Monument Valley Astrophotography Workshop

The Milky Way Over Monument Valley

Join us for a Monument Valley astrophotography workshop where we’ll photograph the Milky Way over some of the most impressive nightscapes in the Southwest.

We are running these tours in May 2024, during the best time of year to photograph the Milky Way in the iconic Monument Valley.

Overview

During this Monument Valley photography workshop, we’ll focus on shooting nightscapes and the Milky Way over the most spectacular rock formations and landscapes in the park.

We’ll photograph the stars over the iconic buttes, the Milky Way galaxy moving across the Totem Pole, impressive, secluded arches, and locations that have been barely photographed at night.

To access these remote and private locations, we’ll be joined by a group of Navajo guides, granting us the opportunity to learn more about the culture of this Native American tribe.

During our Milky Way astrophotography adventure to Monument Valley, we’ll personally help you capture the best possible images. We will also show you the best techniques to shoot the Milky Way, from the basics to the most advanced techniques, and we’ll do a post-processing session so you can bring your captured images to life.

While this workshop is primarily focused on astro shooting at night, we will also have time to capture the sunrise, sunset, and daytime images when the schedule and conditions allow.

Monument Valley Astrophotography Tour Highlights

Photo tours from May 2-5, 6-9, and 10-13, 2024
Group size: 10 participants + 2 instructors
Main topics: Nightscapes & Milky Way photography
Main areas: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Best time of year to photograph the Milky Way in Monument Valley
Accommodation included in the iconic Goulding’s Lodge
Sunset scouting and photography tour with Navajo guides
2 night photography tours visiting exclusive locations on private Navajo land
Fully outfitted overnight tour to Hunts Mesa

Download the Official Monument Valley workshop Brochure

2024 Monument Valley Astrophotography Workshop Itinerary

Our Monument Valley photography workshop itinerary is on a fixed schedule, but we can change some locations according to the weather conditions.

Our workshop takes place during the best time of the year to capture the Milky Way arch over the desert landscapes of Monument Valley when our galaxy is visible from around 11:00 PM to sunrise. If there are clear skies, we will spend as much time as possible shooting the night sky.

We will sleep in the morning, focus either on post-processing or scouting in the afternoon and evening, and shoot some fiery sunsets when conditions allow.

DAY 1: Monument Valley Astrophotography Workshop

Our Monument Valley photo tour begins at Goulding’s Lodge at 12:00 PM. This historic hotel was originally a trading post and accommodated several actors while they shot some of the most famous Western films in the park. Also, the hotel is conveniently located just a short drive from Monument Valley, so it’s ideal for our workshop.

Goulding’s Lodge offers a nice view of the majestic buttes that characterize this part of the desert, and it will be our base camp during the first two nights of our stay in Monument Valley.

After a meet and greet with the rest of the group, we’ll do our welcome speech and orientation, followed by a general night photography talk and an individual gear review to make sure that everything is ready for the first night session.

Later, we’ll drive to the park to take our sunset tour. Monument Valley is located on Navajo land, and only a small fraction of the area is open to visitors. If you want to visit the best locations in the park, you need to go with a local guide.

We will take a sunset scouting and photography tour in the park with our Navajo guides. During this tour, we’ll scout out some of the most impressive locations in the park, some of which we’ll shoot later during the night sessions. We will photograph the last sun rays illuminating the iconic Totem Pole, and then head to another viewpoint to photograph the sunset.

At night, we’ll start our first astrophotography session, capturing a Milky Way arch panorama in the Totem Pole area, and later we’ll photograph our galaxy perfectly aligned with the Totem Pole, with the sand dunes as a leading line in the foreground.

After these two locations, we’ll wrap up the night in another secluded location, where we’ll have a privileged view of the buttes to capture either individual images with a diagonal Milky Way or a higher full arch with the most iconic “monuments” in the frame.

DAY 2: Monument Valley Astrophotography Workshop

On the second day of our Monument Valley photography workshop, we’ll start the day with a post-processing session, editing the images captured during the previous night.

We will show you all the steps to make the most of the images you’ve captured in the field, so you’ll have Milky Way images full of detail and natural colors.

Later, we will photograph the golden hour and sunset from different open areas in the park.

At night, we’ll go on a second private tour with our Navajo guides, this time shooting the night sky in different remote locations in the park.

We’ll start the night by shooting a night panorama in one of the closed areas in the park. Later, we will visit a very special location photographing a secluded cave with two different openings where the Milky Way aligns in the main opening. Here we will also capture the sense of scale including a subject and doing some light painting

DAY 3: Monument Valley Astrophotography Workshop

The third day of our Monument Valley astrophotography workshop will take us to one of the most special locations in the entire Southwest: Hunts Mesa.

This place is located on top of an eroded mesa, and from here, you can see one of the wildest views of the American desert, a grand landscape shaped by eons of water and wind forces.

This is also one of the most remote locations in Monument Valley, and reaching this plateau is an adventure in itself. To make the most of this, we’ll take a fully outfitted overnight tour with our Navajo guides. They will drive us through this difficult terrain and prepare all the logistics for meals and for setting up our camp, where we’ll sleep in comfortable domo tents.

We’ll arrive in time for sunset, so we’ll photograph the sun painting this vast landscape in a breathtaking scene. After sunset, we will recharge our batteries with a special dinner, a traditional Navajo BBQ prepared by our guides in camp.

At night, the real highlight of Hunts Mesa starts with an astrophotography session in one of the best places in the USA. This location offers ideal conditions for Astro, being at a higher elevation and miles away from any other sources of light pollution.

There will be two main options to photograph at night. The first is an easy and closer spot where you can shoot Milky Way panoramas and single shots by camp.

The second spot will be Spiderweb Arch. This arch features three different openings where you’ll feel like you’re in a spaceship. This is a more difficult-to-reach location and requires some scramble at night. Regardless of your choice, one of our expert astrophotography guides will be there to help you capture the best possible images.

DAY 4: Monument Valley Astrophotography Workshop

We’ll wake up early to photograph a final sunrise session from a different viewpoint of Hunts Mesa, where you can capture a variety of compositions using your telephoto lens.

The timeframe between Milky Way photography and the sunrise is very short, and there won’t be much time to sleep, but considering the uniqueness of this location, we’ll organize the shooting with our guides. That said, you can stay back and sleep for a few more hours if you prefer to be well-rested for the remainder of the day.

After the morning shoot, we’ll recharge our batteries with a full breakfast cooked by our Navajo guides, before driving back to civilization and wrapping up our Monument Valley photo workshop.

PRICE: $3,190

Deposit: $1,500

A $1,500 USD deposit is required to reserve your spot for this workshop. You can also pay in full at any time. The remaining balance is due 90 days before the start of the tour. If the remaining balance is not paid in full by the due date, you will lose your spot.

WHAT DOES THE PRICE INCLUDE?

INCLUDED

- Accommodation in a shared double room with queen beds at Goulding’s Lodge for 2 nights.
- 4 days of photo guide services by professional astrophotographers
- Instruction in a small group of 10 participants with a 5:1 ratio (5 students per instructor)
- Dedicated post-processing astrophotography session
- Transportationin Monument Valley led by Navajo guides
- Sunset photographytour in private areas of Monument Valley with Navajo guides
- 2-night photography sessionsin private areas of Monument Valley with Navajo guides
- Fully outfitted overnight photo tour in Hunts Mesasleeping in double tents.
- Navajo Park entrance fees

*BONUSES

- Access to Dan Zafra’s full Capture the Milky Way Course (valued at $299)
- Access to the recorded material during the tour
- Access to David Aguilar’s Moody Landscapes course

NOT INCLUDED

- Private accommodation ($500 single room + single tent or $400 single room + sharing tent) *subject to availability
- Transportation (including flights) to Monument Valley
- Transportation during the trip except for the tours with the Navajo guides (we will arrange carpools when traveling to Monument Valley)
- Meals except for dinner and breakfast in Hunts Mesa
- Health/travel insurance (We can help you purchase the best travel insurance according to your needs)
- Personal expenses, tips, and any other service not mentioned in the “INCLUDED” section

Dates

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What will I learn during this Monument Valley photo workshop?

This workshop is mainly focused on night and Milky Way photography. However, we will also photograph landscapes during the blue and golden hours, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn about landscape astrophotography.

What you learn during the workshop will vary according to your goals and skills. Your instructor is a professional photographer with extensive experience who will help you take your photography to the next level.

Photography basics

Some of the photography basics you can learn during the workshop are:

Getting comfortable shooting different types of landscapes and photos in manual mode
Adjusting the best camera settings in each situation
Familiarizing yourself with the basics of night and Milky Way photography
Enhancing your compositions with the best techniques
Designing your own shooting workflow to be more effective in the field
Photographing daytime and night panoramas

Advanced photography techniques

Some of the advanced photography techniques you can learn during the workshop are:

Creating powerful compositions that tell a story and engage the viewer.
Building a connection between your photography and your vision.
Becoming a master of light: learn how to enhance it and keep it under control.
Advanced night & Milky Way photography techniques like stacking and panoramas.
Advanced bracketing and exposure blending to capture the best dynamic range.
Using wide-angle distortion and focal length blending to create powerful images.
Focus stacking to capture tack-sharp images with interesting foregrounds.
Advanced Milky Way shooting using a star-tracker

Post-processing techniques

Some of the post-processing techniques that you can learn with are:

How to start using Lightroom and Photoshop (all the basics).
Preparing your images in Lightroom/Adobe Camera Raw to start on the right foot.
Stitching panoramas using different software like Lightroom, Photoshop, or PTGui Pro.
Stacking night images using Starry Landscape Stacker or Sequator.
Reducing the noise in your night images using Topaz Denoise AI.
All types of Blendings (exposure, focal length, focus, etc.).
Light shaping and Dodge & Burn in your landscape images.
Advanced Milky Way techniques like star reduction, structure, natural colors, etc.

*Note: As soon as you sign up for this workshop, you will have access to my full Capture the Milky Way course, which will give you the perfect editing knowledge base before you join this astrophotography workshop

Your instructors on this Monument Valley Milky Way Photography Tour

James McGivern will be the tour leader of this Monument Valley astrophotography workshop. He is a professional astrophotographer and an expert in capturing all types of images, from wide-field nightscapes to deep-sky imaging. He has dedicated the past few years to perfecting his photography skills and his astronomy knowledge.
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James is based in Southern California. Located in this privileged region, he has explored and photographed some of the best places for Astro in the US, including Death Valley, Joshua Tree, etc.
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His extensive knowledge in both photography techniques and theoretical knowledge has led him to teach in night photography workshops at Sky’s the Limit Observatory and is an active member in several outreach programs at the observatory, where he shares his passion for the night sky.
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James can help you with your night photography, from the basics to advanced techniques like star-tracking.

Dorian Sanders will be the co-leader of this workshop and will help you capture the night images that you’re envisioning.

He has led workshops focusing on how to use star trackers, how to compose scenes for the most dramatic images, and how to process using a plethora of digital platforms.

Dorian is based in Vermont and has been taking photos for the past decade. He’s an expert in the main subjects that you’ll be photographing on this trip, and he can also help you with other topics like landscape photography. He will show you how to find great compositions and help you with your night photography, from the basics to advanced techniques like star-tracking.

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WHAT TO BRING TO A Monument Valley ASTRO PHOTO TOUR

A complete list of everything that we recommend for this tour is sent to all participants upon sign-up. Below, you can find a summary of things you might need:

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

- A mirrorless or DSLR camera
- A sturdy tripod and a remote shutter
- A wide-angle lens, such as 14-24 mm
- A medium zoom lens, such as 24-70 mm
- A telephoto lens, like a 70-200 mm lens
- A camera bag to transport all your equipment
- A headlamp for the night shoots
- Glow-in-the-dark tape for your tripod
- A laptop for the post-processing lessons

Some optional items if you are focused on advanced MW photography are:

- A star-tracker.
- A laser for doing the polar alignment.

*While zoom lenses are acceptable for this workshop, prime lenses are recommended for Milky Way photography. Some of the best lenses in this range are:

- 20 mm f/1.8
- 24 mm f/1.4
- 28 mm f/1.4
- 35 mm f/1.8
- 40 mm f/1.4
- 50 mm f/1.8

You can get them either from your camera brand or from third-party manufacturers like Rokinon or Sigma.

*This astrophotography workshop focuses on Milky Way nightscapes and not on deep-sky imaging. However, you can bring a telephoto/telescope and take your own deep-sky photos if you like.

You can find more information in our list of best lenses for the Milky Way and best cameras for astrophotography.

CLOTHING

Even though the sun makes temperatures warm during the day, nights can be chilly in Monument Valley, especially on the Hunts Mesa plateau.

For this reason, we recommend bringing the following clothing:

- Several layers to wear at night (base layer, mid-layer, windproof layer)
- A good pair of breathable boots to protect your feet and ankles while hiking over rocks and uneven terrain
- A light hat and gloves for the night photography sessions in case it gets cold

DOCUMENTATION

If you are traveling from outside the US, you may need a specific travel visa or an electronic travel authorization (“ESTA”) depending on your country of origin. We can help you with this process.

WHAT EXPENSES SHOULD YOU CONSIDER FOR THIS Monument Valley PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP?

FLIGHTS

There are different airports you can fly into to attend this workshop. The main international airports are:

- Phoenix (PHX): 320 miles (~5 hours)
- Albuquerque (ABQ): 323 miles (~5 hours)
- Salt Lake City (SLC): 385 miles (~6.5 hours)
- Las Vegas International (LAS): 400 miles (~6.4 hours)

There are also some closer domestic airports:

- Cortez (CEZ): 111 miles (~2.2 hours)
- Page (PGA): 127 miles (~2.2 hours)
- Farmington (FMN): 156 miles (~2.5 hours)
- Moab (CNY): 168 miles (~2.7 hours)
- Durango (DRO): 185 miles (~3 hours)

Airline ticket prices will depend on the airport you are flying from. We recommend reading our guide on how to find cheap flights if you want help finding the best flights from your location.

Transportation

Transportation will not be included except for the tours that we’ll take in Monument Valley with our Navajo guides.

You need to arrange your own transportation to Goulding’s Lodge and to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

We will arrange carpools when traveling to Monument Valley from the hotel as well as organize rental car sharing in case other participants are interested in renting a car at a specific airport.

The road to Monument Valley is paved, but the road within the park is a dirt road, so we recommend a 4WD SUV.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation is included in a shared double room with queen beds at Goulding’s Lodge for 2 nights and a shared tent during the Hunts Mesa overnight tour.

Private rooms and tents are available on a limited basis according to the following supplement:

$500 single room + single tent
$400 single room

MEALS

Meals are not included, except for dinner and breakfast on the Hunts Mesa tour.

This is a remote area and there aren’t many restaurants, but Goulding’s Lodge has a restaurant and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We also recommend buying groceries in a major city before the trip so you can stock up on food, drinks, and snacks for the next few days. Our mealtimes will vary depending on the shooting conditions, so we recommend having food in case the restaurant is closed.

ENTRANCE FEE

The Navajo pass to access the land in Monument Valley is $8 per person per day. This fee is included in the price of the photo tour.

WHAT MAKES THIS Monument Valley ASTROPHOTO TOUR UNIQUE?

Immersive

Our astrophotography workshops are completely centered on photography: finding the best moments to shoot, running dedicated post-processing sessions, and creating an intensive experience that is conducive to learning and taking the best Milky Way images.

Intimate

Our workshops are limited to small groups with a ratio of no more than five students per instructor. This is also an important factor for providing the attentive instruction you need during the tour.

Exclusive

You’ll learn how to make the most of your camera gear to capture Milky Way images as well as the most effective post-processing techniques to bring your images to life. The instruction and the setting in an exclusive group of astrophotographers make this workshop unique and distinct from standard night photography tours.

Dedicated

We will discuss your goals before the tour so we can create a dedicated instruction plan for you. It doesn’t matter your age or skills; we will design your plan and provide you with materials before, during, and after the workshop so the learning process is not limited to just the tour.

Proven

We have spent years designing national and international photo tours with successful results, helping photographers with their Milky Way & Northern Lights photography. Dan’s online courses have also helped more than 400 photographers over the last few years.

Unforgettable

Beyond the photography, our photography workshops help build strong bonds that last forever. After our trip, you’ll feel like you have been with a group of friends rather than on a standard tour. We are thankful to have plenty of repeat clients who keep traveling and learning with us.

Frequent questions about our astro workshops

WHAT LEVEL SHOULD I BE TO ATTEND THIS PHOTO TOUR TO Monument Valley?

Whether you are experienced or just starting out in Milky Way photography, you are welcome, and I am convinced that you will progress quickly. Together, we will send you home with a thorough knowledge of many photography areas, from the basics to multiple advanced techniques.

Once you sign up for the workshop, we will discuss your skills and goals for this tour, and I’ll organize a teaching plan so you can make the most of this experience.

WHAT PHYSICAL SHAPE DO I NEED TO BE IN?

All locations are a short and easy walk from our home base in the park.

For some locations, like Totem Pole, we’ll walk for a bit over the sand dunes, but in all the others, the terrain is a flat desert landscape.

One exception is Spiderweb Arch; to reach the top of this arch, you need to scramble over a rocky slope. Our Navajo guides will help you by setting up some ropes so you can go up and down safely, but we don’t recommend this unless you are in good physical shape to scramble at night while carrying your camera gear. There is another easy location scheduled for the same night in Hunts Mesa in case you don’t feel prepared to reach Spiderweb Arch.

AM I TOO YOUNG/OLD FOR THIS Monument Valley PHOTO TOUR?

There is no age limit. This trip is perfect for anyone over 18 years old who wants to photograph the Milky Way in Monument Valley with us.

CAN MY NON-PHOTOGRAPHER COMPANION JOIN US ON THE TOUR?

Non-photographer companions are welcome to join the tour, and they need to book a spot under the same price and conditions as any other participant. (We don’t allow non-participant companions tagging along with the group). We have had plenty of non-photographer companions over the years and all of them enjoyed an amazing experience. As long as they enjoy nature, beautiful landscapes, and are a bit patient with the schedules of a photo tour, joining the trip can be a great experience regardless of the shooting.

DO I NEED A STAR-TRACKER?

You don’t need a star-tracker, but you can bring one to the workshop if you have a good foundation in Milky Way photography and you’d like to focus on some advanced shooting.

CAN I BRING MY DRONE?

Capture the Atlas is drone friendly. However, drones are not allowed in national parks and you can’t fly your drone in most of Monument Valley.

Bringing your drone on this photo tour is optional and you can fly is Hunts Mesa at your own risk.

Our Happy Students!

We have had the opportunity to work with and help countless photographers over the last few years. Sharing and teaching photography is our passion, and we love doing this both online and in the field.

This was my fourth tour with Capture The Atlas. This experience was incredibly unique and well-structured, which was no small task, nor something that I would be willing to do on my own. The guides were amazing from beginning to end. The entire adventure was well scripted with excellent communication during the entire engagement. The hikes and outings were outstanding, with a great deal of variety and adventure into areas of the park that are rarely seen by the majority of photographers. I can't think of a single reason not to do this tour again.

Chris Lamb