020 Tour 2

December 7th – 11th, 2020
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Winter Yosemite National Park 2021

January 7th – 10th, 2021