Storms and Sunsets: A Photographic Exploration – 3.5 Hour Workshop

Instructor: Gary Ladd

Join photographer Gary Ladd on a photographic exploration of Petrified Forest National Park. We will visit two to four segments of the park to photograph the park’s landscapes of petrified logs and colorful Chinle Shale terrains. We’ve purposely planned the summer’s workshops to take place during the summer monsoon season when photogenic cloudscapes loom over the desert’s treasures.

We will discuss the use of cloud light, late afternoon light, foregrounds and the uses of lenses of various focal length, exposure and how these factors can be used to effectively photograph Petrified Forest.

With today’s amazing digital cameras everyone can take home better photographs of our planet’s special places more easily than ever before by utilizing a few basic concepts. We will review those ideas while we hike and photograph.

Although the day’s weather will, of course, sometimes shape what parts of the park will best work for us on any particular day, we have a range of locations to choose from. At the top of our potential list of sites is a seldom visited section of Blue Mesa, a trip into Jasper Forest and a special section of the Rainbow Forest. Along the way we will discuss the geology of the park and the geologic history of the Colorado Plateau. Depending upon the weather, the outing may include a half-hour geology presentation at the Painted Desert Inn.

This photo outing should be great fun, a chance to explore this great park by using photography and geology as solid excuses!

Schedule

• Meet at 4:00 pm
• Finish at 7:30 pm (Sunset 7:28 pm / park road closure 7:30 pm)

Cost

• $89 – Non-Member
• $80 – Member
• Includes park entrance fee for 7 days

Registration Form

Class Notes

Maximum number of participants: 6

We will meet at the Visitor Center at the north end of the park close to Interstate 40 at 4:00 pm. The workshop will end at sunset at the south end of the park at about 7:30 pm. All participants must provide their own transportation.

Please bring a hiking daypack with water, snacks, sunscreen, a camera and (if possible) the camera’s instruction manual. For sure, bring a hat. Tripod use is optional but might be especially useful as sunset approaches. Monsoon weather can be very photogenic and can also become very wet so bring a rain jacket.