Death Valley is a photographic challenge. The compositions are all there for those who choose to work at them, but deceptively difficult to bring to fruition. That's why I say this is a perfect place to work on your composition skills. It's also a great place to work on black and white work, as the contrasts here are beguiling and have long appealed to the great photographers.

We'll be staying at the rather expensive, resort spa of Furnace Creek Inn. There's a reason I do my Death Valley workshop from there instead of the less expensive digs down the road. During the heat of the day, when most workshops tend to come to a complete stop, we'll continue working compositional exercises in the resort's palm-lined, pond-filled gardens. It's also a great place to work on fill-flash, scene contrast, white balance, and macro skills, too.


Sunrise and sunset are usually taken up by the big two of Death Valley (Zabriske Point and the sand dunes), though if conditions allow it, we may wander further afield and head to the Race Track (where rocks race across the cracked desert). Plenty of other opportunities exist, as well, and every one, I guarantee, is a compositional challenge. That shouldn't put you off. Instead, it should inspire you to sign up. My goal at the Death Valley workshops is to help each of my students to see compositions they wouldn't have seen before, and I know of no better spot in the country to do this at. It's not a slam dunk for me (or any other photographer whose been there before) either, as the dunes are always different, the light always seems to reveal new erosions at Zabriske, the rocks are always posed differently at the Race Track, and even relatively unchanging areas such as Badwater and Devil's Golf Course seem to present new opportunities every time you visit.

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