Dates:

Sunday, March 30 - Friday, April 4, 2025

Cost: 

$8,495 - Single occupancy lodging at The Inn at Death Valley, a 4-Diamond Resort located in the center of Death Valley National Park.

Size:

Limited to 4 attendees

Included in the cost of the trip:

• Single occupancy lodging at The Inn at Death Valley, a 4-Diamond Resort located in the center of Death Valley National Park
• All meals and beverages except alcohol and snacks
  
• All ground transportation
  
• Park admission fees
  
• Introduction to Astrophotography classroom session
• In-the-field photography instruction
• Editing/critique/review sessions
• Airport transportation from Las Vegas
• Use of loaner Leica camera equipment *limited availability
  
  

Not included in the cost of the trip:

• Flights to and from the workshops
  
• Snacks
• Alcoholic beverages
  
  

Getting There:

Death Valley is situated in the Mojave Desert, a 4-hour drive from Los Angeles and a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas.  We are planning to fly into Las Vegas and drive from there, however you are welcome to drive to Death Valley in your own vehicle if you prefer.

Recommended Equipment

• Full-frame camera with native ISO up to 12,500 or higher 
  
• Lens 28mm or wider, f/2.8 or faster (the wider and faster the better!)
• Sturdy tripod
• Shutter release cable (recommended, but you can use camera's self-timer)
• Headlamp with red mode
• Small flashlight (for light painting)
• PhotoPills app for your smartphone
• Laptop computer with Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop for image processing
  
  

Where We'll Stay



We'll spend the entirety of the workshop at The Inn at Death Valley, a 4-Diamond resort located in the center of Death Valley National Park.   It's a fantastic location and very centrally located for our expeditions.

Activity Level

Most of the locations we will visit are easily accessible, within a 10-minute walk from the road. However, we may choose to explore farther from the road in the sand dunes which can be tiring to walk on.  Please make sure you are confident and comfortable with walking over uneven ground while carrying your photo bag. You'll also need to be comfortable walking on trails at night with a headlamp. A camera backpack is strongly recommended.

Signing Up

To sign up for this workshop, just checkout here on our website, email us (workshops@leicastoremiami.com) or call 305-921-4433. We are happy to answer any questions you may have. 

We look forward to seeing you in California!

Itinerary

Our itinerary will depend on the weather conditions during the week of the trip. All locations are within an hour’s drive from the hotel, so we will have a great deal of flexibility. Some of our many locations will include:

• • Badwater Basin
  • Zabriskie Point
  • 20-Mule Team Canyon
  • Mesquite Dunes
  • Dante's View
  • Devil's Golf Course
  • Artist's Pallette
  • Golden Canyon

Sunday, March 30: Arrival

The adventure begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, where we will pick you up from the airport and begin the scenic drive through the Mojave Desert to Death Valley.  On this small group tour, you will have plenty of time to work 1-on-1 with your guide and get personalized help with your photography.

Monday, March 31 - Intro to Astrophotography

After breakfast, we'll gather for an introduction to Astrophotography. In this classroom session, we will teach you the basic concepts necessary to plan and execute a successful Milky Way photoshoot. We will focus on single exposure, wide-field astrophotography (we won't go into star trackers or deep field astrophotography). Some of the topics we will cover include:

• How to find the best location
• Optimal times to see the Galactic Core
• What equipment to use
• How to focus in the dark
• Exposure settings
• Rule of 500
• Using the PhotoPills app
• More tips and tricks

Tuesday, April 1 - Thursday, April 3: 

A typical workshop day might look like this:
Wake up early for breakfast before heading out for our morning shoot. After a fiery sunrise, we'll spend the morning out in the desert, exploring a few different photo locations from different angles. We'll head back to the hotel by 11:00am as the hottest part of the day approaches, and enjoy some cold drinks by the pool. 

After lunch, we'll return to the our rooms for a mid afternoon siesta - we could be out late! Before heading back out, we'll hit the classroom for a quick lesson on Astrophotography. It’s important to understand the theory in order to capture the Milky Way!

After dinner we'll head out as the skies are getting dark. We’ll check out some new locations, as well as revisiting some of the locations we saw earlier in the daylight, and photograph the stars over the desert. If you haven't been before, you won’t believe how amazing the skies are in this part of the country!

Friday, April 4

After breakfast, we'll say our farewells. If you're not extending your stay, you can schedule your departure at any time.

Payment
A $2495 deposit is due at the time of registration.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy
Enrollment is limited to 4 participants, and once you sign up, we are counting on your attendance. If you need to withdraw from this workshop, please notify us in writing (email is acceptable) as soon as possible. This is our refund policy:

If you cancel and we find someone to fill your seat, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $250 service charge. If you cancel and we cannot find someone to fill your seat, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule:

At least 90 days before the start of the workshop: Full refund minus $250 service fee.
Between 89 and 60 days before the start of the workshop: 75% refund
Between 59 and 45 days before the start of the workshop: 50% refund
Less than 45 days from the start of the workshop: No refund

Travel Insurance (STRONGLY recommended)

Leica Store Miami is not responsible for cancellations due to medical or personal emergencies so we highly recommend purchasing travel Insurance. Companies like Travelex and Allianz Global Assistance are reputable but you can choose any vendor you like. Just make sure that they have an A+ rating from the BBB. Leica Store Miami is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of a workshop cancellation.

Camera Gear Insurance (STRONGLY recommended)

We advise all of our workshop attendees to insure their camera gear against damage, theft, loss, etc. If your gear is not already insured, check with your home owner's insurance to see if they offer coverage. There are several photo specific insurance policies out there as well.

Course Cancellation and Other Terms
Leica Store Miami reserves the right to cancel a reservation if full payment has not been received by 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.
In the event that this workshop must be canceled due to inadequate enrollment, all fees and deposits will be refunded in full or may be transferred to another workshop within 24 months.
In the unlikely event of illness, accident or injury to one of the instructors, Leica Store Miami reserves the right to replace that instructor with a comparable instructor.

Transfers
If for any reason you wish to transfer your deposit or workshop fee, please notify us by email. You must register and complete a new workshop within 24 months of the withdrawal. We reserve the right to accept or deny any transfer.

There are no exceptions to our Cancellation and Transfer Policy.