Outer Banks: Shape, Space, and Intention
March 15 – 18, 2027
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Bisti Badlands
At a Glance
Location
New Mexico, USA
Tuition
$9,495
Dates
September 14 – 20, 2028
Fitness Level
Availability
Limited to 8 Guests
Collections
- Signature Collection
- US National Parks and Wilderness
Bisti Badlands Photography Workshop
Otherworldly Landscapes in the New Mexico Desert
September 14 – 20, 2028
- Beautiful sandstone formations, remote desert, and vast starry skies
- Fully outfitted camping for unparalleled access to far-flung locations
- Learn to illuminate the landscape with low light
Northwest New Mexico is a place where vast badlands stretch across the high desert, creating a maze of eroded clay hills, sculpted hoodoos, weathered buttes, and stone formations. Wind and rain continue to expose dinosaur fossils, petrified cypress logs, and colorful layers of rock that tell the story of a world long before humans. To the photographer’s eye, there’s a wide array of creative challenges offering endless compositions under a New Mexico sky, during the day, blue hour and in the darkness of the night, when everything is lit up by the stars only.
These remarkable landscapes are known today by the Navajo names De-Na-Zin (Bisti) and Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah, names that reflect the deep cultural connection the Diné people have with this land. Long before photographers were drawn to these formations, they were places of significance, stories, and history. Experiencing these badlands through both the geology and the Indigenous heritage adds another layer of appreciation to an already unusual landscape.
We will spend the first several days and nights photographing the extraordinary formations of the Bisti Badlands, where you’ll develop stronger compositional skills while learning techniques for subtly illuminating the hoodoos without overpowering the natural beauty of the night sky. Midway through the workshop, we’ll venture deeper into the remote Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah badlands for two nights in a comfortable camping experience. With spectacular hoodoos just steps from our tents, we’ll maximize our time exploring and photographing rather than driving between locations.
After returning to Farmington, we’ll enjoy some well-earned rest along with our signature image reviews and post-processing sessions. Expect easy hikes of approximately two miles over relatively gentle terrain in the comfortable temperatures of New Mexico’s high desert. Throughout the workshop, we’ll explore both grand landscapes and intimate details, creating compelling daytime compositions before transforming these ancient formations after dark with carefully crafted light under some of the clearest, star-filled skies in the Southwest.
Your Pros
Itinerary
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
September 13, 2028: Arrival in Durango
We recommend arriving this day in Durango, Colorado, and spending the night at the Strater Hotel at your expense.
Our leaders will pick you up the following morning around 12:00 PM.
September 14, 2028: Meet in Farmington, Evening at Ship Rock
You’ll meet our leaders in Durango, and the group will transfer to Farmington by 1:00 PM. We’ll meet as a group and plan on having an early dinner. We want to give ourselves plenty of time to make it out to our location at the base of Ship Rock for sunset and stars. We’ll have snacks and plenty of water along for your comfort. We are thrilled to work with a Navajo guide who will accompany us to the best locations.
September 15, 2028: Review Ship Rock Photos, Evening Shoot at Bisti Badlands
This morning is a great time to review images captured from the night before of Ship Rock. We’ll meet in our private meeting room, and you’ll learn about assembling a night image, layer by layer, using Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. Then we’ll have another early dinner, giving us the time to head out to photograph the fantastic formations for sunset and stars at Bisti Badlands.
September 16, 2028: Image Review and Transition to Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Camp
We’ll have breakfast together, followed by our signature image review, before checking out of our hotel and making the roughly two-hour drive to our camp near Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah. Once we arrive, you’ll have time to settle into your tent before heading into the badlands for an afternoon, sunset, and night photography session.
As daylight fades, your Pros will help you scout compositions that will also work after dark and walk you through the fundamentals of photographing the night sky. We’ll work hands-on with focusing in darkness, choosing shutter speeds and ISO settings, composing when little is visible through the viewfinder, and using subtle illumination to reveal the shapes of the hoodoos without overpowering the night sky. You’ll have plenty of individual guidance as we photograph well into the night.
September 17, 2028: Early Morning and Late-Night Shoots
We’ll wake early to photograph first light on the formations near camp, then return for a hearty breakfast in our dining tent and some well-earned downtime before an early lunch.
Later in the day, we’ll hike to another nearby formation with enough time to study the landscape and establish compositions before sunset. As darkness falls, we’ll build on the techniques introduced the previous evening, working with foreground placement, exposure, focus, and the balance between natural darkness and carefully controlled illumination. Your Pros will work alongside you throughout the session, helping troubleshoot settings and refine compositions as conditions change. We normally return to camp around 2:00 AM after a long night beneath the stars.
September 18, 2028: Return to Farmington
The day will begin with a sunrise shoot at Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah. After breakfast we’ll pack up and drive back into Farmington. We like to arrive around 1:00 PM and spend a few hours in our meeting room before we check in to our rooms. Depending on conditions, we’ll head back out to a sunset and star shoot or continue our processing lessons at the hotel.
September 19, 2028: Evening Star Photography
We’ll have another great breakfast and meet in our private meeting room for more post-processing until the afternoon. We’ll head back out to another sunset and star shoot.
September 20, 2028: Departure
Breakfast and final image review before the end of the workshop by 11:00 AM. You will have time to return to Durango, Colorado, for your flights home. We recommend booking flights that depart no earlier than 2:00 PM.
Life in Camp
During this workshop, you will be camping for two nights in our fully outfitted wilderness camp. Each person will be in a large tent (large enough to stand up in) shared with another guest. Everyone is provided with a cot, thick comfortable pad, and sleeping bag, and some lighting is provided inside the tents.
A separate dining tent with tables for eating will be available for everyone at all hours. Plenty of cool or hot water is available at all times, along with snacks, including fresh fruits. The outfitters are trained in wilderness cooking and wilderness first aid. Sanitary hand washing stations are set up for use.
Fitness
Moderate: Expect easy hikes of about two miles over gentle terrain in the high desert. You’ll camp for two nights in a comfortable wilderness setting, with early starts and late finishes to capture stunning night skies. Be prepared for some long drives and carrying camera gear while exploring these unique landscapes.
Flights
Arrive at Durango La Plata County Airport (DRO), Durango anytime on September 13, 2028. Flights out can be made after 2:00 PM on September 20, 2028. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for a $575 supplement. (Only available for nights in the hotel)
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Guided camping with custom meals and comfortable tents.
- Camp bedding: cot, sheet and sleeping bag
- Many hours of basic and advanced Lightroom instruction.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from 2 pros.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from Farmington NM.
- Unscheduled airport transfers.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming is available for a $575 supplement. (Only available for nights in the hotel)
Payment Terms
- Your deposit of $3,495 will hold your space in this workshop.
- Further payment of $3,000 is due by January 1, 2028.
- The balance is due not later than May 1, 2028.
- All of our standard Terms and Conditions apply, including our cancellation and refund policy.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
Frequently Asked Questions
You'll learn how to capture stunning night skies, subtly illuminate hoodoos, and create compelling daytime compositions. The workshop also covers advanced Lightroom and Photoshop techniques for assembling and processing night images.
Yes, this workshop is refundable. If you cancel more than 150 days before the start date, you'll receive a full refund. Cancellations between 150 and 91 days will refund payments exceeding 50% of tuition, and between 90 and 61 days will refund payments exceeding 75% of tuition. No refunds are given within 60 days unless your spot is filled, in which case you get a 100% refund. All refunds are subject to a 5% administrative processing fee and are made by the original payment method.
The fitness level required is moderate. Expect easy hikes of about two miles over gentle terrain in the high desert, with some long drives and carrying camera gear while exploring the landscapes.
The workshop includes double occupancy lodging, all meals, soft drinks, snacks, permits, park fees, transportation during the workshop, tips, guided camping with custom meals, and camp bedding. You'll also receive photographic guiding and instruction from two pros.
The workshop has a maximum capacity of 8 participants, ensuring a personalized experience with plenty of individual attention from the two professional photographers leading the trip.
You'll camp for two nights in a fully outfitted wilderness camp with large tents shared with another guest. The camp includes cots, comfortable pads, sleeping bags, a dining tent, and plenty of snacks and water. The outfitters are trained in wilderness cooking and first aid.
While travel medical and trip cancellation insurance is optional, it is recommended to protect against unforeseen circumstances that may affect your travel plans.
