JOIN THE JOURNEY
TARANTULA MATING SEASON
Sept. 25-26 2025
10% OF PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO
TARANTULA RESEARCH!
Presented by Devon Matthews & Kristi Odom.
Every fall, the grasslands come alive with eight-legged wanderers on a mission, it's tarantula mating season, and it’s as awe-inspiring as it is unforgettable.
Join conservation photographers Devon Matthews and Kristi Odom for a truly one-of-a-kind photography adventure in one of Colorado’s most overlooked ecosystems. As male tarantulas emerge from their burrows and journey across the landscape in search of a mate, you’ll witness one of the most interesting mating seasons in the natural world, right in the heart of Colorado's own Comanche National Grasslands.
This trip is designed not only to help you witness this wild spectacle, but also strengthen your skills as a nature photographer. You’ll dive into the world of macro photography, learning how to capture incredible detail, texture, and story in these often misunderstood animals. We'll explore camera settings, animal behavior, ethical wildlife practices, storytelling, and composition, with hands-on guidance from 2 instructors in the field and in daily feedback sessions.
And the fun doesn’t end there. The nearby town of La Junta fully embraces the tarantula magic with a community-wide celebration, held the days after the workshop. Stick around for the Tarantula Festival, complete with a parade, local vendors, educational events, and even a hairy leg contest. It’s a weekend full of wild moments, deep learning, and unexpected joy.
DEVON MATTHEWS
I'm Devon, a conservation photographer, visual storyteller, and proud member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. My work centers on strengthening the connection between people and wildlife through compelling imagery and thoughtful storytelling.
My work has been published in National Wildlife Magazine (twice in print), Colorado Life Magazine, Petapixel, and featured in the Photographers Forum College Photo Contest. I was also honored to be interviewed by BBC Wildlife Magazine.
KRISTI ODOM
Kristi Odom is an internationally acclaimed photographer, a Nikon Ambassador, an associate fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, and a motivational speaker. A photographer and filmmaker, her work focuses on connecting people emotionally to animals and celebrating those who have a connection to the natural world.
Her accolades include over 60 international photography awards including 2 Nature’s Best Photography awards, which exhibited her images at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Her work has appeared either online and/or in print for the following clients: National Geographic, Nikon, Forbes, Rollingstone, Microsoft and Outside Magazine.
Important note: To maintain a quality experience if a certain amount of students is not reached, the workshop may be taught solely by Devon Matthews. And right to cancel (with full refund) if enough slots are not filled.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 & DAY 2 (Sept. 25-26)
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MORNING We will meet together as a group for a hot cup of coffee from a great local coffee shop after breakfast at our hotels. We'll then caravan out to the Comanche National Grasslands to find male tarantulas that are starting to move about looking for mates. We will photograph them as they cross local roads (when and if safe), in the grasslands and if we get lucky, the mating process!
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MIDDAY After our morning photography session we will head back to town for lunch. Once we're done eating we have a reserved room where we will go over images taken in the morning and give 1-on-1 feedback and instruction.
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AFTERNOON After our midday meeting we will head back out into the grasslands and continue our search for tarantulas until the sun goes down (and slightly after).
DAY 3 (Sept. 27) (optional)
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La Junta's annual tarantula festival will be help on September 27th. (this is on your own and not a part of the workshop) The festival includes: A parade, educational opportunities, a hairly leg contest, costume contest, and many other fun activities.
DETAILS
Before the trip we will have a virtual presentation that will help you elevate your macro-photography and take it to the next level! This will cover topics like gear, technique and also arachnid/insect behavior so that you are prepared to see and photograph tarantulas in-person!
Presenting alongside us will be Dallas Haselhuhn, who is an expert on tarantulas! Dallas has worked with tarantulas for nearly a decade conducting research on their behavior and ecology. He has worked for and with state and federal agencies as well as non-profits and universities. He is always excited to share his knowledge with genuinely curious people! Which will include tarantula behavior and how to photograph them safely, for both you and the tarantula!
Each day after our morning photo sessions in the grasslands will be followed up by in-person image review before heading back out into the field in the afternoon! This will allow us to develop strategic plans for when we are back out in the field if technique needs to be adjusted. We will do this each day! A great opportunity for fast adjustments and education!
You will also have the opportunity to get in-field one-on-one instructions from either Devon Matthews or Kristi Odom.
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Optional group-share with critique to elevate and brainstorm
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Daily mentorship during our in-field shoots from both Devon and Kristi
EDUCATION
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Photo
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Composition
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Storytelling
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Camera Settings
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Animal Behavior
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Ethical Macro/Wildlife Photography
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Photo Editing & Post Processing
10% OF PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO
TARANTULA RESEARCH!
COST
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Price: $1495
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$675 non-refundable retainer at time of booking
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Full payment due by August 1st, 2025
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Maximum of 8 photographers
INCLUDED
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Pre-Trip educational video to elevate your Macro Photography!
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Tarantula behavior learning from a tarantula expert!
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Daily mentorship in-field from Devon and Kristi
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Classroom photo review and mentorship (during trip)
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Group image share (optional)
EXCLUDED
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Transportation to Colorado
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Flights
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Transportation from airport to La Junta (if flying)
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Rental Vehicle
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Daily transportation to and from the grasslands
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Hotel accommodations
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Meals/Beverages
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Is fall a good time to photograph tarantulas?
This time of year is great to see tarantulas, especially males! Each fall male tarantulas who have become sexually mature emerge from their burrows and wander the grasslands looking for mates! It's a great time to view them crossing local roads, wandering the grasslands and if you're lucky, watching the mating process!
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Do tarantulas bite?
All animals are capable of biting. Tarantulas main defense is the ability to bite, used as a defense mechanism when they are being overly disturbed/threatened. We will only photograph tarantulas that are exhibiting no signs of distress and we will not handle, move, or touch the tarantulas for the sake of the tarantula and ourselves.
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What animals might we see?
**No wildlife is guaranteed**
Although no wildlife sightings are guaranteed. There's potential to see tarantulas, burrowing owls, prairie dogs, jack rabbits, pronghorns, wolf spiders, scorpions, black widow and rattlesnake.
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How do I get to La Junta?
If flying to Colorado, you will fly in to Denver. Ensure you have a rental vehicle booked. Then drive from Denver through Colorado Springs and down into La Junta. We recommend to manually put into your gps the city of Colorado Springs as a stop before entering la Junta to ensure you are taking the correct route. The drive is about 3 hours with amazing glimpses of the Rockies as you head south.
**If you leave yourself enough time you can even visit Garden of the Gods (in Colorado springs) on your way!
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Are there hotels in La Junta for me to stay?
Yes, you can look for the Holiday Inn Express la Junta (719-384-2900) or the Hampton Inn La Junta (719-384-4444) we recommend one of these two just based off of them being hotel chains. Both of these also offer free breakfast. There are also alternatives in La Junta that you can search for.
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How physically demanding is it?
It will be mainly walking with no elevation gain or hills. We will be walking through the grasslands with no paved or worn out trails (mainly dirt). Expect to walk around 10,000 steps a day. We will almost always be in eye-sight of our vehicles if you need a break!
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What's the weather like?
In the fall, the area of the Comanche National Grasslands we will be subject to dramatic temperate changes. Getting very cool at night (sometime into the 40's) and then very hot in the middle of the day (90+ Fahrenheit). We encourage you to have adequate water on your person, in your vehicle and electrolytes on hand.
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What kind of clothes should I bring?
We recommend layers! Long pants (due to cacti) and hiking boots/shoes with good ankle support since we will not be on trails or paved surfaces. The weather here in falls gets cool at night/early morning and can get very hot (90+ Fahrenheit) during the day. So you should be prepared for all weather and be able to take off layers or add layers based on the conditions.
