Death Valley Photography Workshop

Death Valley is the lowest, driest, and hottest place in North America. Its extreme geology provides otherworldly photography opportunities that are unique unto themselves. Its salt pans, sand dunes, and cracked earth textures are a feast for the eyes and the camera. Join this multi-day workshop to explore, shoot, and enjoy this fascinating and beautiful desert landscape.

Learn Composition

Learn the most important facets of composition and how to create depth in your images, how to draw viewers into your photos, and how to control their attention.

Quality 1-on-1 Instruction

Workshops are structured to give you maximum 1-on-1 time with the instructors. You get the help YOU need.

This multi-day photography workshop will help photographers create memorable photos of the fascinating and beautiful features Death Valley has to offer. The workshop focuses on understanding your camera's settings in order to break into new creative realms. There is a strong emphasis on producing striking and powerful compositions, as well as telling a story with your photos. The workshop will cover shoot planning and how to be in the right place at the right time. Depending on conditions, the workshop will introduce students to aspects of night photography and light-painting. In addition, the workshop will discuss post-processing and digital workflow. This workshop is limited to 8 students.

Itinerary

Day 1, Thursday, November 15th
Students arrive in Death Valley and are free to explore the park on their own. After sunset we will meet to introduce the group, talk a bit about the workshop, and give a brief overview of Death Valley and its unique wonders. Then we turn you loose to get a good night's sleep.
Day 2, Friday, November 16th
Up early to catch the sunrise at Badwater Basin, followed by a morning shoot at the Devil's Golf Course or Natural Bridge. Then we'll take a break for lunch and a nap. We reconvene in the early afternoon to shoot the warm light on the Mesquite Sand Dunes. An hour or so before sunset you'll see the dunes come alive as the low light from the setting sun creates a vivid dispay of patterns and textures. We'll stay at the dunes for sunset. Depending on conditions and the group's energy level we will head out again after dinner to experiment with moonlight photography, star trails, and light-painting. Or we may stay in and talk a little about post-processing.
Day 3, Saturday, November 17th
Up early to catch the sunrise at Zabriskie Point, followed by a morning shoot in Golden Canyon. Both of these places display an awesome array of folded earth patterns. After that we'll once again take a break for lunch and a much-needed nap. Then we'll head out to a little-known seasonal spring to catch the sunset.
Day 4, Sunday, November 18th
On our last day we're up early again to shoot the sunrise at Dante's View, a sweeping vista of the entire Death Valley basin.

This workshop is organized to take advantage of the best and most interesting locations Death Valley has to offer. However, the exact itinerary and places we visit may change depending on the group and weather conditions.

Topics Covered

• Transforming your artistic vision into memorable photographs
• Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO - their relationship to one another and how to change them for exposure control
• Metering and getting a correct exposure
• Histograms, how to read them, and how to fine-tune exposure
• Creative depth-of-field effects using aperture control
• White balance and creative coloration
• Creating perspective, depth, and a sense of "being there" in your photos
• Creating powerful compositions with impact
• Composing to control your viewer's attention in your photos
• Compositional balance, tension, and visual flow
• How to use filters to capture dramatic light or create long-exposure effects
• Low-light and night photography
• How to capture star trails
• Light-painting experiments
• Shoot planning and how to be at the right place at the right time
• Aspects of post-processing and digital workflow

Workshop Requirements

• Digital SLR camera
• Lenses. Wide and ultra-wide angle lenses are highly recommended
• A sturdy tripod
• Footwear with good traction and support
• Creativity and a positive attitude
• Ability to walk 3 - 5 miles per day over uneven terrain
• Warm clothes in layers and a rain jacket
• A wide-brim hat and sunscreen
• A one-liter (or larger) water bottle

Highly recommended items

• Filters (ND, Grad ND, Polarizers)
• Remote shutter release
• Camera rain sleeve
• Flashlight

Deposit Required

50% deposit due upon registering
Balance due no later than 60 days prior to start of workshop

What's Included

• Quality, professional, 1-on-1 photography instruction on par with your level as a photographer
• 3 nights hotel lodging at Furnace Creek Ranch
• All transportation within Death Valley
• Water and snacks throughout the workshop
• A fun, positive, interactive learning environment

What's Not Included

• Transportation to and from Death Valley
• Park entrance fee
• Meals

Fitness level

This workshop is appropriate for photographers of average fitness levels. We will walk approximately 5 miles over the course of each day of the workshop. This includes walking on sandy, uneven, and slippery terrain. Walking in sand dunes and other desert landscapes can be strenuous. All participants are expected to be able to carry their own camera, personal gear, and water during the workshop.

Your Instructors

Josh Cripps and Jim Patterson are professional photographers from Santa Cruz, California. They have been teaching together since 2010 (and separately since 2008) and have developed a tag-team approach to helping students understand photography concepts. Through a combination of theory, philosophy, examples, and on-the-spot feedback, they help students reach those "a-ha!" moments that take their photography to the next level.

Travel Logistics

Getting there: Death Valley is located in the south-eastern portion of California, sandwiched between the Sierra Nevada mountains and Nevada. The closest and easiest access to the park is from Las Vegas, which is about 2.5 hours east of the park via highway 160. Alternatively, Death Valley is about 5 hours north of LA via highways 395 and 190, or approximately a 9 hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lodging: This workshop includes 3 nights of hotel lodging at the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley. This will be our meeting point throughout the workshop. The workshop price is based on single occupancy. Couples or friends sharing a room simply pay a supplemental workshop fee for the second person. If you are a solo participant willing to share a room, let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.