I’ve struggled with how to write this review. I’m a newer photographer, and I’ve always wanted to visit Bisti Badlands / Valley of Dreams. I found this workshop, including a sunrise shoot, golden hour, blue hour, and astrophotography - the itinerary sounded great, a pre-workshop webinar, hotel accommodations, a couple of meals., transportation to our photography sites, two photography instructors, multiple different lenses for us to borrow and post photography instruction. Sounds like a dream, right? I gladly signed up about 6 months in advance. About a week before our trip, we received an email asking for lunch orders and the same email asked if anyone would be willing to drive their own vehicles out to the sites (thankfully, no one did, more on that later). Came to find out that one of the instructors was sick and did not make it to the workshop. She instead met up via zoom during a post processing afternoon, and though she provided some great tips for us, we did only have one instructor for our time out. Now for the good part. The weather did not hold up for us. At all. Our first night, when we were to visit Bisti Badlands, we met up with our guide and drove out. We basically got out of the cars, and it started to rain. So, we went over to Shiprock instead. Ok, it’s gorgeous. We got some decent shots. Later as sun was setting, we were still hopeful we might get some Milky Way shots (kinda iffy due to the clouds), nevertheless our guide took us to the opposite side of Shiprock. Well, the spot that he took us to, the Milky Way core would have been completely hidden behind the massive rock in front of us. We definitely couldn’t see the Milky Way and called it around eleven pm and went back to the hotel. Our instructor even remarked at some point during the weekend, that he wished Kialo was our guide, (he was listed in the itinerary as our guide) since he is more aware of what we were looking for in a photography workshop, yet we had a different guide for the weekend. Next evening, we head out to Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah. After a long drive down a few dirt roads, we met up with another guide, and started our walk in. We barely started seeing these gorgeous rock formations, when the rain started, which quickly turned everything to flowing streams, and a lot of mud. So, we had to leave. Rain soaked, mud caked, we walked back and started our drive out. The rain, unfortunately, turned the roads into a muddy slippery mess, as we fishtailed our way back. So, we come to one part of the road, and start sliding. End up with the back of the SUV stuck in a ditch. Most of the workshop participants and the guides had to push the vehicle out, getting mud-spattered the entire time. Definitely an adventure, and definitely no Milky Way shots that night either. Back to the hotel to order pizza., and the entire night I was just thinking “Thank goodness, I didn’t drive my car out there”. The following day was our last. Itinerary called for a sunrise shoot in Bisti Badlands. That night, our guide basically told us the roads would be too muddy for us to go. So, we had another post processing meet up instead. Now, I kinda get it. Kinda. I completely understand that the weather sometimes does not cooperate, and the locations being down dirt roads does not make it easy. I guess I was just surprised that no other alternative locations were ever suggested. Can’t shoot at Bisti during sunrise? Cool, let’s try somewhere else. Aztec ruins? (1/2 hr away) I mean, we could’ve gone somewhere by the Animas River? Maybe let’s visit Shiprock again for sunrise? I’m definitely not familiar with the area, but I can’t imagine there was absolutely nowhere to go shoot sunrise. Or can’t shoot Milky Way from this spot? Maybe let’s try a different spot further back, or somewhere else, even off the main road somewhere. But that didn’t happen. Our guide, completely separate from the workshop, did offer to take us out the following evening, however cost for the guide would have been about $200, on top of paying for another night at the hotel, so I declined, and headed home. This is the very first photography workshop I have ever attended., and I was so looking forward to it. I will say that the event was organized well, the instructor and local guide were friendly, the hotel was great, the meals were decent. Taco bar day 1, and sandwiches on day 2. (I had read a review that the sandwiches were pretty bad, I didn’t think it was that bad. My turkey and swiss, had no swiss, and the deli completely missed one participants order, so it was delivered about an hour late, but not anything to make a huge fuss about), I did meet some great people, and got some great photography tips. If the weather had held up, the weekend might have been amazing, although we were still down an instructor. However, we didn’t see one single part of Bisti Badlands and nothing of Valley of Dreams that we were looking forward to. Of course, no refunds. No offers to re-book in the future with a discount. Again, I know these workshops are dependent on the weather, but I basically feel like I spent a lot of money to stay at a hotel in Farmington for a weekend, with no alternative photography locations and I can’t help but feel disappointed. We were shown some of the shots taken in June, and they were amazing! It just kinda felt like one thing on top of another for our group: sick instructor but no replacement, different guide, requests to drive our own vehicle, etc, that it just was not meant to be a great weekend. I was fortunate enough to live close enough to drive into NM for this, but I truly can’t help but feel for those that live much farther away, that not only paid for the workshop, but also had to buy airline tickets, rental car, extra hotel night, etc.. Definitely not Tamron’s fault for the weather, however I do feel there were a few issues, that maybe could have been handled better.

Not much to review as it was pouring rain the times we ventured out for photography. Neither the organizers nor the workshop participants could do much if the rain gods were enjoying at our expense. I can only say tht for the cost of the workshop we had the most expensive Tacos and sandwiches :). Barely had 2-3 hours of total photography time and came back home with some ordinary photos. Its best not to go to this place for photography during this period of the year as I am told this is rainy season and the incessant and heavy downpours can cause flash floods and risky situations.

This was an amazing trip and was well planned out. It was also very affordable. The Bisti area is special, and it seems almost unknown!