OUT OF DEATH VALLEY
Landscape Photography Conference
January 26th-30th, 2022
Image by Alex Noriega
Immerse yourself in the desert landscape of Death Valley for 5 days, shooting side-by-side with the pros.
Experience striking extremes of contrast in the hottest, driest and lowest National Park in the United States with several leading landscape photographers in the world. Explore, learn and push your creativity as you photograph, its raw natural beauty of undulating dunes, sculptural badlands and the desert light rise or fall under wide-open skies. Death Valley is a perfect winter backdrop to spark your creative soul.
“It was an amazing week. In all different kinds of ways. You learn a ton of information from phenomenal photographers. It’s something for everyone.”
– OUT OF CHICAGO, ATTENDEE
INSTRUCTORS
LEARN FROM SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Highlights
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN PHOTOGRAPHY MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT
From small-group, hands-on, in-the-field photography classes and discussions to photo walks and critiques, improve your photography with this epic photography experience in Death Valley National Park. The event is limited to 100 attendees. In-the-field sessions are in small groups, limited to no more than 10 participants per instructor.
- Camera settings for desert landscape photography
- Slowing down and going beyond the iconic shot
- Capture tack sharp images every time
- Photographing natural patterns for stunning abstract images
- Composing intimate scenes to grand landscapes
- Techniques for dramatic night photography
- Shooting and processing for dramatic black and white images
- Workflow from capture to print
- Post-processing secrets of the pros and much more
Location and Accommodation
DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
It's easy to find inspiration everywhere you go when you can immerse yourself in over 3.4 million acres of parkland. The conference takes place inside the park at The Oasis at Death Valley. With classes at The Inn and accommodation at The Ranch, everything is set up for you as a perfect basecamp for photographers. All daily hands-on excursions are just down the road, from Badwater Basin to Zabriskie Point and more. Out of Death Valley is a perfect place to learn, play and be inspired.
Conference Price
$3900 double / $4500 single
Reserve with a deposit of $1500. The remaining balance is due 90 days before the event.
Choose single occupancy to have a room to yourself or double occupancy and be paired with another attendee of the same gender.
What’s included?
4 nights accommodation at The Ranch at Death Valley
4 dinners, 3 lunches and 4 breakfasts
Hands-on instruction from the top photographers in the field
Daily hands-on workshops and in-the-field excursions
Private Out of Death Valley online community to connect with your fellow photographers
What’s not included?
Does not include airfare, transportation or park permits.
“Thank you for enriching our lives by bringing us all together with such beautiful, passionate instructors. They gave us so much inspiration. So many life lessons. Not just photography.”
– USHA
Key details
Itinerary
Out of Death Valley takes place January 26th-30th, 2022. It begins on January 26th around 4pm with a welcome reception, dinner and opening keynote with Erin Babnik. We will end on January 30th at 11:00 am. A more detailed itinerary will be shared with you as we get closer to the event.
Transportation
You are responsible for your own transportation. Death Valley is an easy 2 hour drive from Las Vegas. During the event, excursion groups will carpool together with other attendees to shooting locations or you can drive on your own.
Accommodation
Your room at The Ranch, Death Valley is included in the conference price.
Final Payment
Your second payment is due 90 days before the event.
National Park Pass
You will need a park entrance pass to enter the National Park. Park entrance passes are available at the park or online at Recreation.gov. We recommend you purchase this before you arrive.
Reading
To learn more about Death Valley before the event, we recommend Desert Paradise: The Landscape Photographer’s Guide To Death Valley National Park by Sarah Marino and Ron Coscorrosa.
For additional information, please review the FAQs below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to make my own hotel reservations?
No. We have your room at The Ranch, Death Valley reserved for you.
What Death Valley locations will we photograph?
Despite its name, Death Valley is one of the most photographically diverse locations in the world. We’ll photograph all of the top spots within an hour drive of Furnace Creek including some of the world’s most famous dunes, badlands and salt flats.
What photography equipment do I need?
You’ll want a DSLR or mirrorless camera and a tripod. We’ll share detailed equipment recommendations before the event. A laptop is suggested so you can work on your images during the post-processing and critique sessions.
What to expect after you register?
How am I assigned to my field sessions?
We will send an email to registered attendees before the event and ask you who you want to work with, what you want to learn and the locations you want to photograph. Our team will take this information to create your personalized schedule for the event. One of the benefits of attending our conferences is being able to work with and get to know a variety of instructors, with a diverse range of styles. It may not be possible to go in-the-field with the same instructor every day, but everyone will be able to work with their top instructor choices and photograph their top locations.
What fitness level is required for the excursions?
Some of the field sessions will have almost no walk. You get out of the car and start shooting from the overlook. Other excursions require a hike through the dunes or salt flats. We will describe the field session difficulty in the session descriptions before you choose your field sessions.
What is the weather in Death Valley in January?
The average high in Death Valley is 67 and the average low is 40. There is very little precipitation in Death Valley even in January.
Who is this event for?
Photography enthusiasts and pros. All levels of passionate photographers are welcome. Just be ready to eat, sleep and drink landscape photography for five days.
Will I be sitting in classes all day?
This is a hands-on, immersive photography experience. We’re not going to bring you all the way to Death Valley to sit in a classroom watching something you could watch in bed on Youtube. Over 5 days, you’ll learn new techniques in the field while shooting with some of the world’s best photographers. There is classroom time available to practice post-processing and to get feedback on images, but you’ll be in the field most of the time. There are plenty of options available each day for you to create a schedule that matches your interests, inside and outside the classroom.
Will there be a chance to hang out with the instructors?
You bet! Throughout the week we will eat meals together, hang out in the evening and photograph together in small groups. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and hang out with your favorite photographers.
Can I bring a non-photographer friend or family member with me?
Of course! They are welcome to join us for the group presentations at no charge. The in-the-field teaching excursions are limited to ten people and are reserved for conference attendees only. A meal pass will be offered at an additional charge so that they can join us for group meals. If you are sharing a room with them, you must purchase the single occupancy ticket.
What is your COVID-19 policy for in-person events
With the evolving recovery of the pandemic, we continue to observe recommendations by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and local guidelines for events. This includes physical distancing, masking, health screening and sanitation protocols.
Please stay home if:
- You have tested positive for COVID-19 or are showing COVID-19 symptoms.
- You have had close contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
- Please see our updated refund policy in case you choose not to attend or the state regulations do not allow our event to run with this format.
How do I confirm I am registered for an event?
You can view all of the events you’re registered for by logging into your Out of Chicago account. In the upper right corner of the website, go to “my account” and “my conferences”. You should see your conference listed there. If it is not, please email us at support@outofchicago.com.
What is the refund policy?
You can read the refund policy here.