White Sands, Winged Migration and the Sonoran Desert
February 18-24, 2025
$4200 per person
Early spring is the best time to visit the deserts of the Southwest, as the air starts to warm, flowers begin to bloom, and migratory birds begin
their great journey north.
Our comprehensive tour highlights two of the iconic deserts of the region: White Sands National Park, New Mexico and its vast expanse of gypsum dunes; and the cactus-studded landscape of Saguaro National Park, Arizona. In between, we’ll marvel at sky-filling flocks of sandhill cranes as they leave their winter home in southern Arizona to head to their summer nesting grounds. This tour is for the photographer who enjoys distinctive landscapes, flowers and close-ups, and wildlife in motion.
What You’ll Learn
Landscape settings
Using tripods properly
Exposure Compensation
Composition
White Balance, Color
Lowlight & Night Settings / Milky Way
Thinking outside the box / Abstracts
Macro / Outdoor Fill Flash
Sunstars
Depth, Compression of Perspective & Scale
Recommended Equipment
D-SLR or Mirrorless camera
A tripod with ball-head
Remote Release
An ultra wide angle lens (f/2.8 for night photos)
A mid-range zoom lens
Telephoto Lens (at least to 400mm)
Macro Lens
External Flash if you have one
Coat & Layers
Extra memory cards, batteries and charger
Physical Difficulty
This tour is Easy. There will be walking in sand, but no real hiking. We have timed this tour so that it is not too hot. There will be some time out in the mid-day sun, but we will focus on morning or late afternoon/night shooting on this tour. The deserts of the southwest, however, can attain a high daytime temperature, even in the winter. It is not uncommon for the temperature to exceed 90 degrees, even in February.
Please refer to our fitness guide for more detail about physical requirements.
Itinerary & Information
This tour begins in Tucson, Arizona, where will spend two days exploring Saguaro National Park (and spend 4 nights). We will then drive to wildlife refuges in the area to find the cranes. We then move to Alamogordo, just outside White Sands National Park. We will end the tour in El Paso, Texas.
What’s Included:
Overnight Accommodations each night
Ground transport with pickup from Tucson airport and drop off at El Paso
Breakfast each morning
Park Permits & Admissions to all sites
Photo guidance
What’s Not included:
Any Flights needed
Alcohol, Lunches, Dinners
Any tips or gratuities
Destination
White Sands National Park, NM
Saguaro National Park, AZ
At a Glance
Dates
February 18-24, 2025
No. of Photographers
Up to 6
Fitness Level
Easy
Cost
$4200