PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Coyote Buttes plus White Pocket, Utah & Arizona: 4/5 - 4/10/07
Grand Staircase-Escalante & Bryce Canyon, Utah : 4/12 - 4/17/07
Zion, Antelope Canyon & More ... , Utah & Arizona: 4/18 - 4/22/07

GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE & BRYCE CANYON Workshop

April 12 - April 17, 2007
Fee: $1495 - Includes Lodging, most meals and transportation to and from shooting locales.

Workshop Highlights:

• Photograph one of the last great wilderness areas in the southwest
• Benefit from the knowledge gained by the region's top photo author
• Experience a very diverse collection of arches, bridges, hoodoos, slot canyons, waterfalls, pictographs and anasazi ruins set in a land of kaleidoscopic color
• Visit Bryce Canyon - shoot from the classic viewpoints plus visit little-known gems
• Get countless opportunities to create truly unique images in this seldom-visited area
• Enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded individuals and very low student/teacher ratio
• Photographers who experience this place want to return again and again

The Escalante was the last river in the continental U.S. to be named. That should tell you something about this part of the world. There’s no Walmarts or traffic jams here.

The Escalante River drainage is a vast wilderness area of colorful sandstone canyons and plateaus. It includes some of the most remote country in the southwest. The Escalante’s many tributaries form a maze of deep sandstone canyons containing arches, natural bridges, slot canyons, waterfalls and abundant vegetation and wildlife - a photographer’s paradise. But many of the national monument’s features can be hard to find.

Our workshop leader, Laurent Martres, author of arguably the definitive photographic guidebook on this amazing and diverse wilderness has done all the scouting for you. Laurent, a very successful southwest photographer and author of four books on photographing the southwest, has hand-picked our itinerary to give you the best locales this dramatic region has to offer.

The first part of our exploration will be based in Escalante, Utah as we journey along Hole-in-the-Rock Road and Cottonwood Canyon Road to a real sandstone ‘garden of delights’, some very unique slot canyons, plus a spectacular little-known arch. Later, we’ll see another very large arch, a moss-hung alcove, a charming desert creek and a truly exceptional area of golden yellow and white crossbedded sandstone - all in this highly productive region. Moving on to Boulder for the second part of our adventure, we’ll photograph some unique petroglyphs, large hoodoos, a natural bridge, a petrified forest and an exceptional desert waterfall.

Bryce Canyon amphitheater and surrounds are always a big hit and need no introduction here. We’ve all marveled at those remarkable formations that seem to glow as if having a light within. We’ll show you some classic shots at Bryce from the best viewpoints and some wonderful hidden gems few photographers visit. This workshop is guaranted to please you. You will not be disappointed!

Lodging, most meals and transportation to and from shooting locales is included in your workshop fee. Our Grand Staircase workshop can be somewhat physically challenging for some individuals and requires some moderate hiking (up to 3 miles) and easy non-technical rock scrambling. Call for details if you have concerns.

Registration Information
Sign up Form

Back to Top

COYOTE BUTTES plus WHITE POCKET Workshop

April 5 - April 10, 2007
Fee: $1795 - Includes lodging, outfitting, meals and 4WD transportation to and from shooting locales.

Workshop Highlights:

• Experience two of the finest photo locations the Colorado Plateau has to offer.
• Shoot abstracts, intimate landscapes and panoramas in the sensual richness and diversity of the South Coyote Buttes. Be overwhelmed by the opportunities.
• Revel in the mind-blowing color and shape of White Pocket. Participants routinely gasp or go speechless when they first arrive here!
• Enjoy pristine wilderness locales few people ever see in a lifetime.
• Benefit from the knowledge and experience of Arizona pro, Jackson Bridges.
• Enjoy a very small group size with two instructors designed to optimize your photography experience.
• Make new friends. Enjoy the commeradery of like-minded individuals.
• All meals prepared on site by workshop guide and cook, Charly Moore.

Photography heaven? If it exists, it must be here. Join us for a tour of some of the most captivating and colorful landscapes you will ever see - all in the exotic sandstone universe of the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness near Page, Arizona.

Most photographers today have been inspired by images from this visually stunning environment. Jack Dykinga and Michael Fatali have made this area famous. Exquisite patterns of wind and water eroded sandstone give us surreal images of light and shape. Together, we will experience both the Coyote Buttes and White Pocket, each with their own character and features. Your greatest challenge will be to prioritize the fascinating compositional choices before you. But just to be present in these exceptional environments is truly a priviledge.

The South Coyote Buttes is an extremely diverse locale, more remote and difficult to access than its neighbor, the North Buttes. This is a good thing! All transportation to and from the South Buttes and White Pocket are provided by seasoned drivers in 4WD vehicles. Those that like the Wave like the South Buttes even more due to the diverse subject matter and the relative infrequency of visitation. We will spend our time between the Paw Hole and Cottonwood areas for the best image opportunities.

Subjects include wonderfully colorful teepee formations, sensuously striated petrified sand dunes (reminiscent of the Wave), outstanding crossbedded sandstone, elaborate hoodoo stuctures that defy imaginatiion (many beg to be named) and delicate lacey sandstone fins. Still other structures look like melted rocks and some resemble human brains. Besides many intimate landscapes and abstracts you will shoot exceptional panoramas in this truly pristine environment.

White Pocket is rapidly becoming legendary amongst the photographic community worldwide. Long kept a secret by the privileged few, this remarkable locale seems like nature’s divine fantasy. The wonderful juxtaposition of gold, pink and red layers with white crossbedded sandstone will definitely stir your creative soul. If we are fortunate enough to have refecting pools after a rain, it will be the proverbial frosting on the cake. Among the exotic and diverse sandstone dunes is a wonderful swirling structure resembling the ancient spine of a giant dinosaur. Form, color, texture and intricate detail combine to form a sensory experience that this writer has not witnessed in any other place. You will have two days to explore this garden of visual delights and will probably beg for more as you leave. Bring all your lenses and lots of film or memory!

Lodging, outfitting, meals and 4WD transportation to and from shooting locales is included in the Coyote Buttes plus White Pocket workshop.

Registration Information
Sign up Form

Back to Top

ZION, ANTELOPE CANYON & MORE ...

April 18 - 22, 2007

Fee: $1250 - Includes lodging, permits, some meals and all transportation in 4WD vehicles to and from shooting locales.

Workshop Highlights:

• Experience the dramatic sandstone sanctuary of Zion National Park
• Create sensuous masterpieces in the surreal beauty of both Antelope Canyons
• Shoot a diverse sampling of subject matter including slots, hoodoos, towering cliffs, majestic river valleys and richly textured waves of sandstone
• Enjoy ample opportunity to shoot panoramics, intimate landscapes, even abstracts and macro
• Shoot dramatic Lake Powell and the other-worldly Wahweap Towers. Enjoy hidden gems other workshops will never show you
• Benefit from the experience of photo pro and guidebook author, Laurent Martres
• Experience unmatched attention with a very low instructor/participant ratio

For the newest workshop in our catalog, we have hand-picked some of our favorite locations and put together a unique experience for film and digital photographers. Our days will be filled with exploration and instruction aimed at elevating your field technique in this remarkable corner of the world. This is a very accessible workshop that eliminates the longer hikes involved in some of our others but gives the shooter an extremely rich variety of subjects and allows him/her to experience some of the finest locales the Colorado Plateau has to offer.

Our journey will begin in the crown jewel of the Colorado Plateau, Zion National Park. We'll capture the powerful Watchman at day's end and experience the Towers of the Virgin as the morning sun just begins to touch the spectacular peaks with a red glow. Moving on to the fascinating plateau area, we'll stop at Laurent's favorite hot spots. There will be plenty of choices for great compositions here. The universe of Zion will not disappoint you!

Most photographers today have seen the remarkable images of upper and lower Antelope Canyon. They are some of the most sensuous and sublime photographs that exist. Exquisite patterns of wind and water-eroded sandstone give us wonderful abstract images of bounced light and color. Together, we will experience both upper and lower canyons, each with their own unique character and features. 

Beyond the drama of Zion and the sensuousness of Antelope Canyon, we'll see exotic locales including Wahweap Towers, a region of tall hoodoos that absolutely defy imagination, all cast in a creamy white siltstone. There's the remote and awe-inspiring Alstrom Point, an other-worldly vista high above the deep greens and blues of dramatic Lake Powell - a spot that begs a panoramic shot. We'll experience more wilderness sites along seldom-traveled Cottonwood Canyon Road, including Yellow Rock, a very rich and productive area. Buckskin Gulch, Nipple Bench and Horseshoe Bend are also on your itinerary. We include these prime subjects plus some special jewels that are little-known and seldom visited. Join an inspiring guide for a sublime visual adventure!

Remember, lodging, permits, some meals and all transportation in 4WD vehicles to and from shooting locales are included in your workshop fee!

Please Note: We intentionally do not publish here a fixed daily itinerary with any of our workshops since we must often adjust our shooting locations based on weather fluctuations, road conditions, permit changes, etc. Our goal, as always, is to get you to the best locations in best light.