Monument Valley and Native Cultures

We keep our itineraries flexible to account for weather, current conditions, and group interest.  The itinerary below is just an example of what you can expect.

• Day 1: Meet at 1PM (MDT-Mountain Daylight Time) at Goulding's Lodge in Monument Valley for a mandatory orientation session. After lunch, we are invited into traditional homes called hogans to photograph the Navajo people. As the light gets better towards the evening, we head outdoors and photograph the Navajo models against the iconic towers of Monument Valley.
• Day 2: It's a short night as we get up early to photograph Milky Way panos over the valley. After that, we venture into the backcountry with some spectacular foregrounds for night photography. We stay out through sunrise and photograph various spots before heading back for a midday rest break. Mid-afternoon we meet back up with our Navajo guides and head into the backcountry for another landscape and Navajo model photo session.
• Day 3: With clear skies in the forecast, we are up early again to photograph the Milky Way at a couple different alcoves. We then shoot sunrise at an impressive overlook before returning to our hotel for breakfast and a midday break. With many options on the table, we decide as a group where to go for our sunset shoot.
• Day 4: When the clouds roll in, we will skip Milky Way shooting. Instead, we capture a stunning sunrise over the valley. We reconvene for a comprehensive post-processing and image critique session. After lunch, we meet our Navajo guides and make our way up the rough sandstone road to the top of Hunts Mesa. This fun and exciting ride is the highlight of many participants. The view of the vast valley below makes Hunts Meas an unbeatable sunset location! If skies are clear, we'll stop at an arch on the way back for night photos.
• Day 5: Depending on what time we get back the night before, we may skip sunrise this morning or go out and shoot. After a late breakfast, we check out of our hotel and make our way to Tuba City, AZ.  We settle into our new hotel and make plans for a special shoot on traditional Hopi lands with the Hopi people. The area we are going to has some of the most extraordinary geological features you've ever seen!  So you'll be photographing both landscapes and models throughout the best light of the evening.
• Day 6:  We get up early for a sunrise shoot at a remote overlook with striped sandstone formations as far as the eye can see!  The early light doesn't disappoint and we come away with a brilliant set of landscape images.  We return to town for breakfast, pack up, and check out of the hotel.  The workshop will conclude no later than 11AM in Tuba City and you can plan your return travel for anytime after this.