USA Photography Tour

Joining Worldwide Photo Adventures (WPA) for their 6th and 7th tours in the USA offers an exciting opportunity for photography enthusiasts. Led by expert guides, including renowned professional photo guide Darran Leal and special guest tutor Julieanne Kost from Adobe, along with young professional photo guides Pearce and Frazer Leal, this adventure promises to enhance your photography skills and capture stunning images.

The itinerary is carefully designed to go beyond the usual tourist locations, taking you to the best spots at the right time for optimal photo opportunities. Utah and Arizona, known for their spectacular landscapes featuring mesas, buttes, and slot canyons, provide endless creative possibilities for capturing lines, form, and texture. This adventure is a dream come true for landscape and creative photography enthusiasts.

In addition to shooting in breathtaking locations, the WPA team offers workshops and learning opportunities to expand your vision, discover new perspectives, and improve your shooting techniques. They also provide processing workshops to enhance your creative journey and take your images to new levels.

Unlike rushed tours, this photo adventure allows for quality time at each location, allowing you to immerse yourself in the surroundings and fully appreciate the natural beauty. The balance between photography and experience ensures that you can make the most of each location.

Convenience and support are prioritised throughout the adventure. The tour starts and ends in Las Vegas, and the itinerary is designed for accessibility. The WPA team provides logistical support, taking care of the details so that you can focus on your photography and enjoy the journey.

JULIEANNE KOST

Named one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business,” Julieanne Kost is a Principal Evangelist at Adobe Systems, responsible for fostering relationships with customers through meaningful and inspirational Photoshop and Lightroom instruction. As a highly sought-after speaker for the industry-standard Digital Imaging franchise, she devises and presents motivating and educational training sessions, sharing original techniques and tutorials worldwide — via live events, Adobe.com, her own website (jkost.com) and blog. She is also the author of “Window Seat: The Art of Digital Photography and Creative Thinking,” and “Passenger Seat: Creating a Photographic Project from Conception through Execution in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom”, an accomplished photographer and fine artist, and creator and host of the popular Photoshop CC Essential Training and the Art of Photoshop Compositing for Lynda.com.

Julieanne is well-known for her unique approach to instruction, infusing practical tips and tricks with an equal amount of humour and creativity that keeps audiences entertained and engaged. She often serves as a guest lecturer at distinguished photography workshops, industry events, and leading educational institutions around the world. She’s a contributing columnist and author for a variety of print and online publications and has created over 500 instructional videos as the host of Adobe’s “The Complete Picture” featuring Lightroom and Photoshop, serves as producer and instructor of the “Lightroom Getting Started” and “What’s New in Lightroom,” training courses, as well as the “Revitalize your Workflow with Lightroom” seminar on CreativeLive.

Julianne holds an AA in Fine Art Photography and a BS in Psychology.

Julieanne’s blog is - Blogs.adobe.com/jkost

THE COST INCLUDES

• All land tour costs as per itinerary.

• Accommodation - lodge/hotel.

• Entrance fees to parks as per itinerary.

• Professional photo guide.

• Local expert driver/guide.

NOT INCLUDED

• International Air tickets & flights.

• Personal expenses.

• Items not included in the itinerary.

• Meals, Tips and Drinks.

• Travel Insurance.

• Visa - check Visalink - www.visalink.com.au (If not a US citizen.)

DAY 1 - LAS VEGAS December 7

We include accommodation tonight in Las Vegas. We meet at 4pm at reception for a briefing and our first workshop. Darran and Julieanne answer questions and fill you in on information to help you maximise your adventures to come. Option to join your tutor team for dinner. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 2 - LAS VEGAS TO KENAB December 8

We depart early from Las Vegas in our exclusive mini bus and drive into the USA’s amazing desert. The Wild West quickly inspires your appetite for great shooting opportunities. We arrive to Kenab, a small town with a big history. We depart in the afternoon to explore our first slot canyon - Peek-A-Boo. Limited access allows you to shoot unique images and learn on the spot how to take the best images by your professional photo guides. Julieanne will also give some insight into visualising simple but great concepts. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 3 - KENAB TO BRYCE CANYON December 9

We again head out in special 4WD’s this morning, this time to target Heart Veins Canyon. The water sculptured rock features are a fantastic challenge. We then drive a short distance to Bryce Canyon and after booking into our accommodation, head out into this ‘weird landscape’. Bryce Canyon is famous for its Hoodoo’s and landscapes like no other place on earth. Keep an eye out for quick nature captures as well. We are at 10,000 feet, (around 3,000m) so temperatures are cold, especially at night. We might even experience snow. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 4 - BRYCE CANYON TO MOAB December 10

Morning shoot of the Bryce Canyon landscapes will offer new results worthy of a place on your walls at home. We then drive to Moab. We arrive in Moab, book into our accommodation and head to Arches NP for an afternoon shoot. This is one of the world’s great landscapes and a challenge for your creative interests. Every day will offer in the field workshops, plus your professional guides are ready to help you, at times, offering one on one assistance. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY’s 5 & 6 - MOAB - ARCHES & CANYONLANDS December 11&12

Two full days will optimise our interests in one of Julieanne’s and Darran’s personal favourite locations on earth! Early rises will allow us to get the best first light in Arches National Park and the Windows area. Double O, North and South Window, and Turret Arch await your artistic interpretation with the La Sal mountains to the South. The following days will offer stunning new subjects plus we will revisit others. Enhanced in the golden light of sunset it’s the “Sleeping Rainbow” of Ute legend. Sunrise at Mesa Arch where the red glow reflects off the underside is another highlight. The backlit scene towards Washerwoman Arch is a sculpture garden of sensual colours and shapes. Dead Horse Point and Grand View are two nearby scenic drives, where the Colorado and Green Rivers meet and combine, they sculpt the layers of multi-coloured sandstone banded like a rainbow. Be ready to shoot lots of great images! We also add a dedicated workshop by Julieanne to help your creative skills. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 7 - MOAB TO MONUMENT VALLEY December 13

We shoot once more at Arches NP, in great early light. We then return to our accommodation, grab our bags and head to Monument Valley. We drive through the Wild West to one of the best known landscape formations for anyone in the world. Here you will feel like you are a part of the old western movies and even some of the more recent movies like “Wind Talkers”. We will shoot the evening light on the Mittens and other very recognisable and stunning land forms. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 8 - MONUMENT VALLEY December 14

Full day of photo adventures in ‘the real’ Wild West. We explore the valley with early light and late light our key targets. We have also allowed specific time for one “other tour”. Darran will coordinate to the best opportunities of the group. It includes sand dunes with towering rock needles and an Indian experience. These have been highlights with our past expeditions, offering stunning shoots and experiences. Accommodation: Hotel NOTE: Darran will offer more information the day before as weather, seasonal and tribal considerations are involved.

DAY 9 - MONUMENT VALLEY TO PAGE (LAKE POWELL) December 15

We drive to Page. A great drive through the Wild West, stopping for opportunistic subjects from ancient rock carvings, to landscapes. On arrival in Page, we book into our accommodation and head out to famous Horse Shoe Bend. A magic location for shooting! Time allowing, we may also have a quick look at Lake Powell and its many colours and shapes. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 10 - PAGE - SLOT CANYONS - LAKE POWELL December 16

Full day exploring the incredible landscapes of this region. Plus optional time for flights or rafting. Be prepared for some of your most creative landscapes ever! We will shoot Lower Antelope Slot Canyon - a stunning experience! (Note that new rules do not allow tripod use in this canyon. Your photo guides will help with modern techniques to maximise the experience.)

SCENIC FLIGHTS & RAFTING

Note that we will ask group members about interest to undertake optional activities like scenic flights (Grand Canyon) and rafting, before tour departure. (These are not included, please google from Page.) Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 11 - PAGE TO LAS VEGAS December 17

Morning adventure as time allows. We arrive in Vegas, late afternoon. Option to join your guides for dinner and the chance to swap tall stories of your Wild West WPA adventures. Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 12 - LAS VEGAS December 18

The tour ends. Depart as required for your flights. Why not join our linked tour in the USA! No meals are included for this tour. This will offer you flexibility of choice and best timing for shoots. The WPA tour leader will help optimise meals for the group. Itinerary and price is subject to change.