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WHAT TO EXPECT

This workshop takes us to one of my favorite shooting locations of the southwest: the Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness in northwestern New Mexico and the surrounding wilderness. While it will be a workshop on landscape photography and image crafting techniques, the primary focus will be on both composition and perspectives. There are a few places that are more conducive for our focus than this stunning area!

We will shoot at sunrise, making good use of the soft light of early morning and then use the more dramatic light when the sun crests the horizon. Each day after our morning shoot we will take a break to rest up, review images and prepare for our sunset shoot. We will be shooting at a variety of locations plus the possibility of visiting one location more than once for a chance at better light or for different compositions.

The group size is limited to four photographers, plus myself, for a nice intimate session where everyone will have a chance at a good spot to get the right composition for their image.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This workshop will provide value for any photographer, from beginner to advanced attendees. Having a good working knowledge of your camera would be ideal, but it is perfectly alright if you are just beginning! We will assess the skill level of all participants before the workshop begins to ensure the best experience for everyone!

ITINERARY

There will be a pre-workshop Zoom meeting to discuss the goals for everyone and for a quick Q&A Session. Typically, we hold that meeting 30 days prior to the start of the workshop.

This workshop will be based out of Farmington, NM.

Thursday, September 18: We will meet on the first day at 2 PM in Farmington, NM for a meet and greet and a brief overview of the coming days before we head out for our first shoot at sunset.

Friday, September 19: We will meet in Farmington early to head out to catch the early morning light. Twilight on this day starts at 5:23 AM and we will not want to miss it!

After our morning shoot, we will break so you can have a chance to get breakfast, review images and prepare for our sunset shoot.

We will meet again in Gold Canyon at 4:30 PM to head out to the site of our sunset shoot. Sun sets at 8:34 PM and the twilight ends a little after 9 PM. Usually, we shoot until about 9:30 PM to catch the twilight and blue hour light.

There will be an option to shoot the night sky after sunset if the group is up for it. This will be optional. I timed this workshop in conjunction with the moonrise and moonset times in case we decide to do night sky photography (weather permitting).

Saturday, September 20: We will meet early again in Farmington to head out to catch the early morning light. Twilight on this day starts at 5:23 am and we will not want to be late! The light will not be waiting for us!

After our morning shoot, we will do an image review session and then break so you can have a chance to prepare for our sunset shoot.

We will meet again in Farmington at 4:30 PM to head out to the site of our sunset shoot. Sun sets at 8:34 PM and the twilight ends a little after 9 PM. Again, we typically shoot until about 9:30 PM to catch the twilight and blue hour light.

Sunday, September 21: We will meet early again in Farmington to head out to catch the early morning light. Twilight on this day starts at 5:23 am. Again, we will not to miss out on that beautiful early morning light!

After our morning shoot, we will do a quick image review and a short post-processing session before we say our goodbyes!

We will also have a post-workshop Zoom session scheduled to dedicate to post-processing and image reviews!

WHAT IS INCLUDED

  • Professional Photography Instruction

  • In Person Post-Processing Session

  • Pre-Workshop Zoom Meeting / Q&A

  • Post-Workshop Zoom Meeting for further Post-Processing

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

  • Transportation to and from Workshop Location

  • Lodging

  • Meals

  • Travel Insurance (highly recommended)

    Please Note: We will carpool as much as possible during the workshop, but come prepared to drive your own vehicle to our workshop locations. 4x4, high clearance is required to reach one of the locations for this workshop.

INVESTMENT

The investment for this photography adventure is $1995 per person. There is a 10% discount if you register before June 18, 2025.

A deposit of $1000 is required to reserve your spot with the balance due no later than July 18, 2025.

LODGING

Lodging is not included in the workshop investment.

There is a block of rooms reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott in Farmington. You may stay anywhere you would like, or you may camp at the Bisti Wilderness if you would like.

The entire workshop will be based out of Farmington, NM.

CANCELLATION POLICY

At times, circumstances arise to where it may affect your attendance for the workshop. Hopefully that will not be the case, but just in case that it does, the following cancellation policy will be applied.

If you cancel more than than 120 days before the scheduled start of the workshop, you will receive a full refund of all monies paid minus a $200 cancelation fee.

If you cancel 120 days or less before the scheduled start of the workshop, no refund will be provided unless your spot is filled, in which case a full refund of all monies paid will be provided to you.

If a workshop is canceled on my end for any reason, a full refund will be provided to you.

WEATHER

Expect it to be warm during the day and a bit cool at night! You will want to prepare for that. Have some warm layers in case we do any night time shooting because it can get rather cool and the wind chill can make it feel like it is in the 40s! You will want to pack accordingly.

HIKING

There is a moderate amount of hiking involved in this particular workshop. The longest hikes will be approximately 2 miles in and 2 miles out on sightly uneven terrain. Most of the hikes involve little elevation change but there are a few slight exceptions. There will be short hikes at every session as you have to enter the wilderness area to access our shooting locations.

Please be sure that you are physically fit enough to perform the necessary hiking and for being on your feet for several hours at a time.

GEAR

The following camera gear is recommended for this workshop:

  • DSLR or mirror-less camera body (2 bodies are ideal)

  • Sturdy tripod with a ball-head

  • Wide angle lens (14 or 16mm preferred)

  • Midrange zoom lens (24-100 mm)

  • Telephoto lens (100-400 mm is ideal for abstracts)

  • Circular polarizer and ND filters for wide angle and midrange lens)

  • Extra batteries and memory cards

  • Lens cleaning supplies

  • Remote shutter release is recommended

Upon registration, we will send you a full list of recommended camera and personal gear suited for this particular workshop!

FAQ

Hopefully, this workshop synopsis has answered any questions that you may have regarding the Land & Light Workshops by Todd Stapleton Photography.

If you have any other questions regarding this workshop or just general inquiries, please visit the Contact page and drop us a quick line. We are generally pretty prompt in our response time.

REGISTRATION

Now that you have seen the details, the time has come to register for this workshop! You will be amazed on how much knowledge you can pick up from a professionally guided photography workshop like this one! You will also have an awesome time learning from a gifted instructor who is down to earth and makes learning fun!

IT’S TIME TO INVEST IN YOUR PASSION AND TAKE A PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER FOR YEARS TO COME!

THIS WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT!

We have a WAITING LIST for this workshop that is on a first come, first served basis. You will be notified the moment we have a cancellation. To join the WAITING LIST, please click the button below!

2026 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE TO COME SOON

Email List Subscribers will be the first to know!