Moon Over Monument Itinerary Page

Photographers come from all over the world to capture the magic moment when the iconic Mitten formations of Monument Valley herald the coming of spring. As the sacred sun makes its way northward bringing warmth and spring planting conditions to the Navajo Nation, it aligns itself perfectly with the Mittens, casting a shadow of west on east in the waning moments & rich red hues of classic southwest sunset light.

Join us for three days and two nights touring the whole of this magical and sacred land of mesas and monuments including Totem Pole & Y'ei Bi Chei, the arches, petroglyphs and ruins of Mystery Valley, and of course two evenings to capture the legendary Mitten Shadow. All while staying in the convenient luxury of the View Hotel overlooking it all!

Expert Navajo guide Tom Phillips will host all our guided sessions. We'll also spend time touring the Valley's iconic vistas, capture a classic Mitten sunrise, and even show you where Forrest Gump stopped running (of course, we'll shoot this iconic "road" shot of Monument from precisely Mile Marker 13 on Hwy 163!).

We'll depart Sedona at 8AM sharp for our approximately four hour journey to Monument Valley. We'll spend the afternoon photographing a variety of iconic vistas in Monument Valley including John Ford Point, Artist's Point and North Window.

We'll finish our day on the bluff overlooking the Mittens adjacent to the entrance of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Up early (always!), we'll meet Tom for a sunrise session at the legendary formations, Totem Pole and Y'ei Bi Chei. We'll shoot thru mid-morning at a host of locations, including rippled sand dunes, arches, mesas and buttes.

After a hearty late breakfast at Goulding's Trading Post, we'll spend the afternoon touring the vistas, petroglyphs and Anasazi ruins of Mystery Valley. We'll have the option to finish our day with a sunset shoot at Tear Drop Arch or return for another try at the Mitten Shadow.

We'll be up early to capture a classic sunrise with the Mittens silohuetted against colorful skies.

After breakfast at Gouldings Lodge, we'll begin our return trip to Sedona around noon. We should be in Sedona by 4:00-5:00PM for those wanting to make travel connections that same 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 accommodations, there will be an additional charge per night dependent on hotel rates. Please let us know when you register if you need special reservations.

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.