August 7th - 10th, 2025
This workshop focuses on improving your landscape photography skills and making great photographs of the Grand Canyon. The workshop takes place during the monsoon season and coincides with the full moon. The monsoon season is a great time to capture the canyon with stormy skies and dramatic light, and it's when I have made some of my most dramatic photographs of the Grand Canyon.
Small Group Size
I run workshops with smaller groups so that we can photograph from areas that aren't spacious enough to support large groups and so that I can give each of you more one-on-one instruction. For these reasons, this workshop is limited to 6 participants.
Photography Locations
We will photograph from a mix of named and unnamed locations in the park. Due to the nature of chasing light and adapting to the unpredictability of monsoon weather, it's impossible to guarantee that we will stop at any specific location or capture lightning and rainbows. As photographers, we must be able to adapt to changes in light & weather and constantly adapt. This means that while we may go somewhere with a specific shot in mind, we will be ready to adapt to changes and see the new opportunities as they are presented.
Itinerary
The workshop begins on day 1 with a meet & greet on the patio at Kaibab Lodge at 3:00 pm. Afterward, we will caravan into the park for the first photography session, during which I will cover how I configure my camera for landscape photography to maximize image quality. I will also introduce you to my image capture workflow, which I use to get consistent focus and exposure results. After sunset, we will travel back to the lodge.
Days 2 and 3 begin very early so that we can be set up and ready to photograph the first light of the day. After sunrise, we will drive back to the lodge with a stop to photograph the bison if they are in the meadow near the entrance to the park. You will have an opportunity to rest during a mid-day break so that you and your camera batteries are recharged and ready to take advantage of the late light. We will caravan back into the park mid-afternoon and make stops to photograph from several viewpoints on the canyon's rim. If weather and atmospheric conditions permit, we will also photograph the canyon under the moonlight with the night sky above the canyon.
On the last day of the workshop, we will start early again. After sunrise, we will return to Kaibab Lodge for breakfast and a workshop review. I'll be available throughout the morning to answer any follow-up questions about the topics covered during the workshop.
Lightning Triggers Provided
A lightning trigger is a device that senses the lightning strike and triggers the shutter for you. It's important to understand that the trigger only does some of the work for you. The photographer must still create the composition, determine the proper exposure, and pre-focus for the scene. With a lightning trigger, many new and exciting things are possible. Now, we can do previously impossible things, like photographing lightning in daylight and shooting into the setting sun.
My trigger of choice is the Lightning Bug Plus by MK Controls. This trigger mounts into your camera's hotshoe and connects via a modified remote-release cable. I've owned four different lightning triggers, and while the Lightning Bug Plus can't catch every lightning bolt, I've been more productive with it than I have with all of the others combined. I consider it an essential piece of gear and one you must have if you wish to photograph lightning.
Lightning triggers will be provided on loan to all participants for the workshop. After signing up for the workshop, we will coordinate with you to ensure we have the proper cable to connect the lightning trigger to your camera.
Lodging is Included
This workshop includes private lodging in cabins at Kaibab Lodge, just a few miles from the entrance to the North Rim. The lodge has Wi-Fi in the main lodge building, parking right at your cabin, and on-site breakfast dining.
What's Not Included?
Meals, transportation, and entrance fees into Grand Canyon National Park are not provided. We will caravan as a group to our photography locations.
Bring a Friend or Family Member!
You are welcome to bring a friend or family member to the workshop as a guest. This guest can use the room but may only participate in the workshop if they purchase a participant spot.
We Hope You Can Join Us!
Please feel free to contact Sally or me if you have any questions. You can send us a message through the Contact form on this website, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We hope you can join us for this opportunity to photograph the Grand Canyon from the majestic North Rim during the monsoon season.
Workshop Cost and Payment Terms
The cost for this workshop is $2,400.00, which includes private lodging. A deposit of $1,200.00 is required to reserve a spot in this workshop. The final payment is due by 90 days before the workshop.
Sign Me up!
You can reserve your spot by adding the workshop fee of $2,400.00 to your cart and completing the payment.
I look forward to seeing you at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!
