Death Valley Safari
March 13 – 18, 2024
Happening Now!
Sand Dunes, Mountain Vistas, Salt Pan, and More
March 13 – 18, 2025
Death Valley is a truly outstanding National Park featuring North America’s lowest, driest, and hottest locations. Surrounded by mountains that rise to over 11,000 feet and cover about 3,000 square miles in total, it’s larger than Yellowstone. Most photographers barely scratch the surface of what this park has to offer.
This workshop is a unique opportunity to visit and photograph some of Death Valley’s most appealing locations in optimal light. We’ll be camping for two nights near our shooting sites, but don’t worry—our outfitters will ensure you are comfortable and well-fed. We will camp at the remote and wild Ibex Dunes on our first night, set against a beautiful mountain backdrop. For the next two nights, we’ll be at the hotel to photograph the iconic vistas and features of the area: Zabriskie Point and Golden Canyon, the salt polygons of Badwater Basin, Twenty Mule Team Canyon, and more. We’ll have our signature image reviews and post-processing lessons at the hotel, but we won’t stop shooting! In both the field and classroom, we’ll focus on teaching composition from pre-visualization through capture, plus post-processing of the final image.
Our final night of camping will be at Lee Flat among the Joshua trees. The workshop ends with a final night back at the hotel, where we’ll have a chance to wash off the desert dust.
Muench Workshops is an Authorized Permittee of the National Park Service.
Your Pros
Location
California, USA
Tuition
$7,495
Dates
March 13 – 18, 2025
Availability
Open for Registration
Limited to 8 Guests
Itinerary
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
March 13, 2025: Arrive in Las Vegas this morning or the day prior. We’ll meet up (in a recommended hotel lobby near the airport) by noon and head out to Ibex Dunes by 3:00 PM. We’ll settle into camp and then hike out to the dunes for a sunset shoot, followed by a hot meal and possible night sky photography.
March 14, 2025: Up early for sunrise over Ibex Dunes, followed by a hot breakfast in camp. We’ll pack up camp and our lunches and continue to our hotel. We’ll be stopping to photograph along the way and have lunch. We’ll arrive at the hotel in time for check-in at 4:00 PM. We’ll photograph sunset at Dante’s View, a stunning view from nearly 5,000 feet above the valley floor.
March 15, 2025: Sunrise shoot at 20 Mule Team Canyon, followed by breakfast and a break with time to collect your images for our image review and processing session, where lunch will be served. Sunset shoot in Golden Canyon, where we will hike down from Zabriskie Point through Golden Canyon, photographing Manly Beacon at sunset from within Golden Canyon. Dinner at the hotel.
March 16, 2025: Sunrise shoot at Badwater Basin, followed by breakfast. Then we drive north to our campsite in Lee Flat, where we will photograph the abundant and charismatic Joshua Trees. Along the way, we will see stunning views of Panamint Valley and even stop at Father Crowley Point and Rainbow Canyon, where there’s a possibility of seeing military aircraft in training. We’ll arrive at our camp in the afternoon and spend time hunting for compositions among the Joshua Trees. After a sunset shoot and dinner in camp, we’ll have time for some night shooting if conditions permit.
March 17, 2025: Sunrise shoot right at our camp’s doorstep, followed by a hot breakfast. Pack up and leave for our hotel. On the way, we’ll photograph, have lunch, and then check in at the hotel. We then head up to the sweeping vista of Auguereberry Point for a sunset shoot. Dinner back at our hotel will end this day.
March 18, 2025: Sunrise shoot at Cottonball Basin, then breakfast at the hotel, and our final image review. We’ll be on our way to Las Vegas by 11:00 AM, in time for flights any time after 2:00 PM.
Camping
You will be camping for two nights in our fully-outfitted wilderness camp during this workshop. Each person will be in a large tent (large enough to stand up in) shared with another guest. Everyone is provided with a cot, thick comfortable pad, and sleeping bag, and some lighting is provided inside the tents.
A separate dining tent with tables for eating will be available for everyone at all hours. Plenty of cool or hot water is available at all times, along with snacks, including fresh fruits. The outfitters are trained in wilderness cooking and wilderness first aid. Sanitary hand washing stations are set up for use.
Fitness
Moderate: You must be able to hike up to two miles over uneven ground and sand dunes with moderate elevation gain.
Flights
Arrive McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada before 11:00 AM on March 13, 2025. Flights out can be made after 2:00 PM on March 18, 2025. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for $600 supplement. (Hotel nights only. Tents are shared.)
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Multiple image reviews and post-processing sessions.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from 2 pros.
- Image reviews and post-processing instruction.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!.
Not Included
- Travel to and from Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $600 supplement.(Hotel nights only.Tents are shared.)
Payment Terms
- Your deposit of $3,495 will hold your space in this workshop.
- The balance is due not later than December 1, 2024.
- All of our standard Terms and Conditions apply.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
Testimonials
“I’m sitting in a hotel room in Vegas unwinding from an absolutely awesome DV workshop. I understand why you have so many repeat customers, I will be one of them. I had high expectations of what the workshop would be like and you managed to exceed them. Before the workshop you sent emails and made phone calls to make sure we were ready for the workshop. Every day you took us to magnificent well-scouted out sites, told us how to set up and where to point the camera, and then all we had to do was wait for the light to get incredible photos. Accommodations were first class, the outfitters for camping were over the top. ”
“It was a great adventure. Death Valley is a fantastic place and our guides selected some of the best places in this National Park for photography. I was impressed with our leaders ability to rapidly respond to the many challenges as a result of the difficult conditions the weather presented. ”
“The workshop leaders made sure we maximized the use of our time so that we got the most out of this trip. I especially loved getting to camp out a few days so we were on-site in the evening and in the morning so we could be ready to photograph in the best light! ”
Behind the Scenes
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