Monumental Night Skies and Solar Eclipse; October 2023
4 corners region of the American SW
October 8-15 2023
I have redesigned one of my most popular workshops to include the rare Annular Eclipse of the sun which will happen on October 14, 2023.
For this special occasion, I have made arrangements with my native guide in Monument Valley for optimum viewing of this solar event.
During the week prior to the solar eclipse, our tour will include night sky shoots in Monument Valley and the Cedar Mesa area. This is not just a tour of pretty places, it is an immersion into the culture of a landscape that has thousands of years of cultural history. It is a place that will speak to you if you take the time to listen. It is a landscape known to envelop the soul of many photographers and artists.
We will be photographing for 8 days and will combine night sky shoots with sunsets and/or sunrises. We will pace ourselves so there will be plenty of time for rests between shoots if needed.
This small-group tour (limited to 4 participants) is an automobile-based tour. Long hikes to locations are not required. I have designed this tour to minimize the amount of exertion and maximize your photographic potential. I have made arrangements with native tour guides for the locations where we are going. This means that we will get to places that the non-guided general public cannot get to. For the locations around Cedar Mesa, I am a certified BLM (Bureau of Land Management) guide and have a comfortable high-clearance 4WD vehicle to get us where we need to go.
Instruction
This workshop is a field shooting workshop. While there are no classroom sessions I am using the field time for one on one tutorials and instruction in the field. My primary emphasis, while in the field, is to make sure that you are able to get fantastic images. Special instructions for methods of safely viewing and photographing an annular solar eclipse will be discussed and emphasized.
Topics of instruction in the field include camera technique, proper metering for proper exposure, how to read histograms, composition for impact, filtering for effects, landscape photography techniques, and much more.
Location
We are based out of Bluff Utah. While this little town (Population 350) isn’t easy to get to—that makes it ideal for photography as you are not fighting the crowds. There are several hotels and restaurants in town which makes it ideal for a base of operations. The small and quiet nature of Bluff will warm your heart and add to your workshop experience.
We begin and end our tour in Bluff. The tour includes ground transportation during the workshop, (Chevy Suburban XL, so plenty of room). I have made arrangements for your rental car or your car to be parked at a safe location in Bluff while we are on tour. We will visit Valley of the Gods, Cedar Mesa, Monument Valley (native guided tour), Canyon De Chelly (native guided tour), Shiprock, 4 Corners Monument, and countless other locations on the backroads of the region.
The nearest international airports are Durango CO, (2 1/4, hour drive, connecting flights might be a challenge), Phoenix AZ (5.5 hour drive), Salt Lake City UT (5.5 hour drive) or Grand Junction CO (3.5 hour drive, connecting flights might prove challenging.) Stay in contact with us as we may be able to carpool you with other participants who are attending. While getting here is a challenge–it is well worth the effort!
Sample Itinerary
The tour begins at 1 pm on Day One and ends in the mid-morning on Day Eight. We don’t have a fixed itinerary as locations and sites visited will depend upon weather and light conditions. This workshop will include backcountry tours of Monument Valley, and the Cedar Mesa area. Monument Valley requires a native guide for access which will be included in the workshop cost. The 8-day duration of the workshop will allow us to work at a steady but unhurried pace. There will be ample breaks during mid-day for rest if needed.
Includes ground transportation around the 4 corners region and guided
photography tours including native guides for Monument Valley, and Cedar Mesa area.
Does not include Accommodation, food, or transportation to Bluff Utah.
Accommodations
We have made special arrangements with hotels in Bluff and our other destinations for special rates. Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive a complete hotel list where I have blocked the necessary rooms.