Summer Skies, White Sands Itinerary Page

White Sands National Monument is a photographic treasure of extraordinary beauty & limitless potential, a magnificent landscape with endless patterns of waves, light, and lines. For four days, we'll have specially permitted early and late access to shoot stunning summer sunrises and sunsets at some of the most beautiful (certainly the whitest!) sand dunes in the world. Expect expansive summer cloud formations, amazing varieties of light, & sky colors tinting the sinuous curves of White Sands' legendary dunes.

Epic vistas and intimate close-ups; a wide variety of dune shapes & textures; fascinating juxtapositions of sky, sand & plants: we'll shoot different locations within the Monument each day as we fill our hours (and memory cards!!) shooting to our heart's content!! Light, proper exposure, color, shapes & compositions are the key here and Kim & Derek will instruct students on an individual basis on the intricacies of all these important elements.

Plus we have the added opportunity on these dates to shoot the White Sands Invitational Balloon Festival!! The vibrant colors of hot air balloons set against pristine white sand dunes with thousands of people viewing makes for a variety of incredible photo opportunites!!

We'll pick you up at nearby El Paso International Airport & we'll lodge in convenient Alamogordo, a quick fifteen minute drive from the monument entrance. We'll shoot during the cooler hours of sunrise and mid-morning and return for mid-afternoon and sunset. During the hottest hours of the day, we'll luxuriate by the pool or steal a nap in our air-conditioned rooms. For those eager students, Derek & Kim will take these mid-day hours to demonstrate some of the most useful techniques for post-processing images from this amazing white desert.

We'll pick all participants up at El Paso International Airport by 12PM sharp for our approximately two hour drive to Alamogordo where we'll check in to our hotel and get set for our first afternoon and sunset in the dunes.

Up early (as always!), we'll access the Monument an hour before sunrise allowing us plenty of time to get in place for the always dramatic sunrise and the balloons launching. The balloons fly for only two hours so we'll spend the rest of mid-morning taking in the rich blue shadows and brilliant light of the steadily rising sun. Unlike so many places, White Sands remains incredibly photogenic well into the direct light of the day!!

We'll spend our mid-day hours back at the hotel refueling, resting, & processing images.

As the mid-day heat begins to cool, we'll return for afternoon and sunset, staying until the very last rays of light have dissipated.

Same schedule, different locations. New compositions, weather, & light. More great images and insightful instruction.

Our last sunrise and mid-morning light, a hearty breakfast at the hotel and we'll make for El Paso in plenty of time (by 3PM) for participants to make homeward connections.

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.