Death Valley Photography workshops for 2020

The Art on Your Walls Should be Yours!

Join us for this 4 day excursion into the beauty of Death Valley National Park.  You will be immersed totally in the photography experience while at the same time seeing the sights and wonders of the park.

We Plan It All For You!  Simply Show Up at the designated meeting point in Las Vegas (Lyft or Uber) on the day and Time planned for the event you are attending (we will email you that information once you book your workshop).  Hop in the van, and we take care of the rest.  We will drive you to the park,  every shoot location, on every day, at every time and will take you back to the airport on the last day once the workshop closes.

All you need to do is book your flight and your room (we recommend Stove Pipe Wells Village Hotel), pack, and unless you prefer to rent a car to drive yourself, the rest is handled.  (We don't provide all of your meals, but you can eat at the resort.  They have great food!)

***Special Note; Rooms and Lodging book up months in advance for Workshop Seasons...If you want to attend, you will want to book your room right away***

We will be sure that you will have a choice of snacks and ample supplies of water on each day of the workshop.

Join us,  won't you, for the adventure of a lifetime!

Do you love to travel and witness the majestic natural sights America has to offer?

Do you find yourself frustrated with your lack of ability to successfully photograph those majestic sights? 

Can't understand why what you see with your eyes never quite looks right in the photos you snap of the landscapes and natural wonders you visit? 

Are you intimidated by your camera and the unbelievable amount of settings it has?

Do you have a deep desire to finally unleash that trapped creative genius you hear shouting inside of you?

Well...we would love to help you!

What Will You Learn?

There's a lot.  You will go home with a number of new skills and new understandings about your camera and photography in general.  Here's a list of just a few of the things you will know when you leave.

- What ISO is

- What the numbers on your lens mean and how to use them

-What white balance is and how to adjust and use it

-How to use manual focus

-How to use your camera in full manual mode

-How to use bracketing in your shooting

-How to use your camera timer and the exposure timer to get the sharpest images possible

-How to know where the sun will rise and where it will set and at what times

-How to know what cycle the moon will be in when you travel, where it will rise and set in the sky, and at what times it will and will not be visible

-How to obtain clear Milky Way photos

-How to use neutral density filters to properly expose your whole image, not just the sky or the foreground

-When to use a longer zoom lens and when to use a shorter wide angle lens

-Understand shutter speeds and F stops and how they work together in your photography

-How to compose photos properly using  Negative Space and the Rule of Thirds

-How to calculate the slowest shutter speed your lens will allow you to shoot the stars at

-How to organize your photos in Lightroom so you have a good folder structure that makes sense to you

-How to use Low Level Lighting or "LLL" to illuminate subject matter while still exposing for the Milky Way

-And more...

So...what Skill Level do I need to Have?

Another great question! These trips will be for beginner to intermediate photographers.

You would do well to have some use of your equipment under your belt.  These photo workshops are geared toward the "regular guy" or "regular gal" that wish to avoid the jargon and technical terms surrounding our world of photographic art.  

You know, instead of discussing things in overly technical "photography language," I always do my best to communicate in regular speak.  For example;  instead of talking about  the "Bokeh of an image" or getting that "really shallow depth of field," I talk about it in language we all would normally use:  "Here's how you get that really blurry background when you take this shot of the tiny desert flower with the bug on it!" 

Yes, I can be as technical as the next guy, and I fully understand all the terms.  But these workshops are for folks that have a camera and really want to know how to use it with more confidence and skill, while enjoying new adventures in the landscapes of our natural wonders.  They are not for the proficient photographer wishing to learn how to enhance an already stellar level of skill. 

Don't get me wrong: if you are a professional photographer but have yet to visit one of the parks I go to, you are welcome to attend a workshop, but you will only gain knowledge of the park and it's layout as well as some of the best places to shoot. 

Be on alert: you must be in moderately good shape and able to endure some hiking to get the most from a workshop. Many of the locations where we will be taking photos require some work to get to. 

What Equipment Will I Need?

Some of the things you would need for any of the workshops  are the following:

If you are lacking any camera gear or equipment we recommend below, you can rent anything you need at this website.  Click here to go to Lens Rentals

-35 MM DSLR Camera

- Wide Angle Zoom Style lens.  Minimum 24-70mm.  Needs to have a minimum Aperature of      2.8 Here's an example of one of the lenses I use. There are sources to rent lenses on line.

-Zoom Telephoto Lens (This is optional, and not really required for the workshop.  Just helpful to have.  Here's the lens I use.

-Laptop, should you wish to participate in editing sessions I will be leading

-Hiking Boots/Shoes

-Backpack

-Quality Tripod.  The more sturdy the better, but you may only be able to bring a travel tripod.  Here's the Tripod I use on the trail. It's inexpensive and has served me well.  Rent Tripods Here

-Neutral Density Filter (I prefer about a 4 stop ND) This is the ND Filter I use (but you don't have to buy this high a quality for the workshop.

-Graduated Neutral Density Filter Set Here's the set I use.

-Headlamp or Flashlight that has the option for a Red LED light.  When doing astro photography, it is imperative for everyone to NOT use a standard light, but to be using the red light during these sessions.  I can get a little testy with this, so please, be sure you have a headlamp that has the red LED option for the trip.

-At least 2 of the batteries your camera uses and its charger

-Adequate supply of memory cards

-Good water bottle

-Lightroom installed and working on your computer, if you bring it.  Photoshop is not necessary, but can be helpful.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a start.  I will send you a full list of what to bring when you sign up for the trip.

Flexible Agenda  

Similar to the Joshua Tree Workshops for this year, we will be doing four sessions in Death Valley:  two in  the spring, and two  in the fall.  Death Valley is prime for photography during  these times, and the  weather is comfortable when we will be shooting and working.

In Death Valley, I tend to stick to  a flexible agenda because weather, clouds, and other factors can quickly  change what we are doing and when in this part of the country.

The spring sessions will have days with very early starts. For me, being on the East Coast Time zone, to get up at 3:00 am for Milky way photography is nothing because on my body clock it's 6:00 am.  For those of you running on Pacific time...well...I'm sorry to do that to you. The difference in time zone is actually a lot of the reason I love flying out there to the Pacific Coast for photography.  Of course, the opposite is true if we have to stay up late for sunset!  :-)

I will stay in or very near Stovepipe Wells for this round (though, I may consider bringing my back packing gear and instead stay in a camp ground).  In the event I do camp, we will still be meeting each day in Stovepipe Wells, as I will be working out meeting rooms with them for our editing sessions.

I will fly in the night before and will provide transportation from Las Vegas International Airport in the morning on day 1 of the workshop for anyone wishing to ride along.  It is about a 2.5 hour trip from Vegas to Furnace Creek at the center of Death Valley.

I do not handle lodging arrangements for participants.

We will be photographing at various locations including Zabriskie Point, Dante's View, The Golden Canyon, Mosaic Canyon, 20 Mule Team Canyon,  Artists Palette, Badwater Basin,  The Devils Golf Course,  Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Harmony Borax Works, and others.

There are some shots that will be possible in one session that will not be in others.  But that's just the nature of the game in all of it.  

Tentative Daily Plans

Day 1

12:00 pm - Meet at hotel in Las Vegas & depart at 12:30

2:30 pm - Drive thru Pahrump, NV and have lunch (on me)

4:00 pm - Check in at hotel/lodging in Death Valley area

4:30 pm - Meet to discuss equipment and address any questions.  We will spend the majority of our time this first day setting up and getting ready for the next few days.  I will be using this time to discuss camera settings and help you gain familiarity with your equipment.

5:00 pm - Dinner with more discussion. If time permits for this first evening, we may head out and work on some photography.  This will be on a case by case basis.

Day 2 and 3

(Spring) 3:30 am - Meet at lodging point and head out for Milky Way  and sunrise photography

(Fall) 4:45 am - Meet at lodging point and head out for sunrise photography

10:30 am - End morning session and head back to lodging

11:30 am - Editing and post production work/lunch

2:30 pm - Break (Spring); No break during  fall sessions

(Fall) 3:00 pm - Head out for sunset photography 

(Spring) 5:00 pm - Head out for sunset photography 

We will be able to have a break in the mid part of the afternoon in the spring as the sun goes down so much later.  However, in the fall, there will be no time for break as the sun goes down much earlier.  

In the spring, we will be out a little later, and in the fall, we will be back to the hotel earlier.  The evening will be catch-up and rest time in the fall, while the afternoon break will be catch-up and rest time in the spring.

Day 4

We will depart around noon and head back to the Vegas area.

If everyone feels up to it and there is a spot that didn't work out earlier in the week , we can plan to use the early morning on Saturday to get more Milky Way (spring) photography as well as sunrise for one last day.

Because weather can vary and hiking determines timing, we remain flexible through it all because we have to be quick and nimble and able to adjust our plans based on the environmental factors.

Please note this especially important information

This trip will be taking place in a desert environment.  There are a few things that we want you to know about before booking.  When in the desert, conditions can and do change rapidly, and there are critters that you need to be mindful of.  (As of yet, I have not seen any of the critters listed, but they are indeed in the desert.)  Please be prepared should you wish to join us.

• Please make SURE you are well hydrated BEFORE coming.  At least 4 days prior, be sure to drink a minimum of 1/2 gallon of water each day.  While in the desert, please prepare and plan to drink 3/4 to a full gallon of water each day.   EVEN IF IT'S COLD!  It's always dry.

• Bring Chapstick and Lotion!

• Bring Warm Clothing.  It will be cool, if not cold when the sun is down.  This means during the evening and the early mornings you may get cold.  We recommend layers.  T-Shirt, Over Shirt, Hoody, and Jacket.   Warm (not too warm) Hat to keep your head warm.  Scarves.  Gloves.  Face Cover (it's windy sometimes).  

• Bring Sunscreen, Brimmed Hat (all the way around is prefered) and Sunglasses.

• Boots.  At a minimum Sneakers.  For your safety, I will not allow anyone to hike with us that has open toed shoes or sandals.

• Long Pants.  Preferably Denim.  Long pants and boots help protect against critters.  

• The desert has Scorpions, Sidewinder Snakes, Rattle Snakes, and Coyotes.  Again, I have never seen one, but they are there.  They tend to be active at night, however, when the sun is down during our workshops, it's too cold for them to want to move around much.   

FAQs 

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

18 or older

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

We are planning to provide transportation to and from a set meeting point in Las Vegas the day of the event and the day of the event closing.  We will also provide you with the transportation around the park for each shoot.  Saves you money on Rental Car.

What if I don't have the Right Lens or Equipment?

You can actually rent the lenses you need at https://www.lensrentals.com/rent/photo/canon

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

email Rob at rob@raphotog.com