white sands
White Sands National Park Photo Workshop
Feb 28-March 2, 2025 | Cost: 1,250 total [$350 due at sign-up]
Join Pro Photographer Dan Ballard for a 3-day photography workshop in glistening white sands of New Mexico to improve your skills and capture incredible landscapes. With special permits from the National Park service for "early entry" and "stay late," we'll have the opportunity to capture the beauty of the dunes during the best light.
Experience Level
Beginner - Advanced
Both beginners & experienced photographers will benefit from this workshop. I will work closely with you to address strengths and weaknesses. All can expect to be challenged.
Endurance
Moderate
You should have good balance and feel comfortable walking on steep and uneven surfaces. *Reach out if you have questions or limitations to gauge if it's a good fit.
Curriculum
Field & Classroom
We will be in the field shooting for sunrise & sunset w/ classroom time & breaks during the day. Learn focus stacking, focal length blending, advanced camera settings & so much more.
Group Size
9 people
I prefer to keep workshops small, ensuring that each person will have ample time for one-on-one instruction. This photography workshop is limited to 9 people.
Day 1: (Friday) Meet at 1:00pm at the hotel for an intro class on composition. Head out to shoot through sunset with "stay late" access permit. Back to the hotel with time off for dinner.
Day 2: (Saturday) Rise early to capture sunrise light with special "early entry." Back to Alamogordo for a break, followed by image editing classroom session. Spend sunset shooting more gorgeous scenes in White Sands National Park. Time for dinner in town after.
Day 3: (Sunday) Another early morning for our last shoot in the White Sands! Return to the hotel for breakfast then the portfolio review session, followed by Q&A. Wrap up around 11am.
Workshop Schedule
IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS
The group will be out shooting and exploring during sunrise and sunset to capture the best conditions. During daytime hours there will be classroom time to focus on photography concepts and techniques.
Image Composition
Learning how to compose an image is one of the most important elements of photography and probably one of the hardest to master. Starting with this class and continuing throughout the workshop, Joe will teach you simple and actionable skills that will help you find amazing compositions in any environment.
Creative Editing
Learn an easy an effective editing process from beginning to end using a combination of mostly Lightroom with some fairly easy but extremely powerful Photoshop to finish it off. This editing method is very artistic and effective for beginners and advanced users alike. It is always one of the highlights of the workshop.
Portfolio Feedback
Getting honest and constructive feedback about your images is extremely hard to find. At the end of every workshop, Joe will dig into 15-20 of your best shots to give you insightful critique on how to improve. While these sessions are honest, we guarantee you will go away inspired with new ideas and thoughts on making great images.
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Come home with stunning landscape images.
Exciting Locations • Individual Instruction • Creative Editing • Portfolio Feedback Sessions
Please note that transportation and accommodations for the White Sands Photography Workshop are up to each individual participant.
Hotel: We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton in Alamogordo for the workshop dates. After sign-up you will receive an email with information to confirm your stay.
Car: If you won't have your personal vehicle, we highly recommend renting a vehicle so you can also explore on your own before/after the workshop. The group will be carpooling to each location during the workshop.
Flight: The closest airport is in El Paso, TX, about 85 miles (136.79 km) from the park. We will base out of Alamogordo, which is 15 miles (24 km) east of the park.
Planning Your Photo Trip
