Olympic National Park
July 22 – 28, 2026
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White Sands
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At a Glance
Location
New Mexico, USA
Tuition
$4,995
Dates
October 10 – 13, 2026
Fitness Level
Availability
Limited to 6 Guests
Collections
- Short Escape
- US National Parks and Wilderness
White Sands Photography Workshop
Landscapes in Gypsum White Dunes
October 10 – 13, 2026
- Brilliant white gypsum dunes illuminated by the purple glow of sunrise
- Golden-hour visit to the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site–21,000+ carvings
- Use telephoto lenses to compress the dunes with the sun’s first light
White Sands at first light is quiet and simple. Long white ridgelines roll to the horizon, ripples catch soft color from the sky, and the San Andres Mountains rise blue in the distance. It’s a place of clean curves, graphic shadows, and a landscape that invites minimalist compositions.
White Sands National Park sits in the Tularosa Basin and holds the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. These dunes did not form from quartz like most deserts. Rain and snowmelt dissolved gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains, water pooled in ancient Lake Otero, and when it dried, it left selenite crystals. Wind broke those crystals into fine sand and pushed them into today’s shifting white dunes.
We will hike into the backcountry to photograph blue hour and sunrise over the dunes, return in the evening to capture sunset with the San Andres Mountains as a backdrop, and stay after dark for night-sky photography under the stars, weather permitting.
This workshop pairs the elegance of White Sands with the human story of the basin. At the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, thousands of carvings by the Jornada Mogollon people make powerful foregrounds with the basin and Sierra Blanca Peak beyond. We move with care and respect, composing from approved areas and leaving each place as we found it.
Access matters here. With special early-entry passes, we are in the dunes well before sunrise to work unfootprinted dunes. With late exit as well, we’ll stay through blue hour and into the night to build simple, intentional frames under starry skies.
Throughout the workshop, we combine real-time coaching with focused practice in compression, focus stacking, long-lens landscapes, minimalist compositions, night sky landscapes, and more. You will leave with stronger photographic instincts and long-lasting skills in composition, camera technique, and post-processing that will improve your photography well beyond the workshop.
Our small group maintains a calm and focused pace, incorporating image reviews and targeted post-processing to translate delicate tones and textures into clean, portfolio-worthy photographs. You will head home with a cohesive portfolio that reflects the light, form, and history of this remarkable landscape.
Muench Workshops operates with all required state and federal commercial use permits.
Your Pro
Itinerary
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
October 10, 2026: Arrive in El Paso, Sunset at White Sands
We’ll meet you in the recommended hotel in El Paso by noon, and we will drive you to Alamogordo, NM. After checking in to our hotel, we’ll leave for our first sunset shoot at White Sands.
October 11, 2026: Early Sunrise Shoot, White Sands, Breakfast and Image Review in Alamogordo
This morning we’ll wake up early for a sunrise shoot at White Sands, followed by a return to Alamogordo for breakfast and an image review. You’ll have some time to rest in the afternoon before heading out for a sunset shoot at White Sands that (weather permitting) will extend into a star shoot!
October 12, 2026: Repeat Sunrise at White Sands, Surprise Evening Location
This morning we’ll have a second sunrise shoot at White Sands. Since weather conditions and light constantly change, White Sands never looks the same two days in a row! After breakfast, a second image review, and some rest, we’ll head out for sunset again at White Sands (or a surprise visit to another site if conditions are right!).
October 13, 2026: Final Image Review and Breakfast, Depart for El Paso
This morning we’ll have a final image review and breakfast together before departing for El Paso and flights home.
Fitness
Moderate: You must be able to walk in heavy sand for long periods of time.
Flights
Arrive El Paso International Airport (ELP), El Paso, Texas anytime on October 9, 2026. Flights out can be made after 2:00 PM on October 13, 2026. 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 $400 supplement.
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from 2 pros.
- Image reviews and post-processing instruction.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!.
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- Internal flights during the workshop.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- All helicopter charters.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Guided camping with custom meals and comfortable tents.
- Camp bedding: cot, sheet and sleeping bag
- Meals and lodging onboard the ship.
- Waterproof boots for shore excursions.
- Many hours of basic and advanced Lightroom instruction.
- Multiple image reviews and post-processing sessions.
- Naturalist lectures and presentations on board.
- English-speaking local guide throughout the workshop.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from David Thompson.
- Image reviews and post-processing instruction.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from El Paso, Texas.
- 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.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance (required).
- Travel Medical (required).
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $400 supplement.
Payment Terms
- Your deposit of $2,995 will hold your space in this workshop.
- The balance is due not later than July 1, 2026.
- All of our standard Terms and Conditions apply.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
All participants are required by the National Park Service to sign and return this Acknowledgement of Risk. Nothing in this Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks and Release and Indemnity Agreement shall be interpreted as the participant and parent releasing Muench Workshops from liability for injuries, damage, death, or other loss to the participant or others that may occur within the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and is caused by Muench Workshops negligence, gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional conduct, including but not limited to any negligence with respect to Muench Workshops judgments and decisions, or Muench Workshops failure to take reasonable precautions to ensure it provides defect-free equipment.
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