A NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE IN MOAB, UTAH | MAY 15-18, 2023

Moab... a massive and magical place, exploding with staggering beauty right out of the heart of the United States. It is one of the most wildly unique and visually stunning areas on Planet Earth. With its special sandstone terrain and red rock formations spread over tens of thousands of acres, Moab's astounding red glow calls to inspire and re-inspire nature lovers and photographers of all levels.

The area where an entire ocean evaporated 300 million years ago, today Moab is the most condensed area of natural sandstone arches in the world (over 2,000, to be exact!).

WHO THIS TRIP IS FOR

If you have a passion for photography and nature, and don't know what to do with it or where to take it, this expedition is an experience that has been waiting for you.

Let the power of Moab's arches, bizarre geological formations and dark night sky ignite your passion for photography and deepen your connection to nature.

This photo expedition is for people who want to immerse themselves in the natural wonder of the world and capture their experience with their cameras, learning how to express the incredible connection we can have with nature.

This expedition is open to ALL levels of photographers looking for the EXPERIENCE of connecting to nature, and the photography skills to better translate that feeling (and their message) through their images.

ITINERARY

Day 1 - ARRIVAL, ORIENTATION, ARCHES national park

Participants may simply meet us at our hotel, The Comfort Suites, at 2 p.m., which will be orientation time.

At 2 p.m., we will gather in the hotel's meeting room for introductions and a review of the next few days. We will go over photography concepts, techniques and tips for shooting over the next few days, and then there will be time for a break before we depart for afternoon and sunset shooting in the field.

We will take the short drive to Arches National Park and begin our hike to Delicate Arch for sunset captures. We will eat a picnic style dinner at Delicate and then, time-permitting, head to Garden of Eden and/or Double Arch for some night photography shots. If conditions warrant, we may either stay at Garden of Eden, Double or Delicate for Milky Way shots, depending on Milky Way's location.

Day 2 - Dead horse point state park and arches national park

We begin our day early in order to capture the stunning colors of sunrise at Dead Horse Point State Park. We will have a to-go breakfast and then set up at one of the most beautiful overlooks in the park and begin to experiment with the shifting light. We then have time to explore the park a little bit further and eat lunch.

We will return to town for a break. Enjoy a walk to one of the local cafes, pick up souvenirs for friends and family, or simply rest around the hotel lounge and give some edits to your photographs.

We will meet for a picnic-style dinner in Arches National Park and capture the sky unfold gorgeous golden hues onto the beautiful Garden of Eden at sunset. Conditions and energy pending, we remain in Arches National Park (we will most likely head to Double Arch) for further experiments with astrophotography.

Day 3 - canyonlands national park and arches national park

Today we will begin with a to-go breakfast and sunrise exposures in Canyonlands National Park. The vista we have chosen provides for not only stunning color, but also a beautiful silhouetted landscape due to the layered horizon of rock formations and mountains.

After sunrise we will have time to explore various areas in Canyonlands and then return to town for lunch and classroom lesson. During the lesson, we will go over shooting techniques, post-processing, and have time for one-on-one critiques.

As the afternoon comes to a close, we head back to Arches National Park for sunset shots from the Windows area. Then, we'll have dinner and call it an early night to catch up on some sleep. (If the weather conditions were not favorable for astrophotography prior to tonight, and are favorable tonight, we will use this night to make up for it. Perhaps a Milky Way hunt in Canyonlands!).

Day 4 - canyonlands national park and departure

To close out our last day, in the morning we will have a to-go breakfast and head to a vista in Canyonlands. Islands in the Sky provides a stunning view of the canyons and makes for a beautiful color or black and white capture.

After our morning shoot, there will be time for a closing discussion before everyone’s departure back home or anywhere else your next adventure takes you!

YOUR GEAR LIST

HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO BRING TO MOAB

• DSLR Camera

• At least two camera batteries

• At least two memory cards

• Your favorite lens (We recommend bringing at least a wide-angle, mid-range and telephoto lens so you are able to seize all photographic opportunities in Moab.)

• Tripod

• Shutter release cable

• Laptop (If you would like to follow along with us during our post-processing instructions, we recommend that you bring a laptop to be able to participate and edit your photographs while with us.)

• Headlamp (We recommend something like this because it can switch between a regular and a red, night vision light. While having a regular light will be important for hiking, having red lights are important for night photographers because this type of light preserves your night vision and does not negatively impact other photographer's exposures in the way that regular light does.)

• Camera bag (We will be hiking distances from the parking lots to the viewpoints, and therefore you will each need to have a bag that can hold the gear you'd like to shoot with. Keep in mind that this usually includes your tripod. You will also want to have some extra room for a water bottle and a packed meal on the days we take our meals to-go.)

• Water! We will be spending hours outside without access to refreshment stands and will also be doing moderate hikes, so we highly recommend that each person be prepared to pack water bottles (There is a convenience store near our hotel in the event you need to obtain more water or refreshments outside of our meals).

• A good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes. Our longest (and most rewarding) hike is about 1.5 miles to the glorious Delicate Arch. One thing that makes this arch so incredibly special is that it is not accessible from the road, and therefore it is quite a rare beauty. No hiking expertise is required for this hike. I have seen people all of ages partake in this. I advise that you set yourself up for success, though, by taking a few 1-2 mile walks or hikes in your town prior to joining us. Most of our other outdoor wonders are within a couple hundred feet of the vehicle.

TAKE YOUR MOAB PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THIS GEAR:

• Cable release

A cable release will allow you to take exposures longer than 30 seconds and multiple successive exposures (for star trails), help prevent camera shake, and more.

(These can be purchased on Amazon for approximately $9 and arrive within two days. Make sure you are getting the one that is appropriate for your particular camera. This one is for a Canon Rebel t6i. You can search Amazon or Google for the terms "remote cable release" + [your camera name and model].)

• Neutral density filter for your wide-angle / landscape lens

An ND filter will allow you to take longer exposures when you normally wouldn't be able to because the scene is too bright. This is the key to nice soft clouds in landscapes, milky waterfalls, etc. 

(I recommend anywhere from a 3-stop to 10-stop ND filter, but make sure it is of decent quality. I use B+W brand, but HOYA also makes great filters. LEE square filters are good too.)

• Graduated neutral density filter for your wide-angle / landscape lens

A graduated ND filter serves the same purpose as the ND filter described above, however the darkening effect takes place only on the top half of the filter, which allows your lighter sky to be exposed more similarly to your darker foreground. A 2-stop GND is a good start.

• Polarizing filter for your wide-angle / landscape lens

A polarizing filter will help deepen colors.

• Hand warmers (approximately $7 on Amazon or $5 at your local Walmart) and rubber bands

As your camera is brought from warm interiors to cooler settings, dew can accumulate on your lens glass and completely fog up your images! Photographers have come up with the ingenious solution of securing a couple of hand warmers onto the lens with a rubber band, which keeps the lens temperature regulated enough that it prevents the condensation from occurring!

EXPEDITION PRICE: $3,600

Reserve your spot with a 30% deposit
and agreement to our Expedition Terms & Conditions.

Other health precautions we’re taking

• Spacious classrooms to accommodate social distancing

• We ask that all participants wear masks in any shared vehicles, classrooms and group indoor settings where social distancing is not possible

• If you’d prefer to drive your own vehicle, you can follow our vehicles and meet us in the field

BOOK NOW

RESERVE YOUR SPOT WITH A 30% DEPOSIT:

$1,080.00

TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY.

TOUR OVERVIEW

LOCATION

Moab, Utah

Dates

May 15-18, 2023

PLACES

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Dead Horse Point State Park

THIS TRIP IS FOR

*All* levels of photographers

Those looking for a nature photography *experience*

Those looking to translate their connection with nature into their images

photographic themes

Landscapes

Nature

The experience behind the photography

Powerfully beautiful geological formations

Stunning sunrise and sunset glow on the red rock formations

Inspiring connection with nature

Light and color

Astrophotography (weather permitting)

Education

In-the-field photography instruction

Classroom and post-processing instruction in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop

One-on-one critiques

EXPEDITION Price

$3,600

Price includes

Expert photography guidance and in-the-field lessons from two professional photographers

Post-processing lessons in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop, shooting techniques and other classroom lessons, and one-on-one critiques

All national park and site entrance fees

Hotel accommodations at The Comfort Suites, Moab, rated 4.4 stars on Google

All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 4

Private transportation to and from all sites during expedition (we request all explorers wear masks in shared vehicles)

PRICE DOes NOT INCLUDE

Flights to and from Moab or Salt Lake City airports

Travel insurance

Additional food and drinks outside of the meals which are mentioned as part of the itinerary

Photography gear

Alcoholic beverages

Gratuities

What is not mentioned as included

MEET YOUR EXPEDITION PROS

“Marisa is not only incredibly well organized and professional - she is also extremely talented and tuned in to her surroundings/subject, and made some stunning images.”

—CHRISTINA WOOD

2020 Best of Jackson Hole Photography bronze winner, Katie Cooney is an artist and environmentalist in all facets of the words. An avid backpacker, traveler, painter, photographer and more, Katie is an excellent addition to the Further Photo Expeditions and leads many of our trips throughout the year.

OUR INSTAGRAM FEED

@furtherphotoexpeditions

SEE WHAT WE’RE SHOOTING!

THE FURTHER PHOTO EXPEDITIONS TEAM arriveS to the location days in advance in order to assess real-time weather conditions and confirm the best places to photograph.

We are authorized by the National Park Service to run photography workshops in the parks that are part of this expedition.

Further Photo Expeditions is a registered Seller of Travel officially approved to package transportation, lodging and meal accommodations in regulating states. California SOT #2137194, Florida SOT #ST41774, Washington SOT #604390112, Iowa travel agency #1575.

We keep client funds safely protected in a designated bank account to ensure payments pertain to workshop expenses.

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Moderate

Level 3 of 5

Most of our jaw-dropping scenery is within a couple hundred yards from the vehicle. The reason we marked this trip as “Moderate” is because one scene - Delicate Arch, our favorite! - is 1.5 miles from the road and can get difficult at times with the heat of the afternoon and 500-foot elevation gain.

While we highly recommend you train at home walking a couple of miles a day for this Delicate Arch trail, we do see people of all physicalities complete this trail.

In other areas, we may be out capturing the incredible Milky Way when it is a bit dark, so attention and care is needed when walking around in a dimly lit area.

DISCLAIMER

This itinerary is subject to change at any time. The opportunity for photography and astrophotography is based on proper weather conditions. If the weather conditions are in any way hazardous or unfavorable, the photography instructors reserve the right to cancel in-the-field instruction for affected days. Expedition Terms and Conditions apply.