Photo Instructor Jeff Munoz with guest. Pucate River, Amazon, Peru

Pack you camera

Capture the Amazon, keep it forever

Ralph Lee Hopkins

The Upper Amazon of Peru will surprise you! Not only is it a haven for colorful birds and acrobatic monkeys, but the reflections in the calm backwaters of the Amazon and tributaries makes for an endless variety of artistic compositions. And you never know when the mythical pink river dolphins will show up. But make no mistake, the subdued light in the rainforest will challenge you, so come prepared to learn new skills.

—Ralph Lee Hopkins, Director of Expedition Photography

A cathedral of green with diverse wildlife, the Amazon is a photographer’s paradise. We’ll take you to the best places and set you up for the perfect shot on our Amazon photography cruise. And, with the benefit of a trained professional as a traveling companion, you’re sure to go home with incredible images.

Exclusively ours: Expedition Photography program

Every Amazon cruise offers the services of a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This veteran naturalist is specially trained to assist you with camera settings, the basic elements of framing, composition, and lighting; and to provide tips to ensure you go home with fantastic photos. You’ll be able to capture the moments at the heart of your expedition, and go home a better, more confident photographer—with some of the best shots of your life!

Top 5 Reasons to Photograph in the Amazon

1. Enjoy a safari-style schedule with sunrise and sunset outings in our comfortable 10-person skiffs, the perfect platform for photography and wildlife viewing.
Discoveries by skiff will be made daily. Amazon
2. Known as the Forest of Mirrors, the still waters of the Amazon River and its tributaries offer unparalleled photo opportunities for wide-angle reflections.
Forest of Mirrors
3. Wildlife abounds in Peru’s remote Papaya-Samiria Reserve, so bring your longer zoom lenses and improve your skills shooting the great diversity of birds, sloths, river dolphins, and monkeys.
A brightly colored tropical bird in flight
4. Pump up your ISO on our nighttime outings in search of Caiman alligators and other nocturnal creatures.
Young spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodilus, at night on the El Dorado River, Upper Amazon River Basin, Loreto, Peru.
5. Meet the local indigenous people and learn how to take intimate portraits that tell the story of their life along the riverbanks.
Village life in San Regis, on the Marañón River, Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Fund, Minga Peru.

What to Pack for the Amazon*

  • Camera with high-ISO capability, from DSLR, mirrorless system, to compact super zoom
  • Consider selection of lenses or a compact camera that zooms from wide-angle (16-35) to telephoto (up to 400mm)
  • Camera backpack with rain cover, and also a rain cover for your camera
  • Monopod is helpful for stabilizing your camera when shooting from the skiff 
  • Consider bringing your laptop for downloading and selecting images for the guest slideshow, as there is not a computer workstation on the Delphin II

*Note: Photography in the Amazon will challenge you with fast moving wildlife subjects in the dark rain forest. A camera with high-ISO (1000 and above) capability and longer zooms with fast auto-focus are recommended.