Death Valley National Park Workshop, February 24-28, 2025 (Deposit)
Regular price$2,189.00Sale
This workshop is now full. If you would like to be notified if and when a spot opens up, join the waitlist via email.
Total workshop fee: $3,195, which includes the workshop fee and 7 nights of accommodations. A $1,500 deposit secures your spot in the workshop.
Download the workshop PDF for a complete description of the workshop, including an itinerary, lodging info, what to bring, and more.
Death Valley is a landscape photographer’s dream location, and it is a place full of surprises. Its 3.3 million acres are filled with mountain-sized sand dunes, colorful canyons, volcanic craters, otherworldly badlands, ghost mines, salt flats below sea level, and peaks over 11,000 feet.
I can still remember my first time in Death Valley. After exploring and photographing for a week I felt I’d just scratched the surface. Now after many trips back, I still feel the same way—and it has become one of my favorite places to lead a workshop. In this small 12-person workshop—with me and my good friend Rick LePage as your guides—you’ll explore and photograph the largest national park in the continental US, while learning to expand your creative vision and better use your camera equipment.
Death Valley locations Our classroom and lodging will be at Stovepipe Wells, near Mesquite Sand Dunes in the heart of Death Valley. Stovepipe Wells is two-and-a-half hours from Las Vegas and rooms are reserved at the Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel for the class. There we’ll hone our photography knowledge and review, discuss and critique images.
Outside of class time, we’ll ride in El Jefe, my 12-passenger Mercedes Sprinter van, to dawn, sunset and night shoots at a slew of amazing locations, including Badwater Basin, Mesquite Dunes, Zabriskie Point, Dante’s View, Golden Canyon and Artist’s Palette. I’ll demonstrate basic photography principles alongside advanced techniques like panoramic mergers, focus-stacking, star-photography and time-lapse photography.
We’ll also have a (very early) Milky Way opportunity on the second day of the workshop.
Tentative course schedule
This is a proposed guide to our Death Valley adventure, and is subject to change based on weather and group interest at the time we’re in the park. We’ll do our best to have student image reviews and photo critiques, as well as some class time for post-processing demos, instruction and Q&A. In the field, we’ll demonstrate advanced techniques like panoramic mergers, focus stacking and night-sky photography.
While we will be in the field for sunrise and sunset shoots, as well as the optional Milky Way shoot, there will be plenty of time in the middle of the days for dining, group discussions and rest.
Day 1: Monday, February 24 (9:30 AM START TIME)
We’ll meet and greet at the Stovepipe Wells Auditorium, where we’ll show some photos from the region, go over any changes to the workshop schedule, talk about the weather forecast, and answer any questions you might have about the week.
Initial image presentation from the group
Overview: Milky Way capture
Scouting expedition, with sunset shoot in Mesquite Dunes
Day 2: Tuesday, February 25
Early morning (3am) Milky Way shoot at Mesquite Dunes (optional)
Day 1 image reviews
Open editing session and Q&A
Sunset shoot at Badwater and Devils Golf Course
Day 3: Wednesday, February 26
Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
Day 2 image reviews
Scouting and sunset shoot at Golden Canyon and Natural Bridge Canyon
Day 4: Thursday, February 27
Sunrise shoot Mesquite Dunes
Day 3 image reviews
Scouting and sunset shoot at Dante’s View
Day 5: Friday, February 28
Sunrise TBD class choice location
Day 4 image reviews
Open editing session and Q&A
Scouting & sunset shoot at Artist Palette
Fees and Payment Terms
The Death Valley workshop fee is $3,195; participants can secure a place with a $1,500 deposit. An invoice for the remaining balance will be sent approximately 90 days prior to the workshop. The balance must be paid in full 60 days prior to the workshop to hold your place.
All workshop payments are fully refundable less a 10% fee up to 60 days prior to the first day of the workshop. If you cancel anywhere from 59 to 30 days prior to the workshop, we will make every effort to find a replacement. If we can fill your spot, 90% of your workshop fee will be refunded; if we cannot find a replacement, we will refund 50% of your workshop fee. Any cancellation within 30 days is non-refundable.
Download the workshop PDF for a complete description of the workshop, including suggested lodging info, what to bring, and more.
