Reflection Canyon Photo Workshop

Mar 25-28, 2025 - Sold Out

Mar 28-31, 2025 - Sold Out

Mar 31-Apr 3, 2025 - Sold Out

Apr 22-25, 2025 - Sold Out

Join us in Reflection Canyon, a remote and impressive viewpoint high over Lake Powell. It's certainly one of the most stunning vistas in the entire Southwest and if skies are clear you'll capture the Milky Way arching over the canyon. We'll access the canyon by boat and provide gear and food for overnight camping. This trip is challenging with steep uphill hiking from where we dock the boat. But your efforts will be amply rewarded! With a 2-night itinerary, we have some degree of flexibility for bad weather. The itinerary includes a bonus night where we'll take participants to some locations we've never taken other groups before! Three nights of hotel lodging in Page, AZ can be added to the booking to simplify your travel logistics.

Tuition

$1795
Loyalty Members Save 10%

Max Group Size

6 Students

Instructor(s)

David Swindler
Shane McDermott

Physical Intensity

Reflection Canyon Photo Workshop Lake Powell Photography

Highlights

Experience stunning views of Reflection Canyon high above Lake Powell!
Small group of 6 students and 2 instructors.
Dates are perfectly timed to capture the Milky Way. The galaxy is angled low to the horizon, perfect for landscape images and panoramics.
Trip includes round-trip boat transportation and fully outfitted camping.
Learn many new photography techniques from your pro instructor(s) along with post-processing instruction.
With one extra night, we have flexibility for bad weather. If not needed, we'll use our bonus night to take you to some amazing spots we've never taken groups before!
Three nights of hotel lodging in Page, AZ can be added to your booking to simplify travel logistics.

Reflection Canyon Photography Workshop Milky Way

Itinerary

Please see the Logistics Section below for contingency plans for bad weather or unfavorable lake conditions.
Pre-Trip: An in-depth zoom meeting will be scheduled a couple months before to discuss gear, logistics, and shooting techniques.
Day 1: Arrival day in Page, AZ. You'll check into your hotel after 4PM and get a good nights sleep before the trip begins.
Day 2: We meet you at 9AM at the hotel and head to Wahweap Marina. We'll organize our gear and load the boat. After a brief safety talk, you'll enjoy a scenic 45-mile boat ride with expansive red rock views in all directions. Upon arriving, we'll start the steep half-mile hike up to the rim and will take our time navigating the tricky terrain. You'll have the afternoon to explore around the rim of the canyon before dinner and our sunset shoot. After sunset, we'll shoot some blue hour foregrounds and get to bed early.
Day 3: We awake at 2AM to clear skies and a brilliant arc of the Milky Way over the canyon. After photographing the Milky Way, we catch another couple hours of sleep before waking to shoot sunrise. After sunrise we have a laid-back breakfast, taking in all the views we can. After packing up our gear, we start the hike back down to the lake and meet the boat mid-morning. We return to Page for showers and a much needed rest break. Our evening shooting itinerary will be dictated by the weather and group interest.
Day 4: It's our last day together. If skies are clear, we'll leave at 1AM to go out and capture the Milky Way at a brand new location for our groups! If skies are cloudy, we'll focus on sunset and sunrise photography at brand new locations. We'll return to Page by 11AM to check-out and say our good-byes.

Logistics

Plan to arrive in Page, AZ sometime after 4PM on Day 1. Day 1 is just an arrival day and no workshop activities are planned. You'll have a hotel room waiting for you when you arrive. Contour Airlines runs 2-3 flights per day between Phoenix and Page. Alternatively, you can fly into Flagstaff and drive to Page.

IMPORTANT: This workshop is rated Challenging for physical intensity. All participants on this trip need to be in Good Physical Condition, without a fear of heights, and free from mobility or balance issues. You will need to carry your own water, food, camera gear, tent, and sleeping bag up to the viewpoint. A good gauge of your fitness is if you can climb 60 flights of stairs while carrying a 35-40 lb backpack in 2hrs or less.

The camp gear includes a lightweight tent, lightweight sleeping bag, and lightweight pad. When we go in via boat, the hike up to the rim is steep and strenuous. It's only a half mile long, but it's not recommended for those with sub-par fitness. All participants will have to sign an ancillary waiver that if their fitness does not allow them to make the hike, they will have to camp down at the lake level.

We timed this workshop for optimal Milky Way and water levels. However, we can't control the weather. If skies are cloudy overnight we may not be able to photograph the Milky Way. Should that be the case, we often get spectacular sunrises or sunsets.

If the weather is good, we'll go to Reflection Canyon on Day 2. However, if the weather is poor, we'll try again on Day 3. Whichever night we don't go to Reflection Canyon we'll use for bonus photo excursions (sunset, sunrise, and or Milky Way). We will take you to brand new and exciting locations that we've never taken our clients before!

The water levels in Lake Powell can change drastically one year to the next. If levels change unexpectedly, we may not be able to dock the boat, making it impossible to access Reflection Canyon due to sheer cliffs. We will be making a recon visit out there in March to ensure the landing site is accessible.

If weather and or lake levels prevent us from accessing Reflection Canyon via the boat, we will reimburse participants their share of the boat costs and organize an overnight trip to an alternate location with good Milky Way photography. Note that itinerary changes due to weather or lake levels do NOT constitute an exception to our Multi-Day Workshop Cancellation Policy.

Expect variable weather in early spring. It can be warm and pleasant or quite cold and windy. You need to come prepared for the worst conditions. We will go over the gear, packing, and logistics during our pre-workshop zoom meeting.

For the Apr 22-25 group, Shane McDermott will be the primary instructor (not David Swindler). The alt day will be slated for shooting Milky Way panos at Alstrom Point.

Reflection Canyon Photo Workshop Milky Way

Pricing

$1795 per person

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Trip Includes:

Pre-workshop zoom meeting.
Boat transportation to/from Reflection Canyon.
High-clearance 4x4 ground transportation.
Lightweight camping gear and food for the overnight trip (snacks, dinner, and breakfast)
In-field photography guiding and post-processing training.
All permits and entrance fees.
A 3-night hotel lodging package can be added to your booking at checkout. Cost is $275 for double occupancy or $550 for single occupancy.

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Page, AZ
Meals, Beverages, and Snacks outside of the overnight camping excursion.
Instructor 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. The Multi-Day Workshop Cancellation Policy applies to this trip.

Recommended Camera Gear

A lightweight tripod and ballhead you don't mind hiking with. Make sure it isn't flimsy as it can often be windy on the rim!
Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body. We recommend full-frame cameras for best night photography.
Wide Angle Lens f/2.8 or faster for night photography in the range of 14-24mm.
Mid-range zoom lens in the range of 24-100mm.
Circular polarizer filters are useful. Bring any ND filters if you have them for creating long exposures.
Extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies.
Remote cord for your camera. An intervalometer will be especially useful for doing long exposures at night.

Personal Gear List

Sturdy hiking footwear, hiking socks, and long pants.
Large, comfortable backpack that can carry your camera gear, tripod, and overnight gear.
Overnight toiletries, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses.
A rain jacket and warm layers since it can get cold at night and on the boat.
Warm gloves and hat.
Headlamp for night photography.
Water bottle or hydration bladder.
Hiking poles if you like using them.

Trusted by Over 900 Reviews

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.

Shane McDermott

Photography Instructor

Artist's Statement: Through all of my wanderings, photography has remained a constant, providing the creative link between my passion for adventure and the outdoors. I will never get enough of that “Wow!” feeling when I see a stunning image rendered on my camera’s LCD and helping guide others to that same experience is the bacon in the beans for me. I am excited to start working with Action Photo Tours. Everything about their instructors, locations, deep research, proficiency and stop-at-nothing vibe shows me that I have found the company where we can all grow and have countless “wow” moments together.

From the inseparable experience of unity, the camera is not something I “look at” the world through it is an opportunity to see something in myself. Photographs are no longer lost extractions of time; they become holographic reflections of the precious whole in every part. I love to guide those passionate about photography and those wanting to celebrate the extraordinary beauty of nature. If you seek a deeper connection with yourself and the astonishing beauty of our planet, I invite you to embark on this journey of creative discovery. I seamlessly weave together the technical and artistic dimensions of photography and help students learn to cultivate a greater level of presence, perception, and perspective. I have endless patience for those who genuinely seek to unlock their unique creative brilliance and transform their passion into pixels.

Photography has been a transformative experience of Self-discovery more than it has been about great image-making. The interior landscapes of my Soul have been the primary territory of my exploration. From a place within, the landscapes and creatures of our great planet have provided amazing opportunities to learn about myself and my connection to the world.

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