Bisti Badlands Spring Photo Workshop

May 8-13, 2024 - Sold Out

June 1-6, 2024 - Sold Out

Add To Waitlist > May 8-13, 2024

Add To Waitlist>June 1-6, 2024

Let your imagination run wild in one of the most bizarre and alien landscapes! We will be visiting areas in and around Shiprock and the Bisti Badlands of New Mexico. The dates are optimized for dark skies, prime Milky Way panoramics, and possibly Spring thunderstorms! The group will be accompanied by Navajo Guides while on reservation lands. All participants will need to walk a cumulative 2-4 miles per day to reach many of the shooting locations. With 6 days of shooting, we'll be able to get out to some off-the-beaten path locations as well.

Tuition

$2700/Person
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Max Group Size

4 Students per Instructor
8 Students Max

Instructor(s)

Nickolas Warner
David Swindler (May)
Wendy Casey (June)

Physical Intensity

New Mexico Bisti Badlands Photo Workshop

Highlights

The badlands of New Mexico are truly astonishing, with whimsical hoodoos, jagged spires, arches, fossils, and much more!
Dates are timed for optimal Milky Way shooting. Expect to do a lot of night photography when skies are clear!
We will be using local Navajo Guides for tribal land access.
Expect plenty of individual attention during the workshop with a 4:1 client to instructor ratio.
Learn many new techniques and come prepared to shoot a wide range of desert subjects including possible spring wildflowers!
Post-processing and image critique sessions will be scheduled throughout the workshop to help make the most of your images.

Bisti Badlands Photo Workshop New Mexico Night Photography

Itinerary

The exact itinerary will be kept flexible to account for the weather, current conditions, and group interest. The itinerary below serves only as an example of what we might do.

Day 1: Meet at 1PM in Farmington, NM for a mandatory orientation session. We will cover many techniques you will be using during the workshop and discuss the itinerary in detail. After a quick dinner, we head out to photograph sunset in the badlands. With clear skies, we stay out late to capture the Milky Way.
Day 2: It's a short night and we are up early to photograph sunrise in the Badlands. A quick half-mile hike puts us in an area with some incredible formations and hoodoos. We just can't get enough of the otherwordly shapes and spires. We return for breakfast and then meet together for a post-processing session. We take a well-deserved afternoon break and then head out for our sunset shoot. Some stormy clouds have moved in and we capture some dramatic light and glow!
Day 3: We are up early again for golden light in a new area of the badlands. There is so much to explore and photograph here! We do another post-processing and image critique session when we return to town. Mid-afternoon we venture out onto the Navajo reservation with our local guide. He takes us to some really unique rock formations! After sunset, we capture the brilliant Milky Way at our favorite formations.
Day 4: Based on the forecast, we decide to revisit one of our favorite areas of badlands for sunrise. Mother Nature is kind to us and we get a couple hours of soft light and perfect clouds. We return to the hotel for an image critique and post-processing session. After lunch and a mid-day rest break, we head out for our sunset shoot, if skies are clear, we will stay out for Milky Way.
Day 5: We sleep in this morning after a very late night of shooting. We hold an image critique session where we give valuable insight on your shots. This afternoon, we venture out to a seldom visited part of the Badlands and shoot there through sunset. Since there are clouds this evening, we decide not to do any night photography.

New Mexico Photo Workshop Bisti Badlands

Itinerary, cont.

Day 6: It's hard to believe it's the last day! We wake up for our final sunrise at Shiprock, capturing the dramatic grandeur of the monolith as soft morning light illuminates the jagged ridges. We return to town in time for breakfast and check out of our hotels. We reluctantly say goodbye to all the new friends we have made! The workshop will conclude by 11AM so you can plan your return travel after that.

Logistics

Please plan your travel so that you are in Farmington, NM no later than 1PM on on the first day of the workshop. We will begin promptly with our orientation session and group meeting.

The May dates are instructed by Nickolas Warner and David Swindler. The June dates are instructed by Nickolas Warner and Wendy Casey.

For those who are flying in, Durango, CO is the closest airport. It's a one hour drive from Farmington but the flight options are fairly limited. Albuquerque International Airport is a 3-hour drive from Farmington has much more availability.

Transportation will be provided during the workshop for all participants. You are welcome to follow us in your own vehicle, but we recommend everyone ride together since we may be out late at night or going on some rough or muddy roads . Each participant will need to get to Farmington, NM on their own.

Lodging is not included in the workshop fee so you have the option to stay wherever you like. The group will be based at the Comfort Suites Farmington, NM where we have a block of rooms reserved for our guests. Please click on the link above to book your June workshop accommodations. For the May workshop, please click on this link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/FD47M9

Our goal is to maximize your photography while you are here. This can mean long days and not a lot of sleep. We will utilize the middle of the day for rest breaks and post-processing sessions.

This workshop is rated Difficult for activity level. No long hikes are planned but participants should be able to hike a cumulative 2-4 miles over relatively flat terrain each day to get to the shooting locations while carrying their photo gear. The workshop will conclude by 11AM on the last day. You can either head back home after that time or spend additional days in the area.

Shiprock New Mexico Bisti Badlands Photo Workshop

Pricing

$2700/person + Tax

Loyalty Members Save 10%

Trip Includes:

4x4 Ground Transportation
Two Professional Photography Instructors.
Local Navajo Guides
In-Field Photography Instruction
Night Photography and Lighting Setups
Post-processing and Image Critiques

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Farmington, NM.
Meals and Beverages.
Lodging
Instructor and Navajo Guide Gratuities.

When you complete the checkout process, you will be given the option to either pay the full amount or put down a 50% deposit. If you pay the deposit, the remaining amount will be charged 120-days prior to arrival to the credit card we have on file.

Shiprock Milky Way Pano Action Photo Tours

Recommended Camera Gear

Sturdy tripod and ballhead
Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body.
Wide angle lens in the 16-35mm range. For night photography, you need a wide angle lens that is f/2.8 or faster.
An ultra-wide lens like an 11-24mm or a fisheye will allow you to make very creative compositions.
Mid-range zoom lens in the range of 24-100mm.
Telephoto lenses are optional and there won't be much use for them.
Circular polarizer filters and ND filters for your lenses. If you like shooting with grads, bring them along.
Backpack to carry your gear.
Extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies.
Remote cord for your camera.
Laptop if you wish to backup your photos or follow along during the post-processing instruction.

Personal Gear List

Sturdy hiking footwear, hiking socks, and long pants .
Warm jacket for cool mornings
Headlamp
Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Sun Hat.
Water bottle or hydration bladder.
Hiking poles if you like having them.

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Trip Advisor

Nickolas Warner

Photography Instructor

Nickolas Warner is an award-winning photographer with recognition by the Epson Pano Awards, International Landscape Photographer of the Year, and Outdoor Photographer. He has a particular interest in extreme and unusual locations. His travels have taken him to some fascinating locations, but the American Southwest is his favorite place to photograph.

Nickolas spent the past decade guiding in Alaska, where he provided instruction on photographing the aurora borealis, and shared his knowledge of the far north’s rugged terrain and resilient wildlife.

When not guiding, Nickolas enjoys long distance hiking and extended backpacking trips through remote wilderness areas.

Artist's Statement: "The more one travels, the more one sees how small our world is. Landscape photography is often an idyllic vision of nature that stretches the truth. While most of my photos are taken in the wilderness, the reality is that modernity and progress has shrunk the wild into small islands of untouched land, flanked on all sides by development and exploitation. Before becoming a full-time photographer, I pursued a career in sustainability. While I've since changed directions, I still have a strong sense of urgency to protect nature and keep the wild wild. I hope my photos can inspire others to explore and let our world be untamed."

See Nickolas' portfolio: Nickolas Warner Photography

David Swindler

Founder - Photography Instructor

David Swindler is an award-winning landscape and wildlife photographer. Among others, he has been recognized by the International Photography Awards, Siena International Photo Awards, Sony World Photography Awards, International Landscape Photographer of the Year, and National Geographic. He received a degree in chemical engineering and worked in the semiconductor industry specializing in optics and photolithography. In 2014, he left his day job to follow his true passion. He has traveled to some of the most remote regions of the world and has extensive experience photographing a wide variety of subjects and conditions. As the founder of Action Photo Tours, he finds great satisfaction in helping others learn photography, especially in the wild desert environment near his home in Kanab, UT. David is an expert in night photography and loves to get out and shoot the starry night skies.

Gallery Awards and Media Coverage

Having guided photo tours for years, David is very familiar with many different types of cameras. He is a master with light and composition. But most importantly, his dedication to his clients is what really sets him apart! But don't take our word for it - read what others are saying: Trip Advisor.

Wendy Casey

Photography Instructor

Wendy is proud to be a Utah Native and began hiking and camping with her parents at a very young age. She has many fond memories hiking to amazing viewpoints and taking in the grandeur that is Utah. Her interest in photography began in the 80’s where she made her film images come to life in a darkroom.

She now enjoys the creativity of the digital world by photographing a wide range of interests, from Landscape, Wildlife, Portraits, to Sports. Her favorite is capturing epic scenery with a human interest.

When Wendy and her husband Randy are not at home on their farm, they are out on a trail somewhere, exploring, photographing and creating videos of their adventures. Wendy has a lot of experience with horses on their ranch and will be an instructor on some of our wild horse and ranch workshops.

Over the years, she has participated in many art shows. Her local favorites are the Kimball Arts, Park City Art Festival and Midway Swiss Days. She has shipped her art around the world and has her work hanging throughout the state in hospitals, clinics and many large and small businesses. Her images have also been featured in and on the covers of local magazines.

Wendy loves to help others develop their passion for photography and capture through the viewfinder, winning scenes to last forever and an epic story to go with it.