Gold Canyon is about six hours from San Diego, and in winter there's a one-hour time zone change to account for. Being east of Phoenix, it let me sidestep most of the city traffic — always a win. We'd had some good rains this winter, and the desert was putting on quite a show with the wildflowers. The first few days of the workshop ran warmer than usual for February, though it settled down nicely toward the end.

We kicked things off with silhouette shots along the ridgeline at sunrise — saguaro cactus and cowboys against the morning sky. The shoot took place at a local riding stable, where the ranch hands were gracious enough to join us, along with several cowboys who made the trip down from Montana, where this workshop also holds sessions. The Superstition Mountains frame the background in quite a few of the images, which made for a dramatic backdrop.

Activities throughout the workshop included roping and moving longhorn steers, working with horses, and capturing groups of cowboys kicking up dust in the golden sunset light. We also did portraits using available light, bounced light, and studio lighting. Lunch on the ranch every day was a treat, with entertainment ranging from a cowboy poet to a singer-songwriter. The final lunch was a proper chuck wagon meal prepared by a professional chuck wagon cook — a real highlight.

After the workshop wrapped up, I stuck around Mesa for a few extra days. One afternoon I drove the full length of the Apache Trail on a recommendation from one of the musicians, who called it one of the best drives in Arizona. What he neglected to mention was that of the roughly forty miles, only about half is paved — and two miles of the unpaved stretch narrows down to a single lane. It's a spectacular drive, though not many pull-outs for photography. At the far end you'll find the Theodore Roosevelt Dam and a beautiful arch bridge. I made a quick side trip from there to Tonto National Monument, which has two different pueblo sites. One is accessible during visitor center hours; the other is ranger-led with limited access. The trail up is a straight climb via paved switchbacks. By the time I arrived around 3:00 pm, it was closing in an hour and the heat was no joke — so I gave it a pass for another day.

On the way back to Mesa, I swung through Apache Junction at the start of the Apache Trail, where wild horses roam the area. I stopped at a few parks along the Salt River where horses are often spotted. No horses that day, but the river scenery was beautiful in its own right and still made for a fun shoot.