Winter in NOrthern Utah
Jan 11-14, 2025
Our Winter in Northern Utah Photo Workshop is the perfect 4-day adventure for those wanting to capture the frozen landscapes unique to the Heber and Utah valleys. It's also easy to couple this workshop with a ski vacation! Surrounded by the imposing Wasatch Mountains, we'll find ice formations, pastoral barns, waterfalls, peaceful rivers, frozen lakes, vintage trains, and more! Each day you'll fill your lungs with cold, crisp air as we venture out to find the best landscapes to photograph. Led by Northern Utah natives A.J. Rich and Wendy Casey, you'll learn a lot and expand your photographic repertoire.
Highlights
- Mid January brings cold temps, snow, and ice to Northern Utah, making it the perfect place for landscape photography! A flexible itinerary allows us to chase the best winter conditions and weather.
- Photograph ice formations, pastoral barns, waterfalls, peaceful rivers, frozen lakes, vintage trains, and more!
- With resident photographers Wendy Casey and A.J. Rich at the helm, we'll get you to the best locations.
- Workshop is capped at 8 participants, allowing for plenty of individual attention among 2 instructors.
- All transportation is provided so you don't have to worry about slick roads.
- Post-processing and image critique sessions will be scheduled during our time together.
Itinerary
In order to give our clients the best possible experience, we keep the itinerary flexible to account for winter conditions, weather, and group interest. The workshop dates coincide with the typical cold weather patterns in Northern Utah. With resident photographers at the helm, we'll get you to the best locations as per current conditions.
- Day 1: The workshop begins at 1PM in Heber City, UT with a short orientation session and classroom instruction. With clouds building throughout the day, we head out to a partially frozen lake to capture the sunset drama.
- Day 2: We are up extra early this morning to capture the ice formations along Utah Lake. We even get lucky with some brilliant cloud color that reflects off the icy surface! We photograph a waterfall with several ice climbers and then return to Heber for a short post-processing session. That afternoon we photograph several pastoral scenes throughout the valley and even capture the vintage train as it speeds along the tracks!
- Day 3: Our sunrise spot focuses on massive Mt Timpanogos in the background with some great foregrounds! We even find some swans and bald eagles to photograph. We hold an image critique session midday and then head back to Utah Lake to capture the ice formations with the rising full moon!
- Day 4: For sunrise, we shoot along a peaceful river where you can get some nice long exposure foregrounds. The morning light perfectly accents the willows and background mountains. We head back to town to check out of the hotel. The workshop will conclude by 11AM.
Logistics
The trip will begin and end in Heber City, UT. Make sure you arrive before 1PM on the first day. You will need your own transportation to get to Heber City. We will provide transportation for all workshop outings.
We did not include hotel stays in the workshop package to give you the flexibility to stay where you’d like. We recommend you stay at the Best Western Plus in Heber Valley as that will be our central meeting place. The workshop will conclude no later than 11AM on the last day.
This workshop is rated as Moderate for physical intensity. Most all of the locations will be pretty close to the vehicles and only 1 or 2 spots will require any sort of hiking. Daily mileage will be no more than 1-1.5 miles. Participants will need to be able to walk these sorts of distance with their camera gear. Depending on conditions, snow and ice may be present. Everyone will need a pair of micro-spikes to go over their winter boots for safety. See the gear list further down.
The workshop dates coincide with typical cold temperature patterns in Northern Utah. However, if Mother Nature has different ideas, we'll change up the shooting locations as needed. No matter what, we'll find great photographic opportunities!
Drones are prohibited in any wilderness areas. However, drones are legal in many of the places we visit. If you have a drone, bring it along. We just ask that you be cognizant of others and their enjoyment.
Pricing
$1895/person + Tax
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Trip Includes:
- 4-Day intensive photo workshop
- All ground transportation and photography guiding during the trip.
- Park entrance fees.
- Post processing and image critique.
- Pre Workshop Zoom Meeting.
Trip Does NOT Include:
- Transportation to/from your home to Heber City, UT.
- Hotel accommodations.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- 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, you will be sent a payment linkn for the remaining balance approximately 120 days before the workshop.
Recommended Camera Gear
- Sturdy tripod and ballhead
- Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body.
- Wide angle lens (16-35mm is perfect). For crop sensor, you'll want 10-22mm.
- Mid-range zoom lens in the range of 24-100mm.
- Telephoto lens in the range of 100-400mm. For wildlife, you'll want a lens that is longer than 200mm.
- Circular polarizer filters are recommended for the wide-angle and mid-range lenses.
- Extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies.
- Laptop if you wish to backup or edit your photos.
Personal Gear List
- Warm, moisture wicking base layers for both upper and lower body.
- Warm layers like a down puffy, winter coat, and or fleece jacket.
- Waterproof outer shell jacket (helps protect against wind and snow).
- Warm winter boots with thick wool socks.
- Waterproof snow pants.
- Warm gloves or mittens along with a pair of glove liners.
- Warm hat, buff, and or balaclava.
- Micro-spikes to go over your winter boots. Make sure you get the ones with actual spikes on them (no rollers or Yak-Tracks).
- Sunglasses and sunscreen for sunny days. The light reflecting off the snow can be intense.
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.
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A.J. Rich
Photography Instructor
Ever since he was young, A.J. Rich has had a passion for all things visual. Growing up on the edge of St. George, Utah, he often sketched his favorite sports players and designed logos for his youth sports teams. A.J. also spent countless hours around his childhood home climbing rock mesas and exploring the unknown, including at nearby Zion National Park.
After graduating with a degree in graphic design from Brigham Young University in 2001, A.J. worked in the graphic design field for 20 years. In 2006 A.J. picked up a camera and, drawing on his art background, he has been a successful Getty Images contributor. In recent years he has focused on landscape photography—where his true passion lies.
Today the quest for the “timeless story” drives A.J. on all his outdoor adventures. While out in nature he seeks the ethereal and spiritual planes, and if he can capture them in a photograph, even better.
Currently A.J. works by day as a graphic designer and art director for BYU Brand & Creative, always dreaming of and planning for his next photography journey.
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