 | FIRST
LIGHT |
| FIRST
LIGHT |
October 12 - 17 Monument
Valley / Canyon de Chelly |
$2,195 Flight Destination: Durango, CO Trip led by Bob Dean |
Explore some of the most beautiful areas of the desert Southwest as this trip takes you into the heart of Arizona and the Four Corners area with awe inspiring scenery at every stop. We will spend 5 days exploring and photographing the geologic and archeological sites of the Four Corners area in Colorado, Utah and Arizona starting in Durango, Colorado with a drive to Canyon de Chelly, a large canyon area which is the only National Monument located exclusively on the land on the Navajo Nation. We'll spend a full day with a Navajo guide traveling up and down the bottoms of two major canyons. The subjects we'll have include the magnificent cliffs (over 1,000 feet high), monoliths, cliff dwelling ruins, plus petroglyphs and pictographs drawn over a thirteen hundred year period. The time of the year we have selected should give us an opportunity to use the red rocks as an impressive backdrop for the cottonwood trees as they turn from green to gold. We'll also take the opportunity in the morning and evening times, to photograph the canyons from the many overlooks along the rim drives, giving us a completely different perspective of the magnificent area.
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| From Canyon de Chelly we'll move north to the incredible wonders of Monument Valley. This area is a Navajo Tribal park administered solely by the Navajo Nation. We'll have opportunities to shoot both morning and evening from the western rim of the valley, but the best part is our tour of the back country with a Navajo Guide. This will give us the opportunity to create images from places where the general public cannot go without a guide. On our last day we'll head back to Durango via Hovenweep National Monument on the Utah-Colorado Border. The loop trail around Little Ruin Canyon provides opportunities to photograph some of the best preserved Anasazi ruins in the area. For the more intrepid members of the workshop, the loop trail goes deep into and out of the canyon, giving you a rough idea of the challenges these ancient people faced just to get into and out of their homes. |
Itinerary: Day 1: Meet in Durango Colorado and leave for Canyon de Chelly after an early lunch. Arrive at Chinle, AZ early afternoon (check in to the Thunderbird lodge either upon arrival or after afternoon shoot along the south rim drive - depends on actual arrival time). Day 2: All day tour of Canyon del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly with a local Navajo guide. After returning to the lodge, again depending on time, we may go along the north rim for some late day shooting. Day 3: Early morning shooting along the rim drive, then depart for Monument Valley. Arrive at the Valley and check into the hotel. Sunset shooting from the western side of the valley.
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 | Day 4:Early morning (Sunrise) shooting from the area then a four hour photo tour in the back country of Monument Valley with a Navajo guide. Afternoon will be some free time at the hotel. Later we'll be to once again shoot the Valley as the sun sets. Day 5: Leave Monument Valley and drive back to Durango with a stop at Hovenweep National Monument to photograph (up close and personal) the Anasazi ruins along the Little Ruin Canyon trail. Arrive in Durango in time for a last dinner with the group. The workshop will be led by a couple that has travelled and photographed the southwest for many years. You can look forward to not only be taken to great photo locations but you'll have a chance to learn about the people, the history and the geology of this vast and majestic part of our country. |
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