Hunt's Mesa / Mystery Valley (Monument Valley) and Canyon de Chelley
When is this Workshop?
Apr 18 - Apr 22, 2013How much is this Workshop?
$1295.00 per person (Includs ALL required Navajo Guide service and overnight & meals at Hunt's Mesa)Leran to See........Learn to think........Learn to Create
2012 MONUMENT VALLEY /CANYON de CHELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP--- with co-leaders... Tim Vollmer www.timvollmer.com & Greg Duncan www.grdphotos.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
This is a workshop that is very different from a normal Monument Valley/ Canyon de Chelley workshop. Yes, we'll shoot some icons of Monument Valley but in an artistic format., Unlike many workshops in Monument Valley, we will venture out on an overnight trip up to Hunt;s Mesa and camp under the stars. Hunts Mesa is high above Monument Valley offering vistas rarely seen and a totally different prospective of the Vally from the normal views we've all seen photographed. After returning to Monument Valley the following afternoon, we'll end our trip in Monument Valley will a side trip out to photograph the ruins and canyons of Mystery Valley ( actually located within Monument Valley but rarely photographed). The next morning(Saturday) we'll then travel over to Chinle, Arizona, the home of Canyon de Chelley for 2 full days of photography in and around each of the 2 main canyons. http://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm
The workshop price includes all required Navajo guide fees, ground transportation within the areas and dinner and camping equipment and facilities at Hunts Mesa.
Transportation to and from our locations is not included, nor is lodging and meals (other than Hunt;s Mesa and transportation within the tribal park)
MONUMENT VALLEY
We will meet Wednesday afternoon, April 25th at Gouldings lodge at Monument Valley. in time for sunset. Monument Valley is part of the Navajo Nation tribal park, straddling the border of northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah of the Colorado Plateau. It preserves the Navajo way of life and some of the most striking and recognizable landscapes of sandstone buttes, mesas and spires in the entire Southwest. The area is entirely within the Navajo Indian Reservation near the small Indian town of Goulding, established in 1923 as a trading post, and now has a comprehensive range of visitor services.
Mystery Valley offers many ancient, beautiful and well-preserved Anasazi dwellings, petroglyphs and pictographs, as well as natural arches. The Anasazi Indians lived throughout this area before they disappeared 800 years ago. Because few tours go there, Mystery Valley is a very quiet and peaceful place.
Hunt’s Mesa
The road up to Hunt’s Mesa is a very rough one, however there are outstanding photographic opportunities at every turn. We’ll take full advantage of these! It takes 2 to 2.5 hours to drive to the top of Hunt's Mesa. For the best photos we will camp overnight on the mesa. We will start from the Visitor's Center 5 hours before sundown. Once we are on top of the mesa we will bedding our afternoon of breath taking imagery and hope for a great sunset! After sundown we will go into our camp for a hot supper.
The next morning we go will visit a different location to photograph the sunrise. After breakfast we head back down the mesa and back at the Visitor's Center around 10:00 or 11:00 am.
Tents, sleeping bags and mats are provided. Do bring your own flashlight and good hiking boots
CANYON de CHELLEY.
Made up of 2 major canyons, Canyon de Chelley is a photographer’s paradise. We’ll explore the vistas on the rims of each canyon then descend into the canyons with our Navajo guide to photograph he canon walls, the ruins dating back over a thousand years, still visible on the ledges and cut ours of the canyon walls, the streams, petro glyphs and immense beauty found deep inside the canyons
The monument encompasses approximately 84,000 acres of lands located entirely on the Navajo Nation with roughly 40 families residing within the park boundaries.
Ancient Puebloans found the canyons an ideal place to plant crops and raise families. The first settlers built pit houses that were then replaced with more sophisticated homes as more families migrated to the area. More homes were built in alcoves to take advantage of the sunlight and natural protection. People thrived until the mid-1300’s when the Puebloans left the canyons to seek better farmlands. Descendants of the Puebloans, the Hopi migrated into the canyons to plant fields of corn and orchards of peaches. Although the Hopi permanently settled on the mesa tops, the Hopi still hold on to many of their traditions that are evident from their homes and kivas.
We will follow both the North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive. Ancient ruins and geologic structures are visible, but in the distance, from turnoffs on each of these routes. Deep within the park is Mummy Cave. It features structures that have been built at various times in history. Spider Rock, is a sandstone spire that rises 800 feet (240 m) from the canyon floor at the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon. Spider Rock can be seen from South Rim Drive. It has served as the scene of a number of television commercials.
Access to the canyon floor is restricted, and visitors are allowed to travel in the canyons only when accompanied our Navajo Guide. We will visit many of the historic structures and ruins such as the famous White House Ruin.
Did You Know?
The name of Canyon de Chelly was derived from the misspelling and mispronunciation of the Navajo word for the canyon. The Navajos call the canyon "Tseyi" which is pronounced 'say-ee.' Eventually the word became "de Chelly" which is pronounced as 'de-shay'
WHAT WILL WE BE WORKING ON?
We will take our time, and look for the inner beauty to capture in our photography. We’ll use the combination of water and the amazing plants to create some wonderful images. Patterns and foregrounds are the order of the day. We will stress simplicity and use all aspects, including Depth of Field, proper exposure and more to improve your overall photography as well as come away with some wonderful images in excellent venues.
1) II Improving your photography skills within these “hands-on” workshops
2) Composition, exposure and essential elements needed to make a great photograph and to bring out the story within the image
3) Use of color combinations, how to use color make the image stronger
4) Other techniques including, learning about how tonalities, negative space, balance, framing, emotional impact and flaws affect your images.
5) Seeing an image, working a scene, making the image a strong image
6) Choosing the look of the final image in the field, not after the fact. Taking an image knowing how you will be processing.
7) Making Panorama’s, Helicon Focus and HDR techniques simple
Basic processing, workflow, how to use available programs together. Use of NIK Software
The majority of instruction and nature photography tips and techniques will take place right there in the field. There’s no need to take notes. After the workshop you’ll receive a complete 50+ page syllabus containing everything we do in the field and more.
We take time in the evenings and periodically during the day to review our images in informal critique sessions. Special presentations concerning nature photography will also be made during these sessions.
My workshops are sponsored by NIK SOFTWARE, Photograph America Newsletter, Think Tank Photo Bags, Hunt’s Photo and Video and the Really Right Stuff. Discounts and some freebies are included in your workshop “pack” that you’ll receive upon arrival.
Evenings will consist of informal sessions to discuss information on photographing in the area, critique sessions of your work shot during the workshop as well as other importantl photography topics
HOTEL INFO
MONUMENT VALLEY: Gouldings Lodge I have blocked of a number of rooms at Gouldings Lodge. Please tell them you are on my workshop and they will accomodate you with a special room rate. ( remember we are not staying there on Thursday night, April 26 as wel'll be camping up at Hunt's Mesa that night. You'll need rooms for the nights of April 25, & 27th www.gouldings.com
Canyon de Chelley: I will be staying at the Best Western Hotel in Chinle http://bestwesternarizona.com/hotels/best-western-canyon-de-chelly-inn . Plase call them ASAP for reservations. You'll need rooms the nights of April 28,29 and 30th (if you wish to stay over Monday evening)
Since we’ll be ending the workshop after sunset, I suggest you stay the night in Chinle, then head home on Tuesday AM
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Monument Vally is about a 5-6 hour Drive from Phoenix., a bit more from Las Vegas and about 3 hours from Flagstaff airports.
FOOD / DINING
In Monument Vally we'll be eating a good breakfasts & dinners at Gouldings Lodge. At Hun't Mesa a BBQ will be provided as well as a breakfast the following morning( (included in the cost of the workshop). In Chinle(Canyon d Chelley) there are a few restaurants to choose from. Plenty of snacks are available. We will not go hungry!
WEATHER
Mid to late April is generally warm and sunny. Average Temps are in the 70's lows in the 40's. 80degree temperatures are certainly not out of the question. Over the years, I've had some inclement weather, sandstorms as well, however, generally the weather is very nice. Updates will be provided by me well in advance of the workshop so you'll be properly prepared for anything.
presenting: the Photo Classroom in the Field®
Please visit my web site or click this URL if possible: http://jackgrahamphoto.com
Registration forms are located on my website or I can send them to you via mail or by email if you request them:
I can be contacted via email here.