Upcoming Tours,Workshops, and Excursions
Chasing the Chiefs
CHASING THE CHIEFS
Join two experienced photographers and train fans as we chase the Southwest Chiefs along the route of the fabled Santa Fe Super Chief. We'll photograph Amtrak's Chiefs through the “Land of the Semaphores” in New Mexico and on to Winslow, Arizona through what the Santa Fe Railroad called, “The most interesting hundred miles in America.”
The adventure is designed for photographers of all levels who want to make your train images interesting even to your “non-foamer ”spouses. Train photos don't have to be boring!
We'll help you decide where to stand, what camera settings to use, compositions, time exposure techniques, night time photography, and all the decisions that go into creating interesting photographs and videos of trains and railroads.
We'll be at the best places to photograph the trains and the wonderful landscapes of the Southwest, providing instruction for people of all skill levels.
We meet in Albuquerque in time to photograph the late morning arrival at the station of the eastbound No. 4. Leaving before the train, we'll drive to Lamy in time to catch No. 4's arrival at that historic station. Next we'll photograph the train as it summits Glorieta Pass, then race it down to Rowe for another photo-op. Then it's on to some of the last remaining semaphores in North America. (This could be your last chance to photograph working semaphores. They are disappearing as the railroad “modernizes”.)
Usually both the eastbound and the westbound Chiefs meet between Lamy and Las Vegas so on both days we'll have the likely opportunity to photograph the meet of these two transcontinental trains. (Often they meet at the same place that the Super Chiefs once met. Maybe we'll see their ghosts along the route!)
The train may beat us to Las Vegas, but we'll catch it again at Watrous and north of Wagon Mound at the last of the semaphores before we return for our night at the old Fred Harvey Hotel La Castañeda, meticulously restored for the 21st Century. We'll have dinner in its fine dining room.
The next morning we'll head meet the westbound Chief No. 3 on the high prairie near Wagon Mound and more scenic spots to photograph No. 3. We'll stop at the best semaphores for photographing the westbound Chief on our way back to Rowe, Glorieta Pass, Lamy, and Albuquerque. We will also have the chance to photograph the RailRunner, the distinctive commuter train operating between Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
The second part of our adventure, for those who have signed up for both parts and for our new participants, begins in Albuquerque. We'll meet No. 4, hopefully at the Dailies. Then it's off to the west, traveling on some of the original Route 66 and along the BNSF's busy transcon where we'll have freight trains to photograph while we wait for the afternoon arrival of No. 3 on that 90mph track. We'll get to Winslow in time for dinner in the Turquoise Room restaurant (Named after the private dining room aboard the Super Chiefs.) and then the arrival of No. 3 as it glides into Winslow for its quick stop. After a night in La Posada, our second fully restored Fred Harvey Hotel, we'll be up early to photograph No. 4 as it descends from Flagstaff with the magnificent San Francisco Peaks in the background.
Then we'll drive back to New Mexico with more opportunities to photograph the Chief in Red Rock country east of Gallup. Our tour will end in Albuquerque in the early afternoon.
Assuming the trains are not sold out, participants will have the opportunity to ride either train back to Albuquerque. On the first part of the trip you can board in Las Vegas and ride to Albuquerque through Apache Canyon. On the second part, you can board in Winslow and ride to Albuquerque. (Tickets are not included in your expenses and are on your own should you decide to do this.)
This workshop/tour is limited to six participants to insure that you'll have all the individual attention you want.
DATES
April 21-22, 2023 (Albuquerque-Las Vegas-Albuquerque)
April 23-24, 2023 (Albuquerque-Winslow-Albuquerque)
CHASING THE CHIEFS TOUR PRICE
Albuquerque-Las Vegas-Albuquerque
$995.00
Albuquerque-Winslow-Albuquerque
$995.00
Sign up for both and receive $200 off ($1,790)
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Guiding, coaching and teaching with as much one-on-one interaction as you want. (Teacher-Student Ratio of no more than 3:1)
First class lodging, food, and transportation
All meals
Lodging in Fred Harvey Hotels (La Castañeda in Las Vegas; La Posada in Winslow)
All transportation, unless you choose to ride the train back to Albuquerque. You may also drive your own car if you want.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Alcoholic Beverages
Train tickets for those choosing to ride one or both trains.
Lodging and food in Albuquerque
To secure your reservation a deposit of US$ 500.00 per person is required. Refunds are handled according to the Terms and Conditions. The remaining money is due 20 days prior to the trip.
YOUR GUIDES
Both your guides on this adventure are professional photographers and long time train fans. Both are old enough to remember the Super Chiefs racing across the high prairies of New Mexico and navigating their way through Apache Canyon. Kent Winchester has explored the route with his camera for much of his life and Norm Gagne, an expert in black and white photography, will teach you how to make stunning photographs of trains. Both exhibit their work at the Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery and have collectors from around the world.
For more information and to sign up you can call, email, or use our websites.
Kent Winchester 505-238-4905 landofclearlight@protonmail.com
www.landofclearlight.com
Norm Gagne 505-480-4374 nlgagne1@gmail.com
www.normgagne.photography
This excursion is limited to six participants, so everyone will have plenty of opportunities for as much or as little photographic instruction as you like. If you are already a skilled photographer, we will take you to places where you can raise your skill level by photographing trains in some of the most beautiful spots in the Southwest. If you are a beginner or an intermediate photographer, we will help you learn the basics of camera operation and landscape/train photography with instruction geared for you.
Join two experienced photographers and train fans as we chase the Southwest Chiefs along the route of the fabled Santa Fe Super Chief. We'll photograph Amtrak's Chiefs through the “Land of the Semaphores” in New Mexico and on to Winslow, Arizona through what the Santa Fe Railroad called, “The most interesting hundred miles in America.”
The adventure is designed for photographers of all levels who want to make your train images interesting even to your “non-foamer ”spouses. Train photos don't have to be boring!
We'll help you decide where to stand, what camera settings to use, compositions, time exposure techniques, night time photography, and all the decisions that go into creating interesting photographs and videos of trains and railroads.
We'll be at the best places to photograph the trains and the wonderful landscapes of the Southwest, providing instruction for people of all skill levels.
We meet in Albuquerque in time to photograph the late morning arrival at the station of the eastbound No. 4. Leaving before the train, we'll drive to Lamy in time to catch No. 4's arrival at that historic station. Next we'll photograph the train as it summits Glorieta Pass, then race it down to Rowe for another photo-op. Then it's on to some of the last remaining semaphores in North America. (This could be your last chance to photograph working semaphores. They are disappearing as the railroad “modernizes”.)
Usually both the eastbound and the westbound Chiefs meet between Lamy and Las Vegas so on both days we'll have the likely opportunity to photograph the meet of these two transcontinental trains. (Often they meet at the same place that the Super Chiefs once met. Maybe we'll see their ghosts along the route!)
The train may beat us to Las Vegas, but we'll catch it again at Watrous and north of Wagon Mound at the last of the semaphores before we return for our night at the old Fred Harvey Hotel La Castañeda, meticulously restored for the 21st Century. We'll have dinner in its fine dining room.
The next morning we'll head meet the westbound Chief No. 3 on the high prairie near Wagon Mound and more scenic spots to photograph No. 3. We'll stop at the best semaphores for photographing the westbound Chief on our way back to Rowe, Glorieta Pass, Lamy, and Albuquerque. We will also have the chance to photograph the RailRunner, the distinctive commuter train operating between Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
The second part of our adventure, for those who have signed up for both parts and for our new participants, begins in Albuquerque. We'll meet No. 4, hopefully at the Dailies. Then it's off to the west, traveling on some of the original Route 66 and along the BNSF's busy transcon where we'll have freight trains to photograph while we wait for the afternoon arrival of No. 3 on that 90mph track. We'll get to Winslow in time for dinner in the Turquoise Room restaurant (Named after the private dining room aboard the Super Chiefs.) and then the arrival of No. 3 as it glides into Winslow for its quick stop. After a night in La Posada, our second fully restored Fred Harvey Hotel, we'll be up early to photograph No. 4 as it descends from Flagstaff with the magnificent San Francisco Peaks in the background.
Then we'll drive back to New Mexico with more opportunities to photograph the Chief in Red Rock country east of Gallup. Our tour will end in Albuquerque in the early afternoon.
Assuming the trains are not sold out, participants will have the opportunity to ride either train back to Albuquerque. On the first part of the trip you can board in Las Vegas and ride to Albuquerque through Apache Canyon. On the second part, you can board in Winslow and ride to Albuquerque. (Tickets are not included in your expenses and are on your own should you decide to do this.)
This workshop/tour is limited to six participants to insure that you'll have all the individual attention you want.
DATES
April 21-22, 2023 (Albuquerque-Las Vegas-Albuquerque)
April 23-24, 2023 (Albuquerque-Winslow-Albuquerque)
CHASING THE CHIEFS TOUR PRICE
Albuquerque-Las Vegas-Albuquerque
$995.00
Albuquerque-Winslow-Albuquerque
$995.00
Sign up for both and receive $200 off ($1,790)
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Guiding, coaching and teaching with as much one-on-one interaction as you want. (Teacher-Student Ratio of no more than 3:1)
First class lodging, food, and transportation
All meals
Lodging in Fred Harvey Hotels (La Castañeda in Las Vegas; La Posada in Winslow)
All transportation, unless you choose to ride the train back to Albuquerque. You may also drive your own car if you want.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Alcoholic Beverages
Train tickets for those choosing to ride one or both trains.
Lodging and food in Albuquerque
To secure your reservation a deposit of US$ 500.00 per person is required. Refunds are handled according to the Terms and Conditions. The remaining money is due 20 days prior to the trip.
YOUR GUIDES
Both your guides on this adventure are professional photographers and long time train fans. Both are old enough to remember the Super Chiefs racing across the high prairies of New Mexico and navigating their way through Apache Canyon. Kent Winchester has explored the route with his camera for much of his life and Norm Gagne, an expert in black and white photography, will teach you how to make stunning photographs of trains. Both exhibit their work at the Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery and have collectors from around the world.
For more information and to sign up you can call, email, or use our websites.
Kent Winchester 505-238-4905 landofclearlight@protonmail.com
www.landofclearlight.com
Norm Gagne 505-480-4374 nlgagne1@gmail.com
www.normgagne.photography
This excursion is limited to six participants, so everyone will have plenty of opportunities for as much or as little photographic instruction as you like. If you are already a skilled photographer, we will take you to places where you can raise your skill level by photographing trains in some of the most beautiful spots in the Southwest. If you are a beginner or an intermediate photographer, we will help you learn the basics of camera operation and landscape/train photography with instruction geared for you.
Lake Powell 2023
Lake Powell and Glen Canyon (2023)
October 18-22, 2023
Explore during our Lake Powell Workshop majestic Glen Canyon and Lake Powell with its yellow-orange-red-ocher sandstone rocks and glide smoothy into narrow tributary canyons on a deck boat. Hike through nature and discover its resurgent beauty with the receding water of Lake Powell and photograph unique images.
Highlights
Resurgent majestic Glen Canyon
Five days on a houseboat
Gourmet Cooking
Deck boat to get to remote photo-ops
Easy daily hikes through pristine Nature
7 spots are still available
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
Go to: https://fourcorners.photography/checkout/
Join Peter Boehringer and me October 18 - 22, 2023 for a five day Lake Powell Photography Workshop. This is a unique adventure for photographers with a background in landscape photography or desire to learn it. We will cruise on a luxury houseboat and take along a deck boat for access to more remote sites. We will also take short day hikes to reach additional photographic opportunities in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau. It will be an opportunity to create wonderful photographs and improve your photographic skills.
You will be able to photograph, depending on the lake’s water level and weather conditions, the Anasazi Canyon, Cathedral Canyon, Confluence Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, Dominguez Butte, Face Canyon, Gregory Butte, Gunsight Butte and Canyon, Labyrinth Canyon, Last Chance Canyon, Padre Bay with Cookie Jar & Weathering Pit Ridge, Rock Creek Canyon and other sights along the way. We plan this adventure to arrive at the best spots at the best time of the day.
Learn & Photograph with Passion
Work in different lighting and with short/long exposure and aperture. Learn about night photography techniques in the beautifully desolate surroundings of the Glen Canyon. How to handle equipment with care on location. Assistance with camera settings, the basics of composition, guide and help in general. Hands-on lessons that can take your photography skills to the next level. Review and constructive criticism/feedback of the images taken during t he day. Workflow in Phase One's Capture One software and Adobe Lightroom. Classroom sessions with various topics (qualities of light and how to manage it, when and how to use various kinds of filters, crafting panoramic photographs, introduction to Tilt & Shift lenses)
Itinerary
The exact itinerary will be kept flexible to account for the weather and current conditions. The itinerary below is an example of what you can expect.
1st Day - We will meet at the Antelope Point Marina and get onto our houseboat, get settled, get to know each other, and give an introduction to our following days. We depart then to Padre Bay to anchor at a beach and proceed with our low light photographing into sunset. We'll return to the houseboat for a gourmet dinner and a relaxing evening.
2nd - 4nd Day - Depending on the Lake Powell's water level and weather conditions, the Anasazi Canyon, Cathedral Canyon, Confluence Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, Dominguez Butte, Face Canyon, Gregory Butte, Gunsight Butte and Canyon, Labyrinth Canyon, Last Chance Canyon, Padre Bay with Cookie Jar & Weathering Pit Ridge, Rock Creek Canyon and other terrific locations will be on our schedule. We plan this adventure to arrive at the best spots at the best time of the day. We tend to be at some specific location with low light conditions (dusk and dawn) for photographing. Each day will begin with coffee or tea, photographing, and returning to the houseboat for breakfast. We'll have high tea each afternoon and gourmet dinners each evening after our sunset photography.The houseboat will be anchored each evening at a beach allowing us to engage in astrophotography in the night.
5th Day - Our last night will be spent near the Crossing of the Fathers with views of Boundary, Dinosaur, Gunsight, and Tower Buttes. Different compositions can be carved out in the early morning after which we will weigh anchor and return to Antelope Point Marina.
Travel Facts
Lake Powell Workshop 2023 18 - 22 October 2023 5 Days Number of guests: 8; number of instructors: 2
Included Houseboat + Deckboat Accommodation in stateroom or tent Breakfast, Tea time, Dinner
Not included Travel to and from the workshop destination Beverages Travel insurance
Ask Us Do you have any questions about the Lake Powell Workshop or would you like to go on a private customized tour?
Contact us
Price
$ 4,500 in shared stateroom. $ 6,450 in single stateroom. $ 4,000 camping on the beach
Group sign-up of 3+ participants receive a group discount.
Alumni to previous photo tour or workshop receive a 5% discount on the base price.
All prices are per person.
To secure your reservation a deposit of $500 per person is required. Refunds are handled according to the Terms & Conditions. The remaining money is due 90 days prior to the trip.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
We recommend an independent travel insurance. Knowing you have 100% trip cancellation coverage can make a big difference should you have to cancel for some unforeseen reason.
GETTING THERE
We will meet you at the Antelope Point Marina, Page, Arizona. You can park your car there for the duration of the workshop.
In case you are flying to Page we will arrange a pick up at your hotel and get you to the marina for the start of the workshop. At the end of the photographic adventure we will drive you back to your hotel in Page.
A third option is flying to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We will meet you in Albuquerque one day prior to the workshop and give you a lift to Page and take you back to Albuquerque at the end of the tour.
WEATHER
October weather at Lake Powell is usually delightful with sunny days and clear nights. The average rainfall for all of October is 0.82 inches and hopefully we'll have some clouds to enhance our photographs. We've seldom been rained on in all the years we've operated this tout. The night time low temperatures are around 50°F and the highs average about 72°F.
BASIS AND RATES
All prices are quoted in US Dollars (US$). The prices are based on current tariffs and are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. While Peter Boehringer Photography will do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, if it is necessary to levy a surcharge, Peter Boehringer Photography reserves the right to do so, and notification will be given at the time of final invoicing.
PAYMENTS
A deposit is required at the time of booking. A deposit is required at the time of booking. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective on the date, which the letter or email is received by Peter Boehringer Photography. There is no cancellation charge until 180 days (international tours) and 120 days (tours within the U.S.A.) before departure with exception of transaction fees (5.8% + $0.6 + international exchange fees, if applicable). Cancellation charges less than 180 days (international tours) or 120days (tours within the U.S.A.) before departure are expressed as a percentage of the total price, and are as follows: 179 – 91 days, for international tours, and 119– 31 days, for tours within the U.S.A., before departure 50%, and 90 days for international tours and 30 days for tour within the U.S.A. or less before departure 100%. Leaving a photography tour or workshop in progress, for any reason whatsoever, will not result in a refund, and no refunds will be made for any unused portions of a photography tour or workshop. Peter Boehringer Photography reserves the right to cancel a photography tour or workshop because of inadequate enrollment that makes the trip economically infeasible to operate, or because of good-faith concerns with respect to the safety, health, or welfare of the participants. If a photography tour or workshop is cancelled prior to departure, you will have a choice between a full refund minus transaction fees (5.8% + $0.6 + international exchange fees, if applicable) or a credit towards a future photography tour or workshop equivalent to amount paid. If we cancels the trip in progress, you will receive a pro-rata refund based on the number of days. We are not responsible for any refund for airline tickets, hotel accommodation, etc. purchased by the participant.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
In order to participate in a photography tour or workshop you are required to have comprehensive insurance coverage for personal accident and injury, medical and repatriation costs during the photography tour or workshop. In addition we strongly recommend that you arrange cancellation and travel insurance covering the loss, expenses and damages arising from, including but not limited to, cancellation of the photography tour or workshop (whether in whole or in part), loss of baggage and personal money and belongings, as well as flight cancellations and delays.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
You must be in good physical and mental health. Any physical condition or treatment requiring special attention must be reported in writing at the time of booking and again when signing the waiver of liability. By registering for a photography tour or workshop, the participant certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical, or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other participants. We reserve the right in our sole discretion to accept, decline to accept, or remove any participant of a photography tour or workshop, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in our judgment, conditions warrant or if we deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the participants.
SPECIAL REQUESTS
If you have special requests, e.g. dietary, cabin number, bedding type, airline seat or other requests, you should inform us of these at the time of booking. We cannot guarantee that such requests will be met, and will have no liability to you if such requests are not met.
RESPONSIBILITY
Please see and review our liability release prior to making your deposit.
Remember too that we will not be liable for any air carrier’s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non-refundable ticket to or from the tour or workshop departure city. It is the sole responsibility of the participants to organize their own transportation to and from the meeting point as described in the photography tour or workshop itinerary, e.g. airport, hotel, and to ensure timely arrival. In the event of late arrival it is the responsibility of the participant to join the photography tour or workshop, and to carry all associated expenses. If you miss a part of the tour refunds will not be issued unless we are responsible for you missing a part of the trip. Baggage and personal effects are at all times your responsibility.
Other terms and conditions may apply to some photography tours or workshops, and details will always be provided with pre-trip mailings. By making the deposit payment, the participant agrees to the terms and conditions and the responsibility statements herein on behalf of all the individuals included in the booking.
LOW WATER LEVEL ?
Lake Powell currently contains 1.8 trillion gallons of water, remains hundreds of feet deep (392 feet deep at the dam), is 189 miles long, and has more than 2,000 miles of shoreline. The media frenzy about the lowering levels of Powell and Lake Meade is misleading. The Bureau of Reclamation plans to maintain Powell's water level at least 3,525 feet above sea level through December of 2023. With these lower water levels Powell and Glen Canyon have more beaches, look better, and are better for photography since the dam first plugged the river. Glen Canyon is returning in all its glory. We will photograph places that haven't been seen since the days you could raft the river. And we'll have plenty of water for our boats to get to them. Photography will be phenomenal.
TRAVEL SAFETY
We will be carrying two inReach devices during the entire photographic tour for everybody’s safety. The inReach is a handy satellite operated device which has virtually 100% coverage capabilities regardless of where we are located in the wilderness. This ensures that we can dispatch a SOS signal for an emergency evacuation. The dispatch is free, but any costs related to the rescue will be your responsibility and is why comprehensive insurance. is imperative and mandatory.
DISCLAIMER
Any trips we organize or organize with another photographer are private and non-business. We enjoy the company and the opportunity to help people get to know and photograph the Southwest. Our goal is to have a pleasant, safe trip with artistic value photography as a result. We share expenses, gear, ideas, and experiences. We will not be going any place on public lands that are not generally open to the public. No photographs you take on public lands may be used to promote the sale or use of a product or service. We will not do any "commercial filming" as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations. We will respect nature, leave only footprints where we are allowed to leave footprints, and take only our images, memories, and friendships home with us.
***
Digital photography, social media, and modern travel patterns changed nature & landscape photography radically. The amount of people visiting the wilderness increased over the last two decades exponentially. Nature is coping poorly with the increased human presence. It is time that we all who value nature and photography question our behavior out there and prioritize the well-being of nature over photography. We support the entities Leave no Traces, Nature First, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance.
