Why I’ve Created this Workshop:

The stories of the American west are undeniably alluring.  A land we've learned we can't truly tame. It's sweeping horizons, rugged mountains, incredible wildlife, dramatic skies, dramatic weather, golden grasslands, ribbons of streams...the list goes on. The people who have called this land home from the native cultures who've survived off these lands thousands of years and hold indelible wisdom to the stories of harrowing and daunting westward expansion...they all make up the incredible legacies so many of us are drawn to.  In the end, there are no words that aptly describe the American West...it's truly a feeling. 

I’ve wanted to offer photography workshops on a working ranch for some time now.  I’ve spent many thousands of miles crisscrossing the backroads of our country exploring what many deem as ‘flyover country.’  Places that seem too rugged or austere. I was born in Nebraska, so perhaps that is why these spaces are rooted in my veins. Oftentimes, less is more. A sense of humility not begging for attention. A community relying on one another for survival. A place where if you wake with the sun, you’ll be treated to the unrivaled theater of nature. A dynamic environment where the weather is always changing. The light is alive as it dances across the peaks and prairies writing its own verses of poetry.  Our cameras become our toolkits to explore our curiosities and learn more about other ways of life. They largely shields us from our biases and supplant them with a sense of wonder and insatiable eagerness to grow. I aim to help you capture what you can’t articulate, and I want you to find a special outlet of expression. 

That brings me to my partnership with Elin and the Parker Ranch outside of Westcliffe, Colorado.  I heard  wonderful things about Elin and her ranch, so I decided to shoot her a message.  Right off the bat, she was inviting and hospitable, and we set up time for me to drive down from my home in the Denver area to check the ranch out and chat. We ended up spending  quality time together feeling like longtime friends.  She’s a true rancher and has worked the land her entire life accumulating a deep reverence and imitate connection with this way of life. She’s incredibly passionate and loves sharing.

We chatted about the challenges to survive today as a 'local working ranch.' We fed the horses and cats and then drove out on the land to check on on the cattle as the snow spit from the winter sky. She got excited  pointing and showing me spots where she built forts as a kid and share how she’d have the horses drag all their wood, she'd share bits of fascinating history that showed how special and intimate her connection is to this pocket of the world. We watched the rather large coyotes harass the calves only to be chased away by mama. We felt the wind whip across our faces and permeate through our skin and the fog undulate through the hillsides. I intuitively felt the powerful relationship to the land.  This was it. This was the place I wanted to share with others.

In my short time with Elin and the ranch, I gained a further understanding why folks cling to this way of life. It's meaningful hard work, it's oftentimes at the mercy of mother nature bringing you closer to the land with a deeper respect and humility.  It feels as if you’re fighting the tide and pushing back at society’s fast-moving tendencies. It feels connected.

By developing photography workshops here, I hope to help support this ranch and share it with you all. Hopefully, you'll come away with beautiful images, and a profound respect for this way of life.

About The Workshop:

Music Meadows Ranch will be hosting us.  If you want more information about the ranch, I invite you visit their website here: Music Meadows Ranch Website

This workshop is geared towards all photography levels and abilities.  I will meet you where you're at and work with you to come away with beautiful and meaningful images.  We will all be able to bounce ideas off one another, share our passions and learn from one another. We are a team, and I want this workshop to be about forming relationships too.  The beauty of spending time on this ranch is to practice mindful photography. This equates to spending lots of time behind the camera and exploring, but also allowing ourselves space and time to learn, appreciate the history and lifestyle, spend time getting to know one another, connect with the land and be very intentional with our visual storytelling.

We will convene in Westcliffe, Colorado. You will be responsible for getting yourself to town, the ranch and all travel during the workshop.  It’s roughly a 3 hour drive from Denver and 1 1/2 hours from Colorado Springs.  The ranch is roughly 15 minutes from downtown Westcliffe.

Much of the workshop will be spent on the 4,000 acre ranch.  We will have early mornings and  be up before sunrise to capture some incredible shots as the light greets the day with the incredible Sangre de Christo mountains draped in beautiful morning pink hues.  We will have a team of cowboys and cowgirls on horses at our creative disposal, so we can capture some incredible images with them throughout the days. We’ll also spend time in the barns focusing our lenses and attention to the beautiful old timber walls, saddles, rope and ranch gear that tell another part of the story.  The quieter moments where we will learn more about how to find beauty in more nuanced scenes and everyday life.  

We will have time to explore the ranch by horse or wagon or foot.  For those who feel comfortable, you’ll have the opportunity to saddle up and head out into the beautiful valleys and alongside the creeks with your camera in hand.  You never know what we will encounter while on horseback out on the land which makes each excursion different and special.   For those who aren’t comfortable getting on a horse, we can get out on the land via vehicle, our own two feet or horse drawn wagon.  These are all great ways to get out and absorb the land.  We might see coyotes, deer, pronghorns, birds of prey and of course the cows while out and about.  

Lastly, we will have time for me to sit with you at your computer and work on your editing or show you some tips and pointers.  In full transparency, I am not one for spending lots of screen time and practicing editing techniques.  This workshop is more experiential in nature and if you’re looking for a ton of editing and classroom time, this might not be the workshop for you; however, I am willing to go over some basics and share with you what I know and also provide time for some group photo feedback time where we can share and provide feedback to each other.

What Gear Do I Need?:

As I mentioned, this workshop is open to all abilities.  You don't have to have the highest grade camera body and assortment of lenses.  If you do, that's great as well! Anything from point and shoot, entry level DSLR/mirrorless cameras to Pro level large megapixel too. You can bring an extra camera body if you have which comes in handy when you don't want to be changing lenses as frequently. If you're looking for a suggestions of lenses to bring with you, I would recommend a wider angle in the 24-70mm range for landscapes, portraits and barn scenes.  For potential wildlife and capturing horses, I would recommend bringing something with a bigger focal length.  A 70-200mm, 28-300mm and if you're really into wildlife a 150-500/600mm comes in great for those long distances and compressions.  If you enjoy astrophotography and taking photos of the night sky, Westcliffe is Colorado's first and highest International Dark sky community. You can learn more about that here: Dark Skies Colorado.  For taking photos of the night sky, I recommend something with a large aperture such as 1.4f or 2.8f and a wider angle (14-28mm range). 

A tripod is also great along with several batteries and an extra memory card.  I’d highly suggest bringing your laptop to backup files, edit, review and share in the evening, but it’s not necessary.   An external hard drive is great too for quick and easy backing up of your photos from the day!

A good camera strap and bag is great to have too. Especially for when we are riding horses or out on the wagon to provide that extra security for your gear. It's also nice to bring along a microfiber cloth, lens cleaner and duster to keep all your gear clean especially after being outside so much.

Beyond our photography gear, clothing is the MOST important.  In the winter, this area gets VERY cold, and we are out in the elements much of the time especially before sunrise and at sunset. You’ll want plenty of warm layers along with warm hats, boots and good insulated and sturdy hiking boots/shoes.  The more prepared you are with your clothing, the more you will enjoy the experience!

We might do a small hike/walk depending on the weather and how the group feels, so good shoes, trekking poles, and traction devices for your feet in the winter are always nice to have long for extra stability.

Minimum/Max Group Size

We need a minimum of 4 guests to be able to run a workshop and the maximum group size is 7. 

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions