Death Valley Photography Workshops

Visionary Death Valley Photography Workshop – February 17-21, 2012
with Guy Tal and Michael E. Gordon

Death Valley National Park is a desert wonderland of immense scale, beauty and power. Its 3.3 million acres, the vast majority of which are roadless wilderness, encompass a staggering array of landscapes, unique geologic formations and colorful vistas. The largest National Park in the contiguous United States, Death Valley is both beautiful to behold and rich in history, mood and mystique. Its towering sand dunes, seasonally snow-capped mountains, warm springs and vast empty valleys offer endless opportunity for exploration and ample subject matter for the creative artist. There’s no place on Earth quite like it.

Internationally acclaimed photographers, authors and teachers, Guy Tal and Michael Gordon, have carefully selected some of the park’s most unique locations for this workshop, combining outstanding photography with inspirational, creative and technical discussion sessions. In addition to field classes, Guy and Michael will work with individual participants to address questions, assist with compositions, offer ideas, and share knowledge. Discussions will include informative reviews and critique sessions of each participant’s images made during the workshop.
This will be an intensive workshop! Expect pre-dawn starts, late finishes, outstanding locations, a unique lesson plan and, of course, great fun and camaraderie.

Workshop dates
We will meet at noon on Thursday, February 16, 2012, and conclude at noon on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. An optional extension day at the incredible Eureka Dunes — some of the tallest in North America — is available to all participants on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Camping is required (pit toilet available). See below for more details and booking.

Number of participants
Limited to twelve only.

Workshop tuition
$895 per person. This fee includes all instruction and location guiding, as well as park entrance fees.

Who is this workshop designed for?
This workshop is designed to accommodate all camera formats and all skill levels. Our goal is to both introduce you to the beauty of Death Valley and to help you advance your photography through creative and personal expression, beyond the obvious iconic views.

Requirements/Prerequisites
Participants must provide their own transportation and camera gear. A recommended gear list will be provided upon registration. Participants should be in good physical condition and must be capable of walking 3-5 miles each day. All participants will be required to sign a Release of Liability in order to participate.

What is Included
Your workshop fees include instruction and location guiding. Upon receipt of your Deposit, we will send you a trip checklist to assist with preparations. Carpooling to our locations within the Park is required and will be orchestrated daily by Guy and Michael. The workshop is provided under a Commercial Use Authorization from Death Valley National Park.

What is Not Included
Airfare, car rentals, camping gear (if camping), camera gear and meals are not included, nor are any items of a personal nature. Participants will be required to transport themselves to and from our meeting location at Stovepipe Wells, California (in Death Valley National Park).

Optional Gear
Participants who wish to showcase prints or digital images are encouraged to bring them along. Michael and Guy will set aside time for presentation and critique (up to 5 images per participant). In addition, participants who wish to follow along our processing demonstrations are encouraged to bring a laptop loaded with image processing software. Guy and Michael will use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to illustrate processing techniques. If you do not own these packages, 30-day trial versions may be downloaded for free from adobe.com.

Lodging
We recommend lodging at Stovepipe Wells Village or Furnace Creek Ranch (five nights). You may also wish to secure a room for the night before our meeting or the night of our tour end, depending upon your inbound and outbound travel plans.

Meals
You are responsible for all your own meals/snacks during the trip. A recommended food and gear list will be provided to all workshop participants.

Registration and Payment
Full payment is required at time of registration. Reserve your spot NOW by registering at the bottom of this page. All participants will be required to complete a Registration Form and Release of Liability in order to participate.

Cancellation Policy
It is impossible to predict the weather when arranging for a workshop. What some would consider bad weather often makes for great photography. Therefore, the workshop will not be cancelled due to weather unless extreme conditions make it unsafe. Participants should come to the workshop prepared for a variety of weather conditions and temperatures.

Occasionally, circumstances arise that prevent a person from participating in a workshop after registration. If you wish to protect your investment in the workshop and travel costs, you are encouraged to acquire trip insurance. The insurance will reimburse you in the event that some circumstance prevents you from attending the workshop.

Cancellations, for any reason, must be in writing (e-mail or regular mail). If we cancel the workshop for any reason, a full refund will be given to each participant.

Refund Policy
• If you cancel 90 days or more from departure, you will receive a full refund.
• If you cancel 61–90 days from departure, 75% of your workshop fee will be refunded.
• If you cancel 30-60 days from departure, 50% of your workshop fee will be refunded.
• No refund will be given if cancelling 30 days or less from departure.

Trip Extension
An optional extension day is available to all participants for an additional fee of $100. At the close of our workshop on Tuesday, February 21, we will regroup and depart for the Eureka Dunes. Camping is required and will ensure we are there to take advantage of sunrise and sunset light. A pit toilet is available but no other services are provided. Participants who wish to extend their workshop must furnish their own camping gear (sleeping bag; tent; warm clothing, etc.) Guy and Michael can help with basic camp items (cook stove, water, fuel, etc.) that may be challenging to transport by air. We will get two sessions at the Dunes: Tuesday afternoon/evening, and Wednesday morning. Photographic opportunities may be found from several hundred feet from the campsite and up to a few miles into the dunes.

Previous workshop participants will receive a 10% discount on tuition! Please contact us to register and take advantage of this discount. If you have any questions about this tour or any other, please contact Michael Gordon by email or telephone (562) 201-0856.

Register NOW