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Derek von Briesen & Kim Hoshal invite you to join them for an intimate four-person expedition into one of the most beautiful places in the world. Havasu Canyon, literally "Land of the Blue-Green Waters", is home to the most legendary & beautiful waterfalls in the entire Grand Canyon. The calcium-carbonate rich waters flow turquoise blue-green, cascading over richly-hued sandstone falls over eighty feet tall. These same incredible waters spill into hundreds of tranquil pools, bathtubs, and waterfalls for nine more miles to the Colorado River. Everywhere you look there's another photographic opportunity.

Incredibly beautiful year-round, Havasu Canyon is perhaps at its most stunning during the late fall color change that renders the lush creekside cottonwoods an extraordinary lemon yellow and gold. Juxtaposed against the vibrant blue-green waters, the super saturated color palette of fall in Havasu is simply breathtaking!!

In the midst of all this aquatic beauty, lies the tranquil creekside campground where we'll be laying our heads. The most famous of the big waterfalls-Havasu, Mooney, & the brand-new Fifty Foot Falls-are all within a short walking distance from the campground. We'll shoot all three extensively, at the very best times for light & reflections. The day hike to Beaver Falls, three miles downstream, will be another highlight of our trip, encountering waterfalls and pools of otherworldly turquoise clarity.

Transportation & Itinerary

This is one of our favorite trips, an incredible adventure we look forward to every year. Unlike most of our workshops, this is a strictly guided expedition only, meaning we'll take you to the very best photo opportunities at the perfect times & gladly share our wealth of experience in this canyon paradise. . . but it will not be a formal workshop per se. There will be plenty of chances to ask questions and both Kim & Derek are generous instructors who will do the best to answer workshop-type questions when time permits (if we're not all exhausted, evenings in the campground are perfect!)

The difference is that, on this trip, we will be working ourselves. The expedition price will reflect the guided-only nature of this particular trip.

While our special arrangements with the Havasupai Tribe will keep the heavy lifting to a minimum (helicopter ride in; pack horse ride out), this is without a doubt our most physically-demanding trip. Participants will be specially screened for conditioning and attitude considering we will be camping (in cool to very cold conditions) for four nights, & hiking up to 4-8 miles daily. Ideal participants will be fit, highly motivated & serious photographers, well versed in the operation of their equipment. They will need to provide their own camping equipment (tent, pad, sleeping bag), cooking & eating utensils, & food. We have an extensive WHAT-TO-BRING LIST and we will make sure all participants are well-equipped.

Day 1 - Sunday, November 28

We will leave Sedona at 5:30AM sharp for our approximately 3.5 hour drive to Hualapai Hilltop where we will board helicopters for the thrilling but quick nine-minute long ride down to Supai village. From there, pack horses will transport our heavy gear bags as we make our way down the two mile trail to the campground below Havasu Falls. We will take numerous stops along the way to photograph the new trailside falls and by the time we reach the campground, our gear will be waiting for us.

We'll set up camp and spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening shooting classic perspectives of Havasu Falls as well as the area around the campground.

Day 2 - Monday, November 29

More amazing fall color . . . Today we'll concentrate on the area just below Mooney Falls with its incredibly beautiful reflecting pools and 10'-15' waterfalls framed by redwall limestone. The late afternoon bounce light off the two-thousand foot deep canyon walls is nothing short of spectacular, one of our favorite places and times in all the world!!

Day 3 - Tuesday, November 30

For the hardiest of our participants, after shooting the muted sky light of sunrise at Havasu Falls, we'll make the full-day trek to Beaver Falls. This is a hike of at least six hours including photography and a minimum of seven miles hiking. Those preferring not to make this trip will have the option of shooting closer to camp with Kim. If everyone's up for the challenge (and you've demonstrated you can make it!) . . . then we'll all go!! However it pans out, there will be photo opps galore the entire day!!!

Day 4- Wednesday, December 1

We'll get up early, break down camp, and meet our Havasupai guides and pack horses at the top of the campground for our 4-6 hour ride out. These are fully-trained pack horses that make the trip from rim to campground almost daily and no previous horseriding experience is required. A good hat, sunscreen, attitude and sense of humor are key to enjoying the ride thru extraordinary Havasu Canyon as it rises thru over two-thousand feet of Grand Canyon geology.

What's Included (and what's not!)

All transportation and lodging are included in the price of our workshops. Most of our trips originate in Sedona on day one and do not include hotel accommodations should you choose to arrive the night before. We will gladly help you with reservations and booking should you desire the convenience of arriving early and likewise staying an extra night after the workshop ends.

Included lodging is based on double occupancy. Single participants will be paired with a compatible roommate but should you desire single accommodations, there will be an additional charge of $60-$80 per night. Please let us know when you register if you need special reservations.

We do offer for all our early arriving & late-staying guests the option of an additional photo shoot at Sedona's legendary Red Rock Crossing. It's wonderfully close to town and, with the right conditions, offers an incredible photo opportunity for a relatively easy sunset shoot. We'd love it if you'd take advantage!!

While some early morning and mid-day snacks (yogurt, breakfast bars, trail mix, etc) and water will be provided to tide you over on our long days, all formal meals and drinks are the responsibility of participants.

We think the optimal way to travel to Sedona for our workshops is to utilize the Sedona-Phoenix Shuttle, especially for those wishing to save on car rentals. It's inexpensive, convenient, fast, but it's also not included in the workshop price!!

Baggage & Camera Gear (Very Important!)

On most trips, we accommodate participants with three pieces of luggage, specifically one sturdy camera backpack (with tripod carrier!), a second pack for computers, chargers, extra batteries, lenses, etc, and one large duffel bag ( maximum size, no exceptions: 36"L x 20"W x 20"H) or a similarly-sized suitcase. Room for gear is limited in our 4x4 SUVs & you will be held responsible for adhering to these baggage requirements. Should you exceed these requirements, you will have to make your own arrangements in Sedona to store your extra gear.

Participant's Physical Fitness Requirements

As there is always an element of risk in any adventure associated with the outdoors, participants must be physically fit and capable of participating in outdoor photography in field locations and aware of any associated risks created by field locations and weather. Workshop instructors will take considerable time to familiarize participants with safety precautions, almost to a fault. It will be the responsibility of each participant to listen and follow precautions carefully. Your safety is our #1 priority and if necessary insuring your safety will take precedence over ruffled feathers!!

All participants are required to provide on our registration form current and accurate medical information. Where applicable, participants will be required to provide medical release forms from their supervising physicians to participate in the outdoor physical activities associated with workshop photography.

Policies

Southwest Perspectives Photographic Workshops, Derek von Briesen, Kim Hoshal, all guides, and cooperating agents aim to provide every participant a safe, educational, and enjoyable experience. We act solely as agents for you regarding accommodations, special activities, and travel, by any means, and assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto.

We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances.

In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. We strongly advise purchasing some form of trip insurance. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.

At the time of registration, a 50% deposit is required. Payment in full must be made thirty days prior to the workshop. In the event that a participant cancels their workshop reservation, the cancellation must be at least sixty days prior to the workshop to receive a full refund. Cancellations less than sixty days prior to the workshop will be subject to $100 lost booking fee.

As there is always an element of risk in any adventure associated with the outdoors, participants must read the liability release form carefully. Participant's signed/dated release will certify that said participant is physically fit and capable of participating in outdoor photography exercises in field locations, and is fully and completely aware of any associated risks created by field locations and weather.

Meeting times, meeting places and itinerary are subject to changes dictated by the weather, the road conditions and other imponderable variables that are part of doing landscape photography. We will be carrying cell phones but reception is not always possible. You are responsible for being at the meeting place at the designated time and have your photographic & camping equipment with you.