Imagine a landscape so unique that astronauts are trained here for landing on planet Mars!

This part of Utah has places that feel like you are on a different planet, with large wilderness sections filled with unique colors, textures, and natural architecture. The region offers much to explore and photograph – from hidden canyons to dramatic narrows, rugged mountains, and spectacular rock formations that are strewn across the desert landscape.

Discover the Badlands with us!
During this 6 day workshop, we will be traveling to locations far from paved roads hidden in the heart of Utah. Our intimate knowledge of the area allows us to provide you with the best way to capture the breathtaking beauty that this untamed part of the Colorado Plateau has to offer.

On this photo adventure, we will explore many picturesque locations. This area is overflowing with dramatic sandstone features including arches, monoliths, endless canyons, red rock, white domes, and countless stunning desert features to feast your eyes on.

As we venture outside of the more well-known locations, we will see some of the most interesting badlands in the world. The colorful hues of Bentonite Hills, the bluish Mancos Shale badlands, and the deep martian-red badlands of the Chinle Formations are just some of the areas we will visit.

With its dark skies and endless foregrounds, we’ll also have several opportunities to photograph the stars in one of the few remaining dark skies in the US.

During the workshop, our itinerary will be kept as flexible as possible as we chase the light and colors of this extraordinary place. On a typical day, you will be up early to capture the sunrise and out past sunset.
Daylight hours will be spent resting, in post-processing sessions, or out shooting the endless vistas.

Our Photo Guides will monitor weather forecasts, road conditions, and any other factors and plan the days to optimize shooting conditions. Our goal is to put you in the best locations at the right time with the best light!

Whether you’re an experienced, amateur, or beginner photographer, you will add to your portfolio with an incredible array of images, learning composition techniques with the assistance of award-winning photo guides.

Please note that this is a drone-friendly workshop and we will be happy to help you with guidance on how to take spectacular photos using your drone. We have a limited number of drones available for hire if you do not have your own and wish to learn – please contact us at info@vip-llc.com for information and rates.

• Improving your Landscape, Drone, Astro, and Golden Hour photography skills with our team of master photographers

• Workshop dates optimized for weather conditions, astrophotography, and Milky Way

• Experiencing the rich palette of colors as the desert becomes ablaze during Golden Hour

• Capturing the incredible textures and rock formations in different perspectives – from epic wide-angle landscapes to intimate abstracts

• Receiving support and mentoring that is personalized to your photography skills and journey

• Learning composition techniques to transform your photos into compelling, creative, and engaging images

• Introduction to drone photography, assistance with drone setup, and if it’s your first time or in-field instruction for how to fly one and use this new tool for photography

• Visiting the dramatic mesas and badlands

• Understanding how to create stunning panoramas – from shooting the images in-field to the post-processing workflow

• A small workshop so your experience is truly personal, and you get to know your guide and fellow photographers