navajo nights

overview

Join Derek Culver and Andrew Imhoff for 5 nights of astro + photography adventures and lessons immersed in the natural beauty of the Navajo Nation! This is a one-of-a-kind night photography experience as we work with local Navajo and Hopi guides to immerse you in the culture, vibrant canyon expanses, wild sandstone formations, and incredibly dark night skies! We are the only night photography permitted to operate night photography workshops at Coal Mine Canyon, we get to camp (there are hotel alternatives) right on the rim and wake up to the Milky Way “Galactic Core” spanning across phenomenal desert canyon wilderness! Spring is the best time in the Southwest for capturing panoramas- this workshop covers cover night photography fundamentals with an emphasis on capturing stunning Milky Way panoramas and advanced color theory techniques.

when and where?

May 10 - 15, 2026

lodging

We will be doing a mix of camping and hotels for an immersive yet comfortable experience! We provide all the camping equipment and food. All hotel rooms are single occupancy! We camp at Coal Mine Canyon the first night, are in hotels for the next 3 nights in Monument Valley and Page, then camp the final night at Blue Canyon

logistics

Everyone is responsible for their own transportation to the workshop and during the workshop, no 4x4 is required! We recommend flying into Page, Flagstaff, or Phoenix. We will coordinate 4x4 transportation when necessary for the workshop with our guides to get to places like Hunt’s Mesa. Often we can help arrange carpools between our workshop guests from the airport and in the parks in order to save costs and add to the social atmosphere of the workshop! We can also provide airport pick up/drop off and transportation the duration of the workshop for a fee if you fly into Page, Arizona.

Difficulty

This astrophotography workshop is great for all level of photographers and adventurers. It requires group hiking with camera gear about 1-2 miles in sand and some uneven terrain at night. We will cover astrophotography basics like planning your shot, focusing at night, and mastering settings for single exposures; then build upon shooting and editing fundamentals as we get into tracking, stacking, combining exposures, and an emphasis on milky way panoramas. Our smaller group sizes, allows us to tailor lessons individually and give lots of 1on1 hands on instruction to help you reach your artistic goals, beginner and advanced.

workshop cost & payment terms

The tuition for this workshop is $5,200 total, with a non-refundable deposit of $1,000 to reserve one of the limited spots in the workshop. The remaining total balance of the workshop is due 1 month before the trip starts. Alumni discounted cost is $4,750 total with the discount applied when the remaining workshop balance is collected!

Join us!

This workshop is limited to 6 participants.

itinerary

Wednesday october 22nd:

Meet: Alamogordo any time between 12-5pm.

Stay: Airbnb/Hotel in Alamogordo the entire time where we will do all our editing sessions.

Shoot: We will scout out several compositions in White Sands and begin our lessons at sunset, shoot twilight. The park closes after sunset at 6:30pm but we get to stay in until Midnight capturing the stars and viewing the Orionid meteor shower!