THE SOUTH WEST – USA WORLDWIDE DISCOVERY PHOTO ADVENTURE – NOVEMBER 2023 Sold out

The South West USA

Destination summary

You’ll discover and photograph some of the most iconic locations in both Utah and Arizona in the dramatic South West of the US. This Lightstalker’s Discovery tour  starts and ends in the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada. From here, you’ll head east out to Arizona and the magnificent Grand Canyon, where you’ll  explore its southern rim and photograph its awesome light and monumental scale.

After 2 nights it’s onto Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation also located in Arizona. We’ll take  the scenic road and capture the classic vistas and views that have become so famous and familiar both through Hollywood and Native American culture. Dusk and dawn sessions will be epic.

Moving on we continue east and onto Canyon de Chelly – National Monument. This is Navajo land too and you’ll have time to explore and photograph the spires, sandstone cliffs and verdant canyons at this incredible location.

Canyon Lands and Arches – we’ll explore both  the red rock arches and vast, river carved canyons of the park. Making good use of both dawn and dusk light and staying in the nearby town of Moab as our base for 2 nights.

Capital Reef National Park white sandstone domes, pillars and crazy rock formations in Utah’s south-central desert will be our goal for second evening and morning session.

Bryce Canyon – we’ll be hiking both in and around the rim of the weird and wonderful orange and crimson hoodoos, making sure we are in the best spots when it comes to crunch time to capture a blast of colour during dusk and dawn.

Zion National Park after a short road trip and some crazy landscapes along the way we reach our final destination and one of the USA’s most spectacular parks. Zion’s National Park’s rivers, emerald pools, lush valleys and steep red cliffs  offer an amazing array of possibilities.  A park of epic proportions and beauty featuring a mixture of self drives and hikes that will enable us to lose ourselves for 4 night and 3 days among its landforms, canyons and rivers.

From Zion its a relatively short dive back to Las Vegas of around 3.5 hrs.

A Lightstalker’s Discovery Tour offers an incredible combination of dramatic landscape photography and experiences. We’ll be soaking up as much of the local flavour and culture as we can in between our locations. Get in touch to book a spot now !

South West USA – Extra information

Getting there: Harry Reid International airport in Las Vegas  receives International flights from Europe and North America.

Start time:  we depart on the 10th of  November  from the Hampton Inn and Suites* in Las Vegas’s south side ( near the Airport) at 10:00am.

End time Las Vegas Airport mid afternoon on the 22nd November.

Exact location TBC

Vehicle: 4×4  Jeep or van

Accommodation* 2 nights  at the Bright. Angel Lodge  Grand Canyon ( inside the park) / 1 night the View Lodge, Monument Valley / 1 night Thunderbird Lodge, Canyon de Chelly / 2 nights Expedition Lodge – Moab (Canyon Lands and Arches NP) / 1 night Capital Reef Resort, Capital Reef / 1 night Rubys Inn, Bryce Canyon / 3 nights  Zion Lodge,  Zion National Park. * all listed subject to availaibilty

* some accommodation will be twin share ( 5 nights ) and  a single supplement may be available if you prefer single occupancy for the duration.

Essential equipment:  camera, lenses 16mm – 200mm focal lengths and a good quality tripod.

Non essential but recommended: Polariser, neutral density graduated and straight neutral density filters would be useful.  A Laptop with Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software. Good quality waterproof camera bag.

This trip is all about the experience of the journey and the amazing landscapes we travel through and explore. The group is kept small, 2-3 participants, to create the best possible experience for my guests. Register your interest for this trip via the contact form or email me directly.

What to expect – Lightstalkers Photo Discovery Tour

The Discovery format is the ultimate travel photo adventure. I was inspired to introduce  a trip that created more of a fluid visual journal of the south west’s  iconic landscapes as well as the cultural Americana that are encountered along the way.

This is a Raw experience   that will allow us to explore all aspects of the locations and places we encounter.  Staying as flexible as possible , working with the elements and keeping our eyes wide open we’ll  be able to create  a unique experience as we travel through the landscapes and towns.

With a rich variety of subjects we can create a photo journal of our experiences in this timeless and dramatic part of the American continent.

Participants will be invited to create a photo journal of their work post trip and share it with with their fellow photography companions.

Weather

There is little rain at this time of year around 2 – 4 days per month  ( the odd snow flurry at higher elevations ) but some colder temperatures can be encountered. An average range of  0C (30F) at the coldest around  Bryce to 20C (68F) at the warmest around the Grand Canyon. So warm clothes for dusk and dawn are essential.

Locations and fitness.
Not all locations will be by the roadside, some locations are easy to reach, some require a little effort, walking sometimes on slippy surfaces and over uneven terrain .

All ages above 18 years are welcome but a reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required, regardless of age in order to fully participate and appreciate a Lightstalker’s Journey.  If you have any doubts of your suitability for a specific trip please contact Glen directly.