A youth photography camp focused on developing beginning to advanced youth photographers' artistic practice — through the lens of wildlife conservation. This is a unique opportunity for close mentorship in wildlife photography by four of Utah's own nationally recognized and professional wildlife photographers.
Dates: Saturdays, June 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025
When: 9 AM - 1 PM,
Where: Syracuse, UT
Ages: 12 - 18
Camp participants will learn:
- Photography basics
- Editing techniques
- Hands on conservation
- Ethical wildlife photography
A typical day at camp:
- Meet at 9 AM at the Rush Fun Plex in Syracuse, Utah
- Spend an hour learning about conservation photography
- Apply photography lessons in the field at Antelope Island
- Leave from the entrance to Antelope Island
Requirements:
- Mentees must be able to attend every day of camp. This includes meeting at the Rush Fun Plex at 9 AM and leaving from the entrance to Antelope Island at 1 PM.
- Parent or legal guardian must sign a liability waiver and a photo release form.
- Parent or legal guardian must attend a one hour Zoom meeting on Saturday, May 31st from 9 AM - 10 PM to virtually meet the mentors, go over camp logistics, and answer any questions.
- $25 registration fee
Scholarships:
Two scholarships are being offered to waive the $25 registration fee.
To qualify for the scholarship you must be part of a community that has been historically underrepresented in environmental conservation.
To apply for a scholarship, please email info@utahwildlifefederation.org with subject subject line "Photography Camp Scholarship Application". In the body of the email include one to two paragraphs letting us know which community(ies) you are a part of that has been historically underreprsented in environmental conservation and why you are interested in wildlife photography.
About the camp mentors:
Shauna Hart
Shauna Hart is a conservation/wildlife photographer from northern Utah. She enjoys photographing all over the intermountain west, but particularly creating photos highlighting important conservation issues. Her photos educate others about wildlife connectivity, Great Salt Lake migratory bird habitat, and the health and well being of all species in the state of Utah. Photographing moose and cranes makes her happy any and every day!
Jason Loftus
Jason Loftus was introduced to the outdoors at a very young age, where his passion for all things wild began. His photography is focused on large ungulates and waterfowl, but he loves photographing any and all wildlife. His photography has taken him all over the world to photograph many exotic species. Jason’s photography focuses on using natural light to capture unique moments.
When Jason is not busy photographing critters his first passion and love is spending time with his family. Married to a beautiful wife with 3 amazing children, 2 incredible in-laws and 5 grand babies, Jason has also started photographing a new kind of animal, and he’s truly enjoying that aspect of photography as well.
Lydia Ripplinger
Lydia Ripplinger is a wildlife photographer and raptor education specialist from Payson, Utah. Lydia loves all animals, but has a special appreciation for owls and other birds of prey. Lydia loves to travel and spends as much time as she can going to new places and finding new critters to photograph. When she's not in the field with her camera, Lydia loves spending time with her family, trail running, working out at the gym, dancing, reading and hanging out with her rescue owl, Romeo.
Jimmy Breitenstein
Jimmy Breitenstein is an avid outdoor enthusiast who's always been in love with exploring vast landscapes and finding the animals that call the wild places home. He is a professional wildlife and nature photographer, specializing in finding and photographing “backcountry” wildlife. He was born in and currently resides in beautiful Utah, but considers “the outdoors” as his true home. Because he focuses primarily on photographing backcountry wildlife, much of his time is spent backpacking, backcountry skiing, and kayaking in search of amazing animals. He's found there is a special kind of healing, clarity, and peace that can only be found in nature. It is his mission to help you feel that through his photography.