Autumn in Zion National Park

NOVEMBER 2023 DATES COMING SOON…….

Zion National Park in the fall is quite a sight to be seen. This gem in southern Utah comes alive with autumn colors from golden cottonwoods along the Virgin River to soft light reflecting off the canyon walls in the Narrows. This time of year is perfect for photographers and for good reason. After many trips to Zion photographing great locations both inside and out of the park, I am proud to now offer instructional workshops in this amazing desert oasis.  On this five day photography workshop you will be able to capture beautiful images of Zion canyon in all it's glory. Field sessions will include photographing vistas from the canyon rim, the Narrows, unique sandstone formations and riverside scenes bursting with fall colors. You will be guided to some of the most scenic spots in the park including some off the beaten path, and provided with expert instruction on how best to capture the light and interesting compositions in the field. This small group workshop is designed to give each participant the personal attention that they need. With the goal of the workshop being to give you the ability to explore, learn, and fine tune your photography skills both in the field as well in post processing development to bring your images to life.                                 

INSTRUCTOR: CHRIS BYRNE                    

GROUP SIZE: 6 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

COST: $2750 (No Lodging) / $3350 (Lodging Included)

DEPOSIT: A 50% deposit is required to secure a spot, with the balance due 60 days prior to workshop

Please click here to be notified when this workshop is available to sign up.

ITINERARY

We will meet in Springdale in the early afternoon on our first day for an informal meet and greet before heading out for to photograph sunset along the Virgin River and the iconic Watchman mountain. From there we will spend the next four days both inside and outside of the park, capturing nearly every corner of this wondrous landscape, with the highlight being a full day photographing the famous Narrows. Each morning we will meet well before sunrise and typically continue shooting for a few hours until mid morning before having some breakfast and breaking mid day. During the early afternoons we will also mix in time for teaching developing techniques in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop before heading out for our afternoon sunset field session. The days will be fun, intense and full of activity and also flexible. So if the weather isn’t conducive to making great images, we may focus on post processing that particular day. The workshop will wrap up after our morning sunrise session on the final day.

USEFUL INFO / PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY

Sunrise at this time of year is at 8am and sunset at 6:30pm. Temperatures can fluctuate greatly at this time of year, with the possibility of snow to mid 80 degree days. We will be taking the park shuttle into the park each day and carpooling when necessary to locations off the shuttle route. The hotel is a mile from the park entrance so on most days there will be minimal driving. Physical difficulty of the workshop will be easy to moderately strenuous. On some hikes there may be some short steep sections but this will not be the norm. We will be doing a couple hikes of several miles including an out and back into the Narrows. We will be getting gear from the local outfitter to hike in the Narrows and another small canyon. While the Narrows flat, hiking in water that is ankle to thigh deep over river rocks can be tricky and tiring, particularly with a camera bag on your back. It is important that participants be in good physical health and without any mobility issues. There will not be hikes with severe elevation gains, hiking to Angel’s Landing isn’t on the itinerary due to the crowds, but feel free to do so on your own!

AIRPORT / ACCOMODATIONS / RENTAL CAR

The closest airports to Springdale are in St. George and Las Vegas. Rooms have been secured at a local inn in Springdale and are billed at cost for those who would like to include lodging. Each room will be single lodging and either have one king bed or two queen beds, but will not be shared among attendees. A standard small to mid-size rental car will be sufficient for getting around the park.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

This may be the desert but we will be spending quite a lot of time photographing in and around water as the Virgin River is the lifeblood of this amazing park. You can expect an adventure filled week in one of the southwest’s iconic locations. Being in Zion during the peak of fall is one of the best places a photographer can be to stretch their skills and get creative with that autumn color. The light that softly hits the canyon walls in the Narrows and the river rapids are perfect to try long exposures and find appealing foregrounds. And the sandstone that sculpts the entire park is made for capturing small intimate scenes to the grander landscape images.

As stated previously there will be early mornings and late evenings but the days are structured to not wear anyone out and get the most enjoyment of the surroundings and scenery. I will provide tips in the field to capture images correctly "in camera" with the goal being that part becomes second nature and students can then focus on the creative aspects of landscape and nature photography. Post processing instruction will run the gamut of importing and organizing files into Lightroom to processing images in Lightroom and Photoshop and finally prepping images for the internet or for print. I am an open book and willing to share any tips or tricks I’ve learned to help you turn your photos into art!

RECOMMENDED CAMERA GEAR, ETC

• DSLR & Lenses ranging from wide angle (12mm) to telephoto (300mm).

• Serious wildlife photographers will want to bring a 400mm or longer lens and teleconverter. 

• Camera manual

• Memory cards

• A very sturdy tripod

• Cable Release Trigger

• Filters (Circular Polarizing Filter, Graduated ND Filters and Solid ND filters for long exposures)

• Lens cloths, rocket blower, etc. 

• Computer with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop

• Notebook

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

• Meals and snacks

• Transportation

• Park entrance fees

• Lodging (optional)

INSTRUCTOR: CHRIS BYRNE                    

GROUP SIZE: 6 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

COST: $2750 (No Lodging) / $3350 (Lodging Included)

DEPOSIT: A 50% deposit is required to secure a spot, with the balance due 60 days prior to workshop

Hello there! I’m Chris Byrne and I spent way too many years aimlessly wandering the earth and working for the man before finding my true passion in nature and landscape photography. My love of nature started very early in life as I would study the photographs in my dad’s huge collection of National Geographics, and also spend as much time as I could out exploring in the woods with my younger brother. Fast forward many years and after getting a finance degree in college I went to work in the stock market for over fifteen years (and didn’t get rich). During my time, I saw first hand two of the most devastating financial crises in our country’s history, and after the second go around I completely lost interest in my profession and desperately needed something more. I found myself in a place in life without any inspiration or excitement for what I was doing.

Then on a trip to Glacier, Montana I rediscovered my love of nature. However, the photographs I was trying to get just didn’t do the place any justice. It was then that I decided to get serious about photography and quickly poured all of myself into the craft, learning as much as possible as quickly as I could. I was a super sponge and had a new passion for life! As soon as I became proficient in my skills, I wanted to share my knowledge and began teaching others. Now I lead workshops to some of the best places on the globe.

Along the way I’ve won a few awards, but with so many contests out there, I wouldn’t claim that’s a good judge of a good teacher. Rather I am proud to be able to inspire others and spend as much time as I possibly can with each person in helping them connect with nature while teaching the techniques to capture the images that they want to create. Seeing people make breakthroughs in their art is something that I cherish. I truly believe that nature is good for the soul. The more you explore, the more you will be inspired. Join me on an unforgettable photography adventure!

CANCELLATION POLICY

We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We are not responsible for travel expenses incurred and therefore strongly recommend travel insurance to cover such costs.

Participants who cancel prior to 60 days before the workshop will receive their full deposit only if the space can be filled. Any cancellations within 60 days of the workshop will not receive their deposit back as it is extremely difficult to fill the space on that short of notice. If an emergency arises we will do our very best to work with you as we understand things can happen.