White Sands, New Mexico: Capture to Print

The oldest known human footprints in North America have been discovered at White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Fossilized footprints buried in layers of gypsum showed that humans have been living in this region for 23,000 years. And still today, White Sands remains a magnetic draw for visitors from around the world to experience its wave-like white dunes covering almost 275 square miles of the Tularosa Basin at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert.

For photographers, White Sands is one of the most remarkable landscapes of the American west. Here you are inspired and challenged to capture the drama and beauty of the most dynamic dune system in North America. Scheduled in springtime to take advantage of the cool mornings and early sunsets, this is a combination field and lab workshop led by photographer, teacher, and long-time New Mexico resident Tony Bonanno.

Our adventure begins in Alamogordo, New Mexico as we spend two-and-a-half days at White Sands, exploring our creativity, expanding our visual and technical skills, and learning about the natural and cultural landscape that surrounds us. We then drive to Santa Fe and spend the next two days in the Workshops state-of-art digital lab to process and print our images. Tony reviews, discusses, and guides your image processing workflow, placing special emphasis on composition, color management and archival digital printmaking using both Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.

This workshop is designed to enhance your understanding of the photographic process, from capture to output. Tony shares the in-depth knowledge he gained from his 25-year career as a professional photographer and master printer, and as the National Park Service’s Chief Ranger for the Rocky Mountains and Southwestern United States.

Lengthy days in the field photographing the scenic beauty and drama of White Sands and its surroundings, then seeing your work come to life in the printed form, provide an invigorating, well-rounded experience.