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About Backcountry Journeys
Why Choose Backcountry Journeys
If you're considering a photography tour, hear why Backcountry Journeys delivers the best experience in the industry.Frequently Asked Questions
If you're new to photography tours, or new to BCJ, you can find our common travel questions here.Fitness Levels
Our trips vary on physical intensity, and by reviewing our fitness levels, you can find out which trips may be more challenging, or aligned more closely with your comfort level.Meet The Crew
We've built an amazing team of experienced guides, and dedicated office staff that elevate your travel experience. Get to know their backgrounds, and hear their stories.Travel Desk
You can review our various payment, and travel policies here, along with resources regarding international travel.Gift Certificates
Give the gift of photo adventure! We offer gift certificates that can be applied to any of our upcoming tours.Loyalty Program
We reward our frequent photo adventurers with exclusive discounts on amazing photography tours.Contact Us
If you need to get in touch with our office staff, or have additional business inquiries, you can find our information here.Stay Up To Date On All Things
Backcountry Journeys
Backcountry Journeys
Our Photography Community
Our Webinars
Our regularly hosted webinars provide photography instruction from our own guides on a wide range of topics.Our Education Portal
Explore our library of articles that cover everything from common questions, to in-depth guides on how to achieve that perfect shot.Community Testimonials
We're proud to foster an amazing group of photo travelers, and here you can find their stories from their past adventures.Resources For Photographers
About Our Company
Resources For Photographers
About Our Company
New Apple 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro: Built for Creators
Published January 23, 2022
In digital photography and video, the most important thing after the camera is the workstation. There must be a means to upload, process, and share. With higher resolution images, high-quality codecs, and more, the need for an ultra-powerful workstation is higher than ever. Just for sanity – because who likes working on a slow computer.
Another consideration is the associated lifestyle of many digital photographers and videographers. We’re on the move. Traveling to find the best landscapes, the most diverse wildlife, we’re after the best shot. That puts many of us on the road and away from home throughout the year. So, a workstation solution not only needs to be powerful, but mobile.
Apple answered the call.
Another consideration is the associated lifestyle of many digital photographers and videographers. We’re on the move. Traveling to find the best landscapes, the most diverse wildlife, we’re after the best shot. That puts many of us on the road and away from home throughout the year. So, a workstation solution not only needs to be powerful, but mobile.
Apple answered the call.
Apple has released new 14” and 16” MacBook Pros, supercharged by newly developed M1 Pro and M1 Max processors. For those in the Apple ecosystem, these MacBooks are the best ever from Apple and I definitely recommend looking into upgrading.
Apple had disappointed some with past MacBook releases, a shift to sleek, ultralight designs was definitely welcomed, but it came at a cost of performance and ports. I believe the new MacBooks compromise neither of those things – they are powerhouses in a small package.
MacBook Pro 16.2”
Price: Starting at $2,499 (customizable up to $6,099)
Key Specifications
- Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max 10-Core Chip
- Up to 64GB Unified RAM
- Up to 8TB SSD
- 16.2″ 3456 x 2234 Liquid Retina XDR Screen
- Up to 32-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Bluetooth 5.0
- Thunderbolt 4 | HDMI | MagSafe 3
- SDXC Slot | FaceTime HD 1080p Camera
- Backlit Magic Keyboard
- Force Touch Trackpad | Touch ID Sensor
- macOS
MacBook Pro 14.2”
Price: Starting at $1,999 (customizable up to $5,899)
Key Specifications
This tidbit from Apple really says it all, ‘…MacBook Pro delivers groundbreaking processing, graphics, and machine learning (ML) performance whether running on battery or plugged in, as well as amazing battery life — enabling workflows previously unimaginable on a notebook. The new MacBook Pro also features a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, a wide range of ports for advanced connectivity, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and the best audio system in a notebook.’
These are groundbreaking machines. The early benchmark results from the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are extremely impressive – something like a performance increase of 60%, which is crazy for a one-generation change. We won’t know the true performance abilities of these MacBooks until they launch, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up to competing PC processors.
If you’re doing any photo or video work in Adobe suite apps, Blackmagic apps, or Final Cut Pro, you’ll be getting anywhere from 5-10x better performance than the last-gen. Again, those are huge steps forward in just one generation.
I think it’s worth noting the sizes of these MacBooks too. I think 14.2” is a really good size if you’re traveling and need a portable solution, but also prefer to get home to a larger monitor for the bulk of your work. If you’re looking for a do-it-all solution, the 16.2” MacBook squeezes a bit more real estate in there but doesn’t sacrifice much in overall size and portability.
I personally am the former. I have a 15” Dell XPS, but I’d love something just a tad smaller since I do most of my work on a larger 27” monitor at home. The 14.2” MacBook seems perfect.
Even with a new display and ultimate performance, Apple says that battery life is 2x longer than last generation MacBooks when doing photography tasks, like working in Adobe Lightroom.
Price: Starting at $1,999 (customizable up to $5,899)
Key Specifications
- Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max 8 or 10-Core Chip
- Up to 64GB Unified RAM
- Up to 8TB SSD
- 14.2″ 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR Screen
- Up to 32-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Bluetooth 5.0
- Thunderbolt 4 | HDMI | MagSafe 3
- SDXC Slot | FaceTime HD 1080p Camera
- Backlit Magic Keyboard
- Force Touch Trackpad | Touch ID Sensor
- macOS
This tidbit from Apple really says it all, ‘…MacBook Pro delivers groundbreaking processing, graphics, and machine learning (ML) performance whether running on battery or plugged in, as well as amazing battery life — enabling workflows previously unimaginable on a notebook. The new MacBook Pro also features a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, a wide range of ports for advanced connectivity, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and the best audio system in a notebook.’
These are groundbreaking machines. The early benchmark results from the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are extremely impressive – something like a performance increase of 60%, which is crazy for a one-generation change. We won’t know the true performance abilities of these MacBooks until they launch, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up to competing PC processors.
If you’re doing any photo or video work in Adobe suite apps, Blackmagic apps, or Final Cut Pro, you’ll be getting anywhere from 5-10x better performance than the last-gen. Again, those are huge steps forward in just one generation.
I think it’s worth noting the sizes of these MacBooks too. I think 14.2” is a really good size if you’re traveling and need a portable solution, but also prefer to get home to a larger monitor for the bulk of your work. If you’re looking for a do-it-all solution, the 16.2” MacBook squeezes a bit more real estate in there but doesn’t sacrifice much in overall size and portability.
I personally am the former. I have a 15” Dell XPS, but I’d love something just a tad smaller since I do most of my work on a larger 27” monitor at home. The 14.2” MacBook seems perfect.
Even with a new display and ultimate performance, Apple says that battery life is 2x longer than last generation MacBooks when doing photography tasks, like working in Adobe Lightroom.
Plus, the new MacBooks get all those ports we wanted. More Thunderbolt ports, HDMI, SD slots, and MagSafe 3. These don’t come at the cost of size either. The design of these notebooks is classic Apple sleek, with the classic aluminum casing. They’re relatively small and lightweight for what they offer, and similar to Dell XPS models featuring smaller screens than the MacBooks.
Overall, these MacBooks look awesome and have great specs for the ultimate performance. I can’t think of a better option for viewing and processing photos, and they’ve caught my eye (I currently have a Dell XPS 15).
The downside is they are expensive. That’s really the downside to most Apple products, the price premium. I love Apple products, but I opt for PC mainly because of price.
This is the customization I’d recommend:
Overall, these MacBooks look awesome and have great specs for the ultimate performance. I can’t think of a better option for viewing and processing photos, and they’ve caught my eye (I currently have a Dell XPS 15).
The downside is they are expensive. That’s really the downside to most Apple products, the price premium. I love Apple products, but I opt for PC mainly because of price.
This is the customization I’d recommend:
- 14.2” or 16.2” depending on preference
- M1 Pro 10-Core
- 16-Core GPU
- 16 GB Memory (32 GB if working a lot with Photoshop and Lightroom open at the same time)
- 512GB SSD (use external drives to store images/video and keep the internal drive for applications)
We offer world-class travel photography
experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
Get Our Trip Catalog
Receive a trip catalog that highlights all of our upcoming photo tours and workshops.Schedule a Trip Consultation
Meet with a photo experience coordinator, and experience a personal touch to your booking experience.Trip Calendar
View our trip calendar and filter upcoming departures by interest or seasonality.Webinars
Our regularly hosted webinars provide photography instruction from our own guides on a wide range of topics.Education Portal
Explore our library of articles that cover everything from common questions, to in-depth guides on how to achieve that perfect shot.BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2025
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2025
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.