Bisti Badlands Fall Photo Workshop

Sept 19-23, 2022 - Sold Out!!

Oct 13-17, 2022

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 prime Milky Way shooting and possibly late monsoon season storms! Expect plenty of individual attention with a max of 5 students to 1 instructor. The group will be accompanied by Navajo Guides while on reservation lands.

Tuition

$1995
50% Deposit

Max Group Size

5 Students per Instructor

Instructor(s)

Nickolas Warner

Physical Intensity

Highlights

The badlands of New Mexico are truly astonishing, with whimsical hoodoos, jagged spires, arches, fossils, and much more! The incredible diversity here will get your creative juices flowing.
Dates are timed for optimal Milky Way shooting. Expect to do lots of night photography as long as skies are clear!
We will be using local Navajo Guides to get off the beaten path and into some very unique areas.
Expect to learn many new techniques and come prepared to shoot a wide range of desert subjects. We may even get some late monsoon season storms!
You will have plenty of individual attention with small groups of no more than 5 students per instructor!
Post-processing and image critique sessions will be scheduled throughout the workshop to help make the most of your images.

Waitlist Sept 19-23

Book Oct 13-17

Itinerary

The exact itinerary will be kept flexible to account for the weather and current conditions. The badlands are spectacular in all different weather conditions and 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'll meet up with our Navajo Guide to photograph sunset and Milky Way. We return to town around midnight.
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 all group together at our favorite formations to capture the brilliant Milky Way.
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.

Bisti Badlands New Mexico Photo Workshop Shiprock

Itinerary, cont.

Day 5: 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 10AM so you can plan your return travel after that.

Waitlist Sept 19-23

Book Oct 13-17

Logistics

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

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 and 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 out late at night or going on some rough or muddy roads . Each participant will need to get to Farmington, NM on their own. If you don't want to rent a car, we may be able to arrange car-pooling with other workshop attendees.

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 and we have reserved a block of rooms for our guests. Please call them at (505) 325-9414 and mention you are with the Action Photo Tours group to receive our group rate. You will need lodging for the nights of either Sept 19th, 20th, 21st & 22nd (workshop 1) or Oct 13th, 14th, 15th & 16th (workshop 2).

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 Moderate for activity level. No long hikes are planned but participants should be able to hike 2-4 miles each day to get to the shooting locations. The workshop will conclude by 10AM on Sept 23rd or Oct 17th. You can either head back home after that time or spend additional days in the area.

Waitlist Sept 19-23

Book Oct 13-17

Shiprock New Mexico Bisti Badlands Photo Workshop

Bisti Badlands New Mexico Photo Workshop

Pricing

$1995/person + Tax

Trip Includes:

All Ground Transportation
Navajo Guides
In-Field Photography Instruction
Post-processing and Image Critique

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Farmington, NM.
Meals and Beverages.

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 90-days prior to arrival to the credit card we have on file.

Waitlist Sept 19-23

Book Oct 13-17

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. A 9 or 10-stop ND filter will be useful for creating very long exposures.
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.

Waitlist Sept 19-23

Book Oct 13-17

Nickolas Warner

Nickolas is a photographer and tour guide with 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.

Nickolas's portfolio can be found at Nickolas Warner Photography

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