New Mexico Photo Tour
November 11 to 17, 2024
This eclectic photography tour encompasses a wide range of subject matter. New Mexico has two of the best locations for nature photography in America -- Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and the Bisti Badlands. Bosque is renowned for its remarkable concentration of tens of thousands of birds at this time of year, and exploring the badlands will make you feel like you're walking through an alien landscape on a distant planet. Both are fantastic for capturing stunning images. In addition, the turquoise trail through the central part of the state offers a slice of Americana with quaint towns, colorful houses, funky artwork, and junker vintage vehicles. If your love of photography knows no bounds, this photo tour is for you!
What you will learn on this photo tour:
Photographing birds in flight
Landscape photography
Capturing star trails after dark
Exposing correctly when including the sun
Composition
Dealing with the 'wide angle conundrum'
The best white balance for sunrise and sunset
Using slow shutter speeds creatively
Painting with light
ITINERARY
Day 1, November 11, Monday
Arrive in Albuquerque, New Mexico and meet Jim at the Car Rental center at 4pm. Take the free shuttle bus in front of the airport terminal to the Car Rental center which is only 5 minutes away, and Jim will be inside the building. We will then drive one hour south to Socorro where we will overnight. After dinner, Jim will give you his recommended camera settings for photographing birds in flight.
Days 2 and 3, November 12 - 13, Tuesday - Wednesday
We get up early this morning and drive 20 minutes to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
This is the most dynamic place in the U.S. for photographing huge numbers of birds, and near dawn thousands of snow geese, ducks, sandhill cranes, and other birds take flight. They feed in the surrounding fields, and the sight is breathtaking. Experimenting with slow shutter speeds will produce intriguing artistic photographs, but most of your shots will be done with fast shutters to reveal all the incredible detail in the beautiful birds. There are various places the birds gather, and we will spend the morning looking for the best vantage points. There is a good possibility we'll be able to photograph coyotes and mule deer as well.
When the light becomes harsh in the middle morning, we return to the hotel to download our pictures, have lunch, and then in the afternoon we return for more opportunities of capturing birds in flight as they return from nearby fields to the safety of the water. Overnight Socorro.
Day 4, November 14, Thursday
After breakfast we head north this morning and make several stops along the way that include a remarkable collection of antique junker cars and trucks, a 19th century mission church, and the Turquoise Trail that centers around Madrid and Los Cerillos and offers wildly colorful architecture, creative Americana, abandoned homes, and a lot of unique subject matter. We have lunch en route, and arrive in Farmington,
New Mexico for dinner and overnight.
Day 5, November 15, Friday
This morning we leave before dawn and drive about 50 minutes to a classic view of Shiprock, a stunning monolith that rises out of flat terrain and glows red at sunrise. It is the throat of an ancient volcano composed of fractured sedimentary rock. We set up our tripods and, while still in pre-dawn light, we'll shoot star trails. As a glow begins in the eastern sky, Shiprock looks more and more dramatic until the first rays of light make the scene truly magical. For those willing to climb a steep but short trail to a vantage on the dyke, you'll be rewarded with a craggy foreground with which to frame Shiprock.
When the magic is over, we return to Farmington for a mid-day siesta. In the afternoon, we head deep into Navajo land with a guide and, after parking on a dirt road, we walk about .9 miles to a remarkable area in the Bisti Badlands to photograph bizarre and beautiful hoodoo formations including one of the most remarkable formations in the American Southwest, the King of Wings. At sunset in particular, the KOW is beautiful. We will photograph it from every conceivable angle and then, when the best light is gone, we'll walk back to the car and drive back to Farmington where we'll overnight.
Day 6, November 16, Saturday
This morning after breakfast Jim will conduct a critique session of your work thus far, and he will also present some Photoshop techniques that you can use to enhance and embellish your images. After lunch we meet our Navajo guide again to explore another spectacular area of the Bisti Badlands. This time, the primary goal is the Alien Throne. From the parking area to the formations is a one mile walk each way over level terrain. As the sun gets lower in the sky, the hoodoo formations glow in the warm light and offer myriad compositions. After dark, we will have a painting with light session on the Alien Throne, and this can be embellished with star trails or the Milky Way. Overnight Farmington.
Day 7, November 17, Saturday
After breakfast we drive back to the airport in Albuquerque for our return flight home, confident we've taken some of the most amazing pictures in the American Southwest. We should arrive at the airport around 10am, so plan to reserve an outbound flight from noon onwards.
Cost of Tour: $3690. Includes all lodging based on double occupancy, all breakfasts, the welcome and farewell dinners, all entrance fees, the services of a Navajo guide, all ground transportation, and photo instruction.
Single supplement: $385
Not included: All lunches, 4 dinners, items of a personal nature, and alcohol.
PLEASE NOTE: The hiking in the Bisti Badlands around Farmington is done between 6000 and 7000 feet. This is high desert, and at this time of year it is cold. Expect the evenings and early mornings to be in the 20's. The day temperatures are usually in the 40's and low 50's. Snow is possible.
Also, the hiking we do in the badlands is on level ground, so there is no elevation gain. That makes the walks easy, but the fact that we'll be close to 7000 feet at times means the air is thin. If you have any doubts about your physical ability, feel free to call Jim and discuss the issue: 615 414-7644.