Southwest Drone Photography

May 4-9, 2026 - Sold Out

Learn how to take amazing aerial shots on our Southwest Drone Photography Workshop! Get off the beaten path where we'll visit areas of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona where you'll capture incredible shots from above. During our 6 days together you'll learn many advanced aerial photography and post-processing techniques. If the weather doesn't permit safe drone operation, we'll get out our regular cameras and tripods and take advantage of the best light. Expect plenty of individual attention with a small group of 8 participants and 2 pro instructors. All transportation provided.

Tuition

$2495
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Max Group Size

8 Students Max
4 Students per Instructor

Instructor(s)

Ryan McGinty
Wendy Casey

Physical Intensity

Southern Utah Southwest Drone Photo Workshop

Highlights

Capture the remote areas of the beautiful southwest from a fresh, aerial perspective.
Visit rarely photographed locations where you'll build a diverse portfolio of aerial images.
Learn the best tips and tricks for aerial photography.
Transportation provided for all workshop outings so you don't have to worry about the rough roads.
Learn many new post-processing techniques.
Enjoy temperate weather and good flying conditions.
In the event we cannot fly due to weather, we have lots of backup locations for your regular camera and tripod.

Itinerary

In order to deliver the best results, we keep the itinerary flexible to account for weather, conditions, and group interest. The itinerary below is just an example of what you can expect.

Day 1: We begin at 1PM at our office in Kanab, UT with a short orientation session. When finished, we grab a quick bite to eat and head out to shoot sunset and blue hour from a location with incredible sandstone formations. The options are endless for big panoramics or tight abstracts.
Day 2: We wake up early to capture sunrise shots of a volcanic crater. We return for breakfast and hold a short classroom session. After lunch, we drive out to White Pocket. Even if you've been here before, it's going to look entirely different from the drone's-eye perspective. As long as winds are calm we'll be able to fly during blue hour.
Day 3: We drone at first light over some incredible Chinle formations with unbelievable textures, patterns, and colors. We return for breakfast and then hold a post-processing session where we'll cover our favorite techniques to enhance your aerial images. That afternoon we drive deep into the Grand Staircase Escalante and explore scenes of canyons, rock formations, and layered landscapes.
Days 4: With overcast skies this morning, we don't have to leave as early. We fly over some amazing colored badlands with intricate fractal patterns. At midday we hold another classroom session and then venture out to photograph a big viewpoint that looks even more amazing from the air!
Day 5: We are out well before dawn to capture drone aerials of some of the most colorful and varied sandstone you'll ever see. The options are endless for incredible abstract compositions. We hold a final image critique session before we venture deep into the backcountry with some stunning aerial landscapes.
Day 6: Departure day. You can plan your return travel anytime.

Southwest Drone Photography Workshop Aerial

Drones

With a flexible itinerary, we will be watching the weather closely and go to locations with best chances for incredible aerial images. If weather conditions are not suitable for flying a drone (i.e. high winds), we'll resort to our DSLR/Mirrorless cameras and tripods. We don't anticipate this happening very often as the weather in Sept tends to be pretty stable.

All participants are responsible for flying their own drones. Action Photo Tours is not responsible for any drone malfunctions, crashes, or accidental damage. If you crash or damage your drone, there are no backups for you to use unless you bring a second drone. If weather conditions are unsafe for flying, we will not have any drones in the air. None of the areas we visit require any sort of technical flying. All are wide-open landscapes with no obstacles.

We highly recommend that you learn the basics of flying your drone BEFORE coming on the workshop. The instructor can help you with improving your image acquisition, but they will not be able to fly nor operate your drone.

All participants need to bring at least 3 batteries for their drones. You will also need a place to download your drone images after each shoot like a laptop or portable hard drive. If you lose your drone, you don't want to also lose all the images you worked so hard to acquire! You can also bring multiple memory cards and swap those out between flights if that helps you feel more comfortable.

Logistics

Las Vegas is the closest international airport. It is a 3.5-hr drive from there to Kanab, Utah. Note that there is no public transportation to Kanab, so you would need a rental vehicle or your personal vehicle.

When you checkout, a 5-night lodging package will be added to your booking based on either single or double occupancy. Please see the pricing section below for more details.

Food is not included in the workshop fee but there are many restaurants and grocery stores in Kanab. We will clearly communicate the next days itinerary so you can plan your food needs. Please note that meal times will be irregular due to our shooting schedule.

Please see the gear list below for suggestions on what to pack. For the most part, the weather is quite pleasant in early May. You'll want a warm layer for cooler mornings and a rain jacket in case the weather turns on us. A warm hat and gloves are also recommended.

Pricing

$2495/Person + Tax

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Trip Includes:

6-Day Intensive Photo Workshop with 2 Pro Instructors.
All Ground Transportation in Lifted 4x4 Trucks.
Specialized drone instruction
Post-processing instruction and image critique.
Park Entrance Fees
Pre-Workshop Zoom Meeting
5-night lodging package in Kanab, UT will be added to your booking at checkout. Cost is $575 for double occupancy or $1150 for single occupancy.

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Kanab, UT.
Meals, Snacks, and Beverages.
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, we'll send you a payment link for the remaining balance when we're approx 120 days out.

Southern Utah Southwest Done Photography Workshop

Recommended Camera Gear

Drone and controller. We recommend one of the newer models for best image quality.
At least 3 drone batteries, battery charger, and extra propellers.
ND and or Circular Polarizer Filters for the drone (Optional)
Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body and Lenses (in case we can't fly). We recommend a wide angle zoom in the 16-35mm range along with a mid-range zoom in the 24-70 or 24-105mm range.
Tripod (in case we can't fly).
Extra memory cards and cleaning supplies.
Comfortable backpack that can carry your drone, camera gear, snacks, and water.
Laptop or external hard drive to back up your photos.

Personal Gear List

Sturdy footwear, hiking socks, and long pants .
A rain jacket and a warm layer since it can get cooler at night.
Headlamp with fresh batteries.
Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Warm Hat & Gloves.
Water bottle
Trekking Poles - bring them if they help you for the short hikes.

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Ryan McGinty

Photography Instructor

Ryan McGinty is a seasoned landscape photographer living in the Palouse area of southeastern Washington. His first-hand experience in this unique agricultural area makes him the perfect instructor to lead people to out-of-the-way places for those once-in-a-lifetime rainbows, sunsets and sunrises in the beautiful rolling hills. He loves chasing the light and diligently checks weather apps to get the latest sun and rain predictions, cloud formations, wind and temperatures for the best locations and light.

His interest in photography started at an early age and continued in college with graduate work at Brooks Institute of Photography. His experience in portrait, wedding, film, and medium and large format photography give him an extraordinary background for his award-winning landscape photography.

His passion for the Palouse is only exceeded by his passion for photography and his desire to show people his favorite places. He takes a legitimate interest in his clients and strives hard to ensure they get the best shots. His photographs have been published in books, calendars and travel guides.

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.