Death Valley Photography Workshop
Death Valley Photography Workshop
February 19 - 24, 2025
Minimum Deposit $500. Full Tuition $1600
Hold your place early for this sell-out Workshop!
Join Jason Frye and I for a captivating Death Valley Photography Workshop, where you'll explore the breathtaking beauty of this unique landscape. Death Valley is simply amazing. It holds the record for being the hottest, driest and lowest place in North America. A few of its main features include the Bad Water Basin with its salt polygons. Cotton Ball Basin and the Salt Creeks are two more favorites that exist in the valley at the Spring side of the old lake bed. Both are incredible at sunset. There are many other goodies hidden within the landscape that we will explore throughout the day.
This desert landscape opportunities here are practically endless. At either end of the Valley are gorgeous sand dunes with wind-blown sand. The walls of the valley are the Panamint Range to the West and the Amargosa Range to the east. The highest peak is Telescope Peak at 11, 043 feet.
Embark on an amazing 5-day exploration of this otherworldly landscape during our Death Valley Photography Workshop. There will be something for everyone here, and we’ve chosen the perfect time of the year for the adventure. The mornings are crisp and cool and the afternoons are very pleasant. We will be camping, whenever possible, there will be a fire and plenty of room for conversation and pleasantries around the campfire.
Throughout the workshop, we will uncover many other hidden gems within the landscape, making it a truly unforgettable experience for photographers of all skill levels.
Overview
Join us for this Death Valley Photography Workshop, an unparalleled adventure in one of the most captivating landscapes in North America. Death Valley holds the title for the lowest and hottest place on the continent, with its amazing geology transporting you to another world as soon as you arrive. The entire park looks like another planet, offering a unique experience for photographers of all levels.
The valley floor, once a lake, has since dried up, leaving behind salt that has settled in the valley floor, now known as Bad Water Basin. This area offers amazing opportunities to capture something unique during the Death Valley Photography Workshop. Occasional rains and intense drying create ever-changing salt polygons, providing beautiful shapes and patterns that are a photographer's dream come true.
The valley floor is surrounded by the enormous mountains of the Panamint Range, all of which we plan to explore and photograph during our workshop. On either end of the valley are several sand dune opportunities, with the largest and most prominent being the Mesquite Dunes. We will visit this location twice during our stay, as photographing the dunes is pure bliss, with rolling sand, rippling shadows, and golden afternoon light creating a truly amazing experience.
This Death Valley Photography Workshop is the perfect opportunity for aspiring photographers to explore the nuances of shooting in wide format, focusing on more intimate compositions, and understanding camera settings to maximize the wide range of light in their shots. For intermediate and professional photographers, we'll dive deeper into advanced composition, element identification, and technique mastery.
During the workshop, we'll share our techniques on focus stacking, focal length blending, long exposure, and recovering harsh light and darks. These easy-to-learn techniques can be repeated as needed, and our small group size ensures that there's always someone nearby to help with composition and answer any questions. Join us for an unforgettable five-day exploration of this otherworldly landscape, and hone your photography skills in one of the most awe-inspiring locations on Earth.
Topics we will cover
Learn how to create powerful compositions and bring your artistic vision to life
Visualizing your composition, capturing and guiding the viewer
How to identify and control: Balance and visual flow
The use of filters to enhance and control light. How to “see” light
Histograms, how to read them and why they play an important role
Focus Stacking for extreme front and back focus
How to use lens compression
How to blend focal lengths
How to create beautiful Long Exposures to unveil a hidden visual world
Photographing the night sky: Stars, Milky Way, Star Trails and Time Lapse Photography
Light Painting in the Twilight and night Landscape
How to research potential shoot locations
How to read the weather
Image Critique
Post Processing and Digital Workflow in Lightroom and Photoshop
About this Workshop
Fitness
Easy to Moderate. Distances range from the 1/4 mile up to a mile one way.
Terrain
Flat, uneven dried mud/salt, Sand, water is possible. Boots or sturdy hiking shoes
Experience
Aspiring - Advanced
Group Size
10 people
Weather
The weather in Death Valley can be very inviting and it can also hit some extremes. We will be monitoring the weather very closely prior to and during the Workshop. In almost all cases, the Workshop will go forward. We love good stormy weather and fleeting light, but will never put our guests in any type of situation that would be life threatening. We chose the winter to take advantage of nice daytime temperatures in the 70’s. The nights and early mornings can still be quite cool. Higher elevations could even get some snow. Be prepared for anything during this Death Vallye Photography Workshop and use our Pack list to help plan your trip.
Covid 19
We require our guides and guests to be masked at any time we are unable to be at a 6’ proximity. Some restaurants may require masking. We will have hand sanitizer available throughout the workshop. Carpooling is recommend as long as you accept the risk. Our staff is fully vaccinated and we will maintain the guidelines that the CDC issues regarding indoor and group masking. We will also adhere to any local guidelines and rules. Whenever possible, we will maintain an appropriate social distance during the Workshop.
Itinerary
What’s included
Photography instruction with Landscape Photographers Tommy White and Jason Frye
5 Full days of Photography and field Instruction in Death Valley
Guidance through the largest National Park in America
Snacks are provided during Workshop
One on One field guidance in composition, tension, balance and harmony
Visual interpretation of the landscape. How to see and use the light
Fully park permitted and Insured
After hours photography discussion and fun around the campfire. S’mores are included!
What’s not included
Transportation to and from Death Valley. Participants should plan to provide their own transportation. Carpooling will be available at your own discretion
Food: Meals can be expensive in Death Valley. Plan to bring snacks and what you can keep around camp. There are opportunities at the General Store for other meal options
Lodging - We will provide information for you to make an educated decision on Lodging. We will have a block of rooms available. The Workshop hosts will be camping at Texas Spring Campground
Park Fees
Alcoholic beverages
Travel Insurance (optional)
Personal Items
PACK LIST
Click HERE to view the Packlist
Key destinations
Cotton Ball basin
Bad Water Basin
Ibex Sand Dunes
Ubehebe Crater
Artist’s Palette
Salt Flats
Dantes View
Zabriskie Point
Twenty Mule Canyon
Mesquite Sand Dune
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel your booking, the Deposit is non refundable on all Seasonal and Group Photography Workshops. If the cancellation is less than 90 days, you will receive a full refund minus the deposit and 15% admin fee, when your spot is filled. If the cancellation is more than 90 days, you will receive a full refund when your spot is filled, or, you may move to another available workshop (minus a 15% admin fee) in the current calendar year. The remaining balance on the new Workshop is due upon transfer.
If you are booked for a Private Workshop and you need to cancel, you may reschedule your workshop one time within the current calendar year during an available time.
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel your booking, the Deposit is non refundable on all Seasonal and Group Photography Workshops. If the cancellation is less than 90 days, you will receive a full refund minus the deposit and 15% admin fee, when your spot is filled. If the cancellation is more than 90 days, you will receive a full refund when your spot is filled, or, you may move to another available workshop (minus a 15% admin fee) in the current calendar year. The remaining balance on the new Workshop is due upon transfer.
If you are booked for a Private Workshop and you need to cancel, you may reschedule your workshop one time within the current calendar year during an available time.
