Ultimate Desert SW Workshop

Please consider joining us on our Ultimate Desert SW Workshop where we will photograph the Monument Valley area, from high atop Hunts Mesa and spend two full days in Canyon de Chelley.  This will be the 20th year Jack Graham and I have offered this workshop and we have a vast amount of experience, plus our handpicked Navajo guides to get you to the best locations at the best times of the day for the opportunity to create amazing images that you will cherish for a lifetime.

This year is extra special as we are adding additional days to the length of the workshop so that we can slow down and immerse ourselves in this beautiful landscape and take time to learn the nuances of the desert to capture compelling and dramatic images.  We will spend 4 days in the Monument Valley area, including one night on Hunts Mesa, before we move to Chinle and spend two full days in Canyon de Chelley.

Monument Valley

Our workshop starts in Monument Valley Utah.  Our base will be at a local hotel which provides all the convinces we need to stay comfortable for the long days ahead.  We will visit several locations in Monument Valley, including areas only accessible if you have a Navajo guide to escort you.  We will visit the Totem Pole area, Suns Eye, Ear of the Wind as well as spend time with a Navajo family deep in the valley to photograph their hogan and surroundings.  We will also visit Mystery Valley for some amazing photo opportunities that few ever get a chance to see.   Besides the most well known icons of the valley, like the Mittens, we will also visit several other locations throughout the valley, photographing at different times of day to capture the essence and spirit of this magical desert landscape. We might even get a chance to head out to the Forest Gump road for the iconic shot!

Hunts Mesa

While in the Monument Valley area, we have a special treat planned for our workshop.  We will meet our Navajo Guides and travel from the hotel to the top of Hunts Mesa via an exhilarating 4wd adventure.  We will camp out on top of the Mesa, with everything provided for you!  Tents will be set up with cots and blankets for sleeping and that evening we will enjoy a wonderful camp dinner prepared for us.  We will photograph the sunset from on top the Mesa and after dinner and the sun goes down, the night sky will erupt with thousands of stars visible making for some outstanding night photography.  After a nights rest, we will arise before the sun and get in position to capture sunrise from the top of the Mesa looking down to the desert floor and landscape features.  A truly memorable experience!  After a prepared breakfast, we will make the drive back to our hotel to regroup and continue photographing the Monument Valley area.

Canyon de Chelley

After Monument Valley, we will travel on our own to Chinle AZ to check in to our next hotel near the canyon.  After getting settled, we will spend the remainder of the day photographing at various locations around the area.  The next morning, we will meet our guides for an all-day trip in to Canyon de Chelley.  We will travel through sacred lands to rarely photographed locations deep inside the canyon.  We have specific locations we recommend to photograph such as White House Ruins, but are also always open to the conditions and environment and may visit other more memorable locations within the canyon.  Having an exclusive guide who lives here affords us unique access to the canyon as well as an intimate knowledge of the landscape and providing the best vantage points for our photographic goals.  The first day in the canyon you will be amazed at the towering rock walls and the vast amount of ruins and petroglyphs and at times it can simply be overwhelming. So, after a night decompressing at our hotel, we will spend a second day deep in the canyon really working to come away with artistic interpretations of our impressions and experiences.  One day is simply not enough, that is why we’ve added a second day on this Ultimate Desert SW Workshop!

A box lunch will be provided during our days in the canyon.  More details on the itinerary and menu options will be provided after registration.

After the last day in the canyon, we will return to the hotel and the workshop will end.  Because it will be late in the day, we recommend to spend the night in Chinle before traveling home.

If you would like more information about this workshop before registering, please contact John or Jack with your questions and/or the workshop information document to help you learn more about this fantastic experience.

Preparation and being in the right mindset can help you achieve better results. Before the workshop begins, we will send you several updates so you can better prepare for the conditions and environment.  Also, please read this helpful article on how to prepare for one of our photo workshops.

Here is a short video from our previous Desert SW workshop.  These are just a few examples of the amazing sights and locations you may have an opportunity to photograph.

This workshop to Monument Valley, Hunts Mesa, Canyon de Chelley is an incredible opportunity to experience the best of the Desert SW with experienced leaders with no more than a 5:1 leader/attendee ratio.  More than just photography, it is guaranteed to be an immersive and varied experience that you will remember for a lifetime.

Fitness Level: Easy/Moderate

• Most photo locations are near the vehicle and do not require much walking
• We will have a short walk over un-even terrain to get to Totem Pole
• The ground on Hunts Mesa is un-even rock/sand, so if you are unstable, please bear this in mind
• Hunts Mesa is over 6300’ high. Those coming from sea level may notice the altitude
• At each location, you can stay near the vehicles or walk amongst the landscape. Be aware that these are wild lands with uneven terrain.

Logistics

The closest airports to our workshop start in Monument Valley are Phoenix or Albequerque both roughly 5 hours drive away.  You may be able to fly in closer to a smaller airport.  You will need a rental car to travel to the workshop start and during the workshop (though we try and carpool as much as possible). When we visit Hunts Mesa and Canyon de Chelley, transportation will be provided by our Navajo guides.  Our workshop will end in Chinle Arizona on the afternoon of April 16th. We recommend staying the night on the 16th before driving to the airport on the 17th.

*some exceptions apply during Hunts Mesa/Canyon de Chelley