Capture to Print: Spring in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
with Christina Selby
April 6 – 10, 2026
Course Description
The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in southern New Mexico is one of the state’s most dramatic desert landscapes—and one of its most fragile ecosystems. From our base in Las Cruces, we spend three days exploring different regions of this 500,000-acre monument.
In the field, you learn how to photograph both sweeping vistas and intimate details as we explore the soaring granite spires of the Organ Mountains, volcanic cones, expansive grasslands, and hidden hanging gardens with seasonal waterfalls. Spring is an ideal season in the Organ Mountains for landscape photography, when poppies and a rich diversity of wildflowers bring the desert to life.
This workshop emphasizes not only technical and creative landscape photography skills, but also the role of photographers as advocates for the natural world. Guest speakers share insights on the monument’s protected status and the growing threats to public lands, inspiring discussion on how imagery can be a tool for conservation. In the field, you’ll practice techniques for grand and intimate landscapes, and close-up studies—all with the goal of creating images that foster awareness and stewardship.
After three days in the field, we return to Santa Fe Workshops state-of-the-art digital lab, where you refine your images and bring them to life in print. You are guided through a comprehensive digital printmaking workflow, discuss the impact of paper choice, and learn tips and tricks for translating landscape imagery effectively. We also discuss strategies for using your photographs to support conservation efforts in meaningful ways.
By the end of the class, you leave with a diverse portfolio of desert imagery and a deeper understanding of how your photography can make a difference for the lands you love to photograph.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Advanced Amateurs, Early-Career Professionals
What You Should Know:
Working knowledge of digital workflow and manual mode on your digital SLR or mirrorless camera. Participants must be able to download and select images and have a basic knowledge of photo editing using editing software for class sessions.
Working knowledge of Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop is required for this workshop. No prior printmaking experience is required.
Special Notes:
Participants should arrive in Las Cruces, NM, the afternoon of Sunday, April 5. The group will meet for the first time Monday morning, April 6.
Activity Level:
To get the most from your workshop experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of New Mexico (4000 ft above sea level in Las Cruces and 8000 ft in Santa Fe), long days, and seasonal weather.
You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.
Participants should be able to engage in moderate outdoor exercise for up to an hour or more at a time including off-trail walking on uneven terrain including sand, dirt, and loose rock. Location work is likely to include early morning and/or late evening shoots.
This workshop includes a travel day from Las Cruces to Santa Fe. Please be prepared to drive approximately 4 hours between the two cities.
Policies:
View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for domestic workshops.
Accommodations:
A group reservation will be made at a hotel in Las Cruces for a discounted rate. Participants will receive further information upon registering for the workshop. While you are not required to stay at the hotel with the group, it will serve as a daily meeting point and classroom sessions will be held in the hotel conference room.
Participants are also responsible for making their own housing arrangements in Santa Fe.
Package Price INFO:
$1,895 includes instruction, location and print fees, daily beverage service, and one group dinner in Santa Fe. Accommodations, travel, and other meals are the responsibility of the participant.
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about
Christina Selby is a conservation photographer based in Santa Fe. As a visual artist and writer, she uses multimedia storytelling as a powerful tool to share the beauty of the planet and motivate others to act on behalf of nature. Her two guidebooks: Best Wildflower Hikes New Mexico, and Family Outdoor Adventures New Mexico, and numerous articles for New Mexico Magazine, have allowed her to explore New Mexico widely in 20 years of living here. She has published stories on endangered species and places and the efforts to save them in publications such as Audubon Magazine, Sierra Magazine, bioGraphic, Scientific American, National Geographic online, Outdoor Photographer, and more. She has also collaborated with The Nature Conservancy, New Mexico Wild, Defenders of Wildlife, and Audubon to support conservation efforts with visual storytelling.
Website: christinamselby.com
Instagram: @christinamselbyphoto
