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 history. It is a place that will speak to you if you take the time to listen. It is a landscape that has been known to envelop the soul of many photographers and artists.
Canyon De Chelly, Monument Valley, Shiprock, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, the list of locations, and iconic landscapes are bucket list items for just about any landscape photographer! We will be photographing for 7 days and will photograph both sunsets and sunrise. 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. There are three significant hikes during this trip, the Bistí Badlands is about a 4 mile hike on fairly level ground with very little elevation change. The two Antelope Canyon tours require hikes of about 1.5 miles with some elevation change going down into and back out of the canyons. The ride to Hunt’s Mesa is in a Suburban 4WD and includes covering some rugged terrain. I have planned with native tour guides for the locations where we are going. This means that we will get to places that the non-guided public cannot get to, you will also learn about the Navajo Culture, it’s history, challenges and beliefs from those who know it best.
The timing of this tour coincides with the new moon phase, this means that we will take the opportunity to photograph the night sky. We are also fortunate that the best time to photograph the Milky Way is early in the night, approximately 8:30pm-9:30pm so no late nights!
Instruction
This workshop is a field shooting workshop. While there is 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 can get awesome images.
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
The tour begins and ends in Durango Colorado. This quaint mountain town is the perfect place to base our tour from. It is easy to access by airlines—a short jaunt from Denver Airport with lots of connecting flights. I will pick you up from the airport and bring you back to the airport (provided you arrive and depart within a day of the workshop dates) so no need to rent a vehicle. From Durango we will tour around the Navajo Nation. Our route takes us to Shiprock new Mexico, Chinle AZ, Page AZ, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley UT, and back to Durango CO.
Sample Itinerary
ColdSnap Photography reserves the right to deviate from this itinerary.
Day One:
Arrival, I meet you at the airport to transport to Farmington New Mexico. Check into your hotel. We begin with an evening shoot at the Shiprock Formation. This iconic rock dominates the surrounding desert and can be seen from four states!
Day Two:
An early morning rise so we can make it to the Bistí Badlands and a 4 mile (almost completely flat with no elevation change) trek through the badlands. This exotic and strangely beautiful landscape will captivate your visual senses, from a local Navajo guide you’ll learn the geology and importance of this landscape. Afterwards we drive over the Chuska Mountains to Canyon de Chelly. We will stop along the way for a variety of views. After a mid-day meal and an early check in we will take in a jeep tour of the canyon floor with a native guide.
Day Three:
After breakfast and we will photograph the striking landscape around Chile. In the evening we will tour the canyon edge photographing the iconic views.
Day Four:
we will travel through the heart of the Navajo and Hopi Nations, stopping along the way at some
artist’s studios and roadside photography opportunities, while visually and culturally rich the Hopi tradition does not allow photography on the Hopi Nation, we will honor these traditions. We will arrive at Page AZ in the afternoon. An evening tour of the amazing landscape here will result in many stunning photographs, including sunset at Horseshoe Bend.
Day Five:
This is the day of Antelope Canyon with not one but two tours of different portions of this amazing canyon. Our first tour is a special 4-hour photography tour of Antelope Canyon X, the only location that still allows for the use of tripods. After lunch and a brief rest, we will take in the 1-hour tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. Our day ends with a drive to Kayenta where we will prepare to explore Monument Valley.
Day Six:
we will begin with the first of three tours into Monument Valley. These tours will take you into the back country where most people don’t go. Here you will meet the people who call this place home. You will rest in a hogan and witness the crafts as they are created.
Day Seven:
Tour of Monument Valley to photograph local sheep herder and back country landmarks. Sunrise photography shoot of the Mittens and iconic valley views. In the evening we will take a very rugged ride to Hunt’s Mesa for an overview of the valley, a superb way to end the week at an overlook where time stands still and you can contemplate all you’ve witnessed during the week.
Day Eight:
Sunrise shoot on the drive back to Durango for flight home.
Payment
Cost: $3995.00 (Double Occupancy, Single Occupancy is $750)
**Please note the deposit is $500** Call to register (218) 830-0767.
A non-refundable deposit of $500 holds your registration until 120 days prior to the workshop when the balance is due. Please read our cancellation policy before registering.
Maximum of 4 participants.
For questions, please call John at (218) 830-0767.
Includes ground transportation from the Durango Airport, around the Navajo nation and back to Durango, guided photography tours including several tours run by native guides for Monument Valley, Canyon De Chelly, Antelope Canyon, and the Bistí Badlands, tours. Accommodations for 7 nights (Double Occupancy) at the above-mentioned locations. Single Occupancy is $750.
Does not include airfare, food, tips for local guides or spontaneous tours not listed as part of the itinerary.
Accommodations
A note about the accommodations; upon registration you will receive a list of hotels where we will be staying. When I book these rooms I choose hotels with a good rating for cleanliness and service. When using Booking.com or Hotels.com this means a rating of 8.0 or higher. I find that these hotels are clean, comfortable, and a good value.
