A Day of Roaming Alberta's

Prairies and Badlands

Monday - July 13


MAXIMUM 18 ATTENDEES


PRICE:  $275

Start Time:  7:00 am

Return Time: 7:00 pm

Information & Itinerary

Our full day tour by coach will encompass a wide range of photographic opportunities... classic prairie landscapes, old farm trucks and equipment, the otherworldly Alberta Badlands and a visit to a world-renowned museum and research centre.  The tortured landscapes of the badlands carved out of the rolling prairies are exceptionally unique places that are sure to be fascinating for all participants to explore.  Parts of the badlands were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

First stop is at Irricana’s Pioneer Acres, one of the largest agricultural and industrial history museums in Alberta. We will have an introduction to the collection and will also visit the “Back 40” where old farm trucks and equipment left outside in the fields for decades have been silently rusting and fading in the cold winters and hot summers of Alberta. 


Next is Horseshoe Canyon. The view from the parking lot is spectacular, but exploring the easy walking trails in the valley bottom will showcase the surreal geological landforms that are a photographic treat. 


We will have lunch and a private tour on a short hike through the fossil rich geology at the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. It is the center for dinosaur discoveries in the area and houses one of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils in the world, many of which were discovered locally. 



Time and weather permitting, we will have a short photo stop or two along the way to capture the classic prairie scenes that this part of Alberta is famous for.




Additional Details

Photo Types:

  • Scenic
  • Animals

Travel Mode:

  • Coach

Ground:

  • Some Uneven

Snacks & Water:

  • Supplied

Meals:

  • No

Sample Images from Excursion Locations:

  • Motorcyclist rides through a field of yellow flowers under a cloudy sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Oil pump in a field under a cloudy sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Dark storm clouds over a vibrant yellow field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Rusty red International KB-1 truck hood against a bright blue sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Rusty red International Harvester tractor grill with silver logo, against blue sky and tractor tires.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Two green industrial valves on a rusty red and orange machine.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Close-up of peeling red and pink paint on the side of a vehicle.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Red machinery with chains and gears.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Rusty red International KB-1 truck hood against a bright blue sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aerial view of a large green dinosaur statue in a parking lot, near a swimming pool.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Layered mountain in shades of brown, white, and tan against a blue sky, with grassy foreground.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Eroded rock formations in desert landscape, with layered sediment and hoodoos.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Eroded badlands landscape with light-colored, textured rock formations under a blue sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Layered rock formations in various colors, showcasing natural erosion and geological history.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Eroded desert landscape with layered tan and brown rock formations.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Close-up of weathered, textured gray and tan earth. Cracks and crevices visible.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Snow-covered badlands landscape with layered rock formations under a clear blue sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A building with a solar panel entrance in a desert landscape.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Person standing in snowy landscape, overlooking buildings and distant hills under a bright sky.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Dinosaur exhibit: A large Tyrannosaurus Rex with open jaws, smaller Velociraptor running.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Realistic Tyrannosaurus Rex head with open jaws, in a forest setting.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Mammoth skeleton with curved tusks in a museum diorama, alongside other fossil skeletons.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Stegosaurus skeleton on display, brown with large plates along the back, in a museum setting.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Dinosaur skeleton display in museum; Tyrannosaurus Rex in front, other bones behind a painted backdrop.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton on display with a painted background and a dinosaur silhouette.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Dinosaur skeleton display in a museum. Fossilized bones are mounted on a rock formation.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Fossilized fish embedded in light-colored stone, showing scales and fins in a detailed, dark outline.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Iridescent ammonite fossil, spiral shape, with brown, red, and yellow flashes, mounted.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Colorful ammonite fossil embedded in gray rock.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Iridescent ammonite fossil in shades of green, gold, and brown, displayed in a museum exhibit.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Large fossilized ammonite shell, tan and brown, spiral shape with ribbed exterior.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sunset over a field of grass and wheat, with a vibrant sky of orange and blue.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sunset over silos; orange and yellow sky with wispy clouds; fields in the foreground.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Sample Images from Excursion Locations:

Photo Excursion Leaders

Man with glasses and a black shirt against a gray background, looking forward.

Keith Walker

Leader

Keith Walker is a professional aerial photographer who also has 50 years of experience creating fine art photographs and artworks that are sold worldwide. Though Keith has photographed in many places, he finds that the badlands and prairies offer a smorgasbord of unique world class photographic opportunities. 

Man wearing glasses smiling while holding a camera outdoors.

Bill Cubitt

Assistant

Bill Cubitt is a multi-faceted photographer with decades of experience of shooting wildlife, sports, travel, portraits and fine art photography.  He has made many visits to the unique badlands region of Alberta.  Bill has served on the Executive of the Foothills Camera Club in many capacities, including multiple terms as the President, and has organized numerous photo excursions throughout Western Canada.  Bill was the main organizer behind the very successful CAPA 2019 Canada Camera Conference held in Calgary.