DESERT THUNDER ~ MONSOON AT THE GRAND CANYON
August 14th to 18th, 2020
Sold out
About This Grand Canyon Monsoon Photography Workshop
The Grand Canyon, 277 miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point, and over a mile deep. It has been carved by wind, water, and time. It is considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and once you see it come to life in an ever-changing palette of light and color, it's easy to see why.
During the summer months, between July and September, the Southwest monsoon brings signifies a shift in the weather pattern. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, and the effect they have on the landscape is dramatic. The canyon transforms and becomes a painting before your very eyes.
Join me as we chase the light in this place I love and have been photographing for over 10 years. Together we'll explore your creative potential, and I'll share my approach, both the technical and creative, to photographing the Grand Canyon.
Itinerary
Day 1: This workshop opportunity begins with a meet and greet at 3:00 pm at Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan, Arizona. We will then caravan as a group into the park for the first sunset session from a location on the Hermit Road near Powell Point. Topics covered include setting up your camera for landscape photography, focusing & depth-of-field, and getting the best exposure possible including understanding & evaluating the histogram.
Day 2: The sunrise will begin by using long-exposures to capture the hidden light and color of the pre-dawn world. After sunrise, we will work with more intimate scenes in the canyon by using telephoto lenses and the "art of subtraction" to build compositions that highlight the many temples, ridges, and buttes within the canyon.
The afternoon session will cover photographing the canyon with the intent to create black & white photos. We will finish up by photographing sunset near the East Rim of the canyon and the Palisades of the Desert.
Day 3: Our final South Rim sunrise will be from Lipan Point, one of my favorite viewpoints in all of Grand Canyon National Park. From Lipan Point, you will have the opportunity to build a truly grand scenic composition with strong foreground elements while looking down upon the Grand Canyon and Colorado River.
After the sunrise session, we will drive to the historic Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo Reservation where we will have breakfast. From Cameron, we drive to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. We will pass by many scenic locations along the way including the Navajo Bridges and Vermilion Cliffs. You are encouraged to shoot along the way because these locations can be great even in mid-day light!
Upon arriving at the North Rim we will get checked into our cabins and then make the drive to a viewpoint on the Point Imperial / Cape Royal Road for sunset.
Day 4: Sunrise this morning will be from an overlook near Cape Royal. After sunrise, we will drive out of the park in the search for bison in the meadows lining the road. You will be afforded an opportunity to rest during the mid-day period, and then we will reconvene in the mid-afternoon to drive back out on the Cape Royal Road for the afternoon and sunset session. We will be staying out late this evening to capture the dark night sky over the park.
Day 5: For our last sunrise we will photograph from an overlook with a commanding view of Angels Window. After sunrise, the group will return to the lodge for breakfast and goodbyes.
Lodging
This workshop includes private hotel rooms in the newly remodeled Red Feather Lodge in the town of Tusayan, 1-mile from the entrance to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Lodging on the North Rim is in spacious private Western cabins nestled amongst the pines inside the park. Your cabin has a quaint front porch, and they have the all-important mini-fridge.
What's Not Included?
You are encouraged you to dine on your own and to avoid the cafeterias and restaurants. We will not be having meals together. Our hotel rooms on the South Rim have small refrigerators and a microwave, but the cabins on the North Rim do not. We recommend that you bring a cooler to store any food items that you need to keep cold.
Transportation and entrance fees into Grand Canyon National Park are not provided. We will caravan to our photography locations.
Travel Information
For this workshop, it is recommended that you fly through either Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Flagstaff. Both Las Vegas and Phoenix are about a 4 to 4.5-hour drive to the Grand Canyon. Flagstaff is only 90 minutes from the South Rim, but it is served by fewer flights.
Workshop Cost & Payment Terms
The tuition for this workshop is $2,635.00. This workshop is limited to 4 participants. All of the standard Terms and Conditions apply.
Join Us!
Update: The 2020 workshop is sold out.
If you are interested, do not delay, sign up today. Click the 'Add to Cart' button below to make your payment and save your spot in the workshop. You are welcome to send me a message if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you at the Grand Canyon!
