Mongolia & The Eagle Hunters with Ari Espay
Mongolia is incredible and timeless. From riding the two humped bactrim camels through the undulating sand dunes of the Gobi Desert, to sleeping under the stars in traditional gers, we'll embrace the intriguing way of life of Mongolia’s nomads and spend time with their fascinating eagle hunters. We will be visiting areas of Mongolia that not many get to and shooting things not many people have the opportunity to photograph like the Naadam Games and.... the eagle hunters (!!!!!) in the Western part of Mongolia in the Altai Mountains. We'll also explore the life of Genghis Khan, Mongolian's hero and wander through the cashmere shops of Ulaanbaatar (bring an empty suitcase!). Classes, on location help and edit/critique sessions make this workshop a must!
Photography Workshop
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DATES | 12 DAYS
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August 18 - 29, 2026 SOLD OUT/ WAITLIST AVAILABLE
(12 days/11 nights)
ADDITIONAL DATES COMING
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PRICE
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$14,545 per person
Companion fee $12,545 (staying in the same room)
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WHAT'S INCLUDED?
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- 11 Nights in luxury accommodations
- On location classes, demos, and assistance in the field
- 6 Classes/edit & critique sessions
- All breakfasts
- 9 Dinners
- 10 Lunches
- 2 Round trip flights while in Mongolia
- All local transportation
- Airport transfers
- Travel, landscape, architecture, festival, and people photography
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WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
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- Round trip airfare to and from Mongolia
- Additional excursions for Companions not listed in our itinerary (though we will happily help with suggestions and arrangements)
- Additional nights before or after the start and finish of the Workshop
- Travel Insurance
- Some meals
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OUR LOCATIONS
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- Ulaanbaatar, the capital city
- The Altai Mountains and the Eagle Hunters
- Ulgii Town
- The Dunes of the Gobi Desert
- A Traditional Naadam Festival
- The Flaming Cliffs
- Hustain National Park
These locations are tentative and may change depending on weather and spontaneous photographic opportunities.
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OUR HOTELS
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Our accommodations are upscale boutique hotels in the 4 and 5 star category.
While we are in the Gobi Desert, we are staying at the world renowned, Three Camel Lodge. This hotel is routinely tops many of the "World's Best Lists".
When we are out in the West visiting the Eagle Hunter, we will be staying in gers/tents as there are no hotels in this area. Three Eagle Camp is the sister accommodations of Three Camel Lodge that provides an authentic Mongolian experience for adventurous travelers while also preserving the culture and environment they cherish. **Please note that even if you have requested SINGLE occupancy, we will need to double up on these nights.
While in Ulaanbaatar, we will be in the center of the city at the 5 star Best Western.
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WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP RIGHT FOR?
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- Amateur, enthusiast, and semi-pro photographers looking to build their portfolio
- Photographers who love travel and learning about other cultures
- Photographers interested in learning more about making portraits as well as documenting celebrations and festivals
- DSLR, mirrorless, compact camera users
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TRAVEL INSURANCE
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We strongly suggest you purchase travel insurance for your trip. Aside from medical care, travel insurance can protect you in the case of lost or stolen luggage, equipment, and personal effects, trip cancellation, personal liability, funeral expenses (we don't mean to sound morbid, but dying overseas can be very, very expensive), emergency dental treatment and evacuation back to your country of residence. All that being said, please read the policy carefully (especially the exclusions) to make sure that it covers what you will need, especially trip cancellation.
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HOW DO I REGISTER?
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We provide personalized service and you can sign up for a workshop by emailing us directly at liza@lizapoliti.com
About Ari Espay
Award-winning photographer, Ari Espay, has shot documentary pieces, campaigns and editorial essays for magazines in the US and all over South America including; Architectural Digest, Vogue Latin America, Que Pasa, and ED. He has worked for Maybelline, Gillette, Corpbanca and Ferouch and has shot portraits for Presidents, internationally known actors, Emmy Award winning directors, Broadway performers, politicians and high profile business people. Ari has won Chile’s prestigious Fondart Grant, was a finalist in National Geographic’s Photo Competition, “Luces de America” and in 2018, 2021, 2022 he was a ‘CHOSEN Winner’ in Latin American AI-AP. He has received an Honorable Mention in IPA's Deeper Perspective Category in 2023 for his series, "Butterfly Children".
With numerous gallery exhibitions, Ari’s most recent show, “A Glimpse of Southeast Asia” was featured at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, a museum in Cento, Italy. Other exhibitions include; “Mingalabar Myanmar”(Rome and Bologna, Italy) and “The Faces of EB” in New York City. He has published 4 books. As a photographer, his work can be seen in "Colors of San Miguel" and he was the editor for Erin Feinberg’s "Diehards"(2013) with foreword by Bruce Springsteen and afterword by Neil Peart and for the multi-award winning, “2020 Unmasked”. For 10 years, he taught photography workshops for National Geographic, working with their legendary photographers.
www.ariespayphotographer.com
About Liza & Ari
Fancy Girl Street Boy Productions (FGSB) launched in December 2004. We have shot documentary pieces, campaigns and editorial essays for magazines in the US and all over Latin America, as well as portraits for internationally known actors, Emmy Award winning directors, Broadway performers, Presidents, politicians and high profile business people. We have also produced films for PBS. In addition to shooting, for more than a decade, we produced workshops for Santa Fe and photography expeditions for National Geographic. Since then, we have run more than 100 workshops in 22 countries around the globe in exotic locations like Morocco and Mongolia, bustling cities like Florence and Barcelona, the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Bagan, Myanmar and chic islands like St. Lucia.
Additional Info
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WEATHER | SUNRISE/SUNSET
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August – Temps 75/45 F
Sunrise 6:00am | Sunset 7:30pm
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TRAVEL INFORMATION
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Airport: Chinggis Khan International Airport (ULN) in Ulaanbaatar
Transfer from the airport to downtown Ulaanbaatar is about 30 minutes.
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FUN FACTS
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Mongolia has Asia's second largest desert, the Gobi. During the peak of the Mongol Empire, the several important Silk Road cities were located along the Gobi, which dominates the southern portion of the country.
The Mongol Empire gained power as Genghis Khan and his sons conquered much of Asia and Europe during the 13th century.Marco Polo, his father, and an uncle were the first Europeans to cross the Gobi in about A.D. 1275.
The word 'Mongol' means brave. Ulaanbaatar means 'red hero'. It is also the coldest and most isolated capital in the world.
The Gobi is one of the Earth’s coldest deserts and covers about 500,000 square miles (1,295,000 square kilometers). It is also expanding. Every year, about 1,400 square miles of new desert are added because of changes in land use, including farming, grazing animals, and destruction of the forests. Global climate change may also be a factor.
The first dinosaur egg ever discovered was found in the Gobi. Many dinosaur remains and fossils from 100 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous period, have been found there.
There are 604,200 square miles of land in Mongolia (1.5 million sq kilometers).
Mongolia’s temperature can fluctuate as much as 35 degrees in one day. The country is very dry and receives only about four inches of rainfall per year.