Navajoland Itinerary Page

Kim Hoshal & Derek von Briesen invite you to join them for an intimate workshop/expedition into the heart of Navajoland, Arizona. Over four days, we will visit the sculpted sandstone slot canyons of Antelope Canyon, Glen Canyon's Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell (and other world-class photo opportunities around Page); and then travel to Monument Valley's world-renowned red rock spires, arches, buttes and mesas including an afternoon and sunset spent at Valley of the Gods just across the border in southern Utah. We will meet up with expert Navajo guide Tom Phillips for a custom sunrise session at the spectacular Totem Pole and Yei B'Chei formations.

All participants will receive as much technical and artistic/compositional instruction as they desire. Our main goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, collegial environment designed to maximize your workshop experience and insure that you capture incredible images. Unlike some workshops, our main concern will be YOU, YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR INSTRUCTION. We certainly will have our equipment along with us and part of our teaching will include demonstrations and discussions of our own perspectives on these incredible landscapes but rest assured our attention will be focused on instruction!! Students are always our first and only priority . . . . . . . . . . as it should be ! !

We will depart from Sedona promptly at 6:00AM for our three hour car trip to Page, Arizona. Our first stop will be legendary Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Nation just outside of town. We will be on hand during the peak mid-day hours when summer's high sun angle creates the amazing panoply of colors and light beams that have made this canyon one of the most sought after destinations for photographs in the entire Southwest.

Kim & Derek will guide students to the very best compositional perspectives and provide nuanced technical tips specifically related to the challenges posed by Antelope's tight twisting corridors, tricky light and broad dynamic range. As they capture world-class photographs, students will gain technical mastery of their cameras, see compositions in new ways and begin to understand the spiritual connection between themselves and the landscape.

After a stop for check-in and lunch, we will spend the sunset hours exploring and photographing the serpentine swirls of Waterholes Canyon, another of the Navajo Nation's beautiful treasures.

The day will begin early, departing the hotel well before first light and arriving at Glen Canyon's epic Horseshoe Bend overlooking the Colorado River. Here we will capture the rich colors of the pre-dawn light and sunrise using longer exposures, polarizers and graduated neutral density filters. Students will also be instructed in the digital art of multi-exposure bracketing for blending later in post-processing. The broad dynamic range of sunrise at Horseshoe Bend provides a heightened technical challenge that, when mastered, will serve students immeasurably in their future landscape work.

After breakfast and check-out, we will depart Page for our three hour journey to Monument Valley and Mexican Hat, Utah where we'll stay for the night. Mid-afternoon and sunset will be spent exploring Valley of the Gods, a lesser-known but incredibly beautiful area of monuments and mesas.

Another early day (they all are!!), we'll be shooting sunrise at Monument Valley's sacred Totem Pole & Yei Bi Chei with our Navajo guide Tom Phillips. We will spend the morning photographing the sand dunes, arches, and mesas in the valley's backcountry, accessible to very few.

After a break for lunch at historic Goulding's Trading Post, we will rejoin Tom for a wonderfully peaceful afternoon in Mystery Valley exploring and photographing the beautiful and well-preserved Anasazi dwellings, petroglyphs, pictographs and natural arches. Very few people get to visit this amazing part of Monument Valley and we should have it all to overselves!!

We'll finish our day, shooting the classic sunset perspective of the Mittens from the Navajo Tribal Park and then convene at our hotel for our final dinner together.

Sunrise at the Mittens, breakfast and an approximately four hour return trip to Sedona. We will be in Sedona by 3:00-4:00PM for those wanting to make travel connections that same day. For those spending the night in Sedona and departing the next day, there will be a bonus session at Sedona's Red Rock Crossing where you'll be able to photograph one of Arizona's most iconic rock formations, Cathedral Rock, in the sumptuous sunset hues of the last light of the day.

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 accomodations, there will be an additional charge of $60-$80 per night. Please let us know when you register if you need special reservations. m

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!!

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.

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.

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.