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Canyons, Rapids, & Photographs Cataract Canyon Whitewater Rafting & Photography Workshop 31 May - 5 June 2010 Moab Photo Tours, LLC
Come along with internationally-published photographer, Jon Fuller of Moab Photo Tours, on a white-water rafting photography adventure down Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River. This year’s trip is timed to take advantage of the projected high spring run-off this year, providing an exciting trip through some of the best white-water rapids on the Colorado River. For safety, we’ll be going in a 33' long S-rig motorized raft that can still provide a very exciting ride through Cataract Canyon. We may also bring along an 18' rowing raft for any adrenaline junkies. Photos of an earlier trip can be viewed in the Workshop Gallery at www.moabphototours.com. Outfitting services for the workshop will be provided by World Wide River Expeditions, one of Moab’s most experienced river companies. They will provide the camping gear, as well as delicious meals on the river. The trip begins and ends in Moab, in Utah’s beautiful red-rock canyon country, home of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as Dead Horse Point State Park. You may want to come a few days early, or stay over a few extra days to take advantage of the spectacular photo opportunities here around Moab. There will be an orientation meeting on Monday night, 31 May, at 7:00pm. We will leave Moab by bus on the morning of Tuesday, 1 June and travel down-river about 10 miles to the boat launch. Once aboard the rafts, we’ll motor down the flat water of the canyon, enjoying the beautiful red sandstone cliffs. We’ll stop at the mouth of Lathrop Canyon where it meets the Colorado River, and hike a short distance to some ancient Native American rock art panels and small ruins set on the bluff’s edge. Depending on the water level and campsite availability, we may camp the first night across the river from these ruins. Because this is a photography trip, we’ll stop each afternoon early enough to take advantage of the beautiful sunset light on the river and canyon walls. We will also have time in the mornings for catching sunrise light before breakfast each day. In the evenings you’ll have the opportunity to learn some night landscape photo techniques and painting with light. Informal evening discussions will center around digital workflow and post-processing techniques . On the second day, we’ll continue down canyon, with probable stops at Indian Creek Canyon to see some Ancestral Pueblan ruins (water level permitting) and for a hike over the Loop Trail. We’ll be keeping an eye out all along for the desert bighorn sheep that live along the river. We’ll also pass the Confluence, where the Green River joins the Colorado River. This marks the beginning of Cataract Canyon. The second night’s camp will be at Spanish Bottom, below the Doll House area of the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. This beautiful area is normally accessible over land only by a brutal, bone-jarring 6-8 hour 4WD trip, but from the river it’s only about an hour’s hike up to the canyon rim. It is not a dangerous hike, but is somewhat strenuous as the trail switchbacks up to the rim. The third day, for those that would like to, we’ll hike up in time for sunrise on the sandstone spires of the Doll House. Those that would like to sleep in can catch the sunrise light on the canyon from camp and hike up to the Doll House later that morning, or photograph around the camp area. With a little luck from Mother Nature, we’ll still have some wildflowers and cacti in bloom at this time of year. You’ll have the opportunity to spend all day up in the Doll House if you want, photographing rock formations, flowers, fantastic rock erosion patterns, ancient rock art, and Ancestral Pueblan granaries. You can return to camp any time you like, but the real diehards can stay all day and hike down as the sun is setting. You will have the opportunity to learn how to make spectacular landscape photos even in the flat light of mid-day, and also work on wildflower photo techniques, Mother Nature willing. You will also learn panoramic landscape and HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques to handle difficult contrast situations. The next day is rapids day, with over 25 Class II-IV rapids in this section of river. We’ll take the opportunity to stop along shore above the biggest set of rapids and photograph other rafts going through. The final evening’s camp will probably be at the take-out at Hite, at the top of Lake Powell. Vans will take us to a bluff overlooking Hite, giving us beautiful sweeping panoramas of the river and canyon below at sunset. On the fifth day, we’ll get up early enough for some good dawn/early light photography before breakfast and breaking camp. We’ll then head up to the nearby airstrip for our scenic flight back to Moab aboard small charter airplanes. We’ve put in our request to be the first group out in the morning, giving us the best landscape light for photography as we fly back to Moab over Canyonlands National Park and Cataract Canyon, providing you an aerial view of the river and canyons. It is possible to photograph through the windows of the airplanes on the way back on the hour-long flight. We’ll land at Canyonlands Field, where we’ll be met by the World Wide bus for our short drive back to Moab. This workshop can accommodate a minimum 6 and a maximum of 12 participants. There will be one or two photography guides as well, depending on the size of our group. With eight participants, world-famous nature and wildlife photographer and cinematographer, Jeff Foott, will join us as the second guide. Jeff is a very experienced river-runner and mountain guide and has led photo workshops all over the world, from Africa to Antarctica and all points in between. This workshop is open to both photographers and non-photographers, age 18 and older. (If you have a mature teenager who is a serious photographer, please contact me and we can discuss the possibility of their attending the workshop.) The cost of this workshop is $1795.00 per person and includes the use of all necessary camping equipment, including a river drybag for your clothing, tent, sleeping bag, etc., and meals from the time we leave Moab until we return, bus transportation from Moab to the river launch, the scenic air flight back to Canyonlands Airport, and bus back to Moab from the airport. It does not include your motel accommodations in Moab the night before we depart on the river, and the last night after returning to Moab. It does not include your personal transportation to and from Moab from your home, nor a waterproof case for your camera gear. It is highly recommended that you obtain a waterproof camera case, such as a Pelican or other similar case, to protect your gear on rapids day. They are not available for sale in Moab, so you need to buy one before you come. We look forward to providing you with a fantastic outdoor wilderness and photography experience on this workshop, while rafting down the spectacular canyon that John Wesley Powell named Cataract. Jon Fuller Moab Photo Tours, LLC
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