Bosque Del Apache and the Very Large Array
(Soccoro, NM)
2025 Workshop Dates
December 1-5, 2025 Session 1
VLA Option 1: 6 December 2025
VLA Option 2: 7 December 2025
December 8-12, 2025 Session 2
Workshop Tuition: $2195
VLA One Day add-on Option: $225
Deposit: $500 due at Registration
Payment Schedule: An initial $500 Deposit is due at the time of registration. If the VLA add-on is selected, that payment is due no later than 90 days before the workshop start date. A payment schedule will be available at the time of booking. All payments are due 90 days before the workshop start date.
To Register: Registration for Bosque Del Apache Workshop
Instructor: Gregory Johnson
Meeting Location: Socorro, NM. I have a room block secured for sessions, and the VLA Option
For general workshop information, please email me info@driveonphoto.com
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is in San Antonio, Socorro County, New Mexico. Situated between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east, the 57,331-acre Bosque del Apache was established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating waterfowl. The refuge is well known for the tens of thousands of cranes, geese, and ducks who winter here each year. Over 30,000 acres of Bosque del Apache are designated wilderness.
Benefits of this Masterclass Workshop:
Amazing location: I'm not just going to take you to the prominent shoot locations, as you would with most workshops. Rather, we're most likely going to see several of my favorite "hidden places" that I found while serving in the Air Force. We will get off the paved roads for part of our time.
Flexible and advanced learning: This workshop focuses on making compelling landscape photos, emphasizing landscape and wildlife composition. We'll discuss both theory and practical application in great detail, and together, we'll take these concepts from the classroom and bring them to the field. We'll discuss various topics, including classic near-far landscape compositions, successful use of leading visual elements, visual progression, extreme perspectives, scouting techniques, depth-of-field, focus stacking techniques, and the importance of weather, light, and dramatic skies. Understanding animal behavior for this workshop is essential to capture stunning images. Please spend a few minutes observing the birds in their habitat. We'll also discuss digital darkroom techniques for optimizing your landscape photos. I aim to ensure that the photographic opportunities are intense and rewarding, the critique sessions are constructive, and the overall experience is friendly and enjoyable.
Workshop location: The workshop is based in Socorro, NM, about 76 miles south of Albuquerque, NM, where we will conduct all classroom activities. We'll make several daily trips to the Wildlife Refuges for photography. You may choose to fly into El Paso, TX, but this will be a 190-mile drive.
Physical requirements: Since we will get a bit off the beaten path, we will be walking and standing a lot during this workshop. Although we won't go more than a few hundred feet from our vehicles, the terrain in Bosque Del Apache is mainly flat, but we may be in muddy or marshy conditions if we have rain. People in decent physical condition will find walking to be easy to moderate. People who are in poor shape or who have mobility issues will find this workshop somewhat more difficult, but this is primarily due to the amount of standing and walking. We will be waiting and watching the variety of birds that come to this location for the winter. You don't have to be an athlete for this workshop, but if you have physical limitations, please contact me before registering so we can discuss the basic physical requirements.
Skill level: Photographers of all skill levels will benefit from this workshop, but if you are new to photography, you might want to spend some advanced time getting to know your camera settings and how to adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO quickly. learn basic skills elsewhere before signing up for this class. You don't have to be an advanced photographer to take this workshop, but we're going to be focusing on the artistic aspects of visual design, so participants are expected to have a working knowledge of their camera and other photographic equipment.
General schedule: Please note that each day’s schedule might vary according to which locations we visit that day, how long we shoot, and what the weather conditions are like (if the weather is conducive to photography on a particular day, we might stay in the field longer, and if not, we might emphasize classroom work that day instead). Flexibility is key to successful landscape and wildlife photography, so expect that plans might change. We will be getting up early to get to our shooting locations, so plan to be ready to leave no later than 5:30 am. We try to carpool to make it easy to stay together.
Please consider the VLA Option. What an amazing place to visit. The VLA site is 50 miles west on Highway 50, in Magdalena, NM. There is a gift shop and a small fee for the tour, but it is well worth it. We will visit the site and after our tour, we will drive around the perimeter looking for various shooting locations. You may consider having your telephoto lens for this visit and we can also plan for some timelapse and astrophotography weather permitting.
Click here to see information about the VLA.
Day 1 (Monday): Arrive in Socorro, NM.
We meet in the afternoon in the hotel lobby at 6:00 PM for an initial "meet and greet" event. I will give an opening presentation, provide an overview of the workshop activities, answer questions, and make plans for the morning shoot. Afterward, we'll head out for a group dinner (time and place to be determined).
Days 2 to 4 (Tuesday -Thursday): Time in Bosque del Apache or Bernardo Wildlife Refuges.
Be prepared for three full days of intense workshop activities! We will go out to photograph sunrise and the morning bird blast-offs every morning, spending 2-4 hours in the field working on composition techniques. After the morning shoot, we return to the Hotel for classroom activities throughout the day (with meals and personal breaks as appropriate). Classroom activities will include presentations about landscape composition techniques, digital darkroom processing, and daily critique sessions. In the late afternoon, we head back into the field for our sunset photography session. Sometimes we spend more time in the field if storms are sweeping through to capture dramatic stormy skies. Please note that we'll be leaving for sunrise very early (sometime shortly after 5 a.m.) and sunset is very early (we won't be back until past 7 p.m.), so you won't be getting much sleep at night. We schedule extra breaks during the very long days so everyone can nap and try to catch up on lost sleep!
On Day 4: (Thursday)
We conclude the workshop after our sunset shoot. This gives everyone a chance to sleep in the next morning before traveling back home or to their next photo destination.
Lodging: Lodging is not included in the workshop price. However, I do have a room block at the Socorro, NM Best Western Hotel and Suites. Once your reservation is confirmed, I will add your name to the room block, which is at a discounted rate. The rooms have one King Bed, but you may change your room (depending on availability) when you call the hotel to complete your booking.
Transportation: Participants are responsible for their own transportation to, from, and during the workshop. The closest major airport to Socorro is Albuquerque (ABQ), which is 76 miles away. Elpaso, TX is another option, 190 miles away.
Payment Policy: The workshop fee is for instruction only. All other expenses, including transportation, accommodations, National Park entrance fees, and meals are the responsibility of the participant. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in this workshop. The remainder will be collected 120 days prior to the workshop start.
If you cancel within 90 days before the start date, a partial or full refund of the workshop tuition might be available if we are able to find a replacement. We try to be flexible about emergency cancellations; just contact us and we’ll do our best to work it out!
Very Large Array (VLA) Option:
*Night sessions are dependent on clear skies and may change. We will schedule long breaks during the daylight hours for rest and relaxation.
RECOMMENDED
This area of the country is home to many attractions. We recommend that you take some time and visit locations in and around Albuquerque.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Our workshops are designed for all skill levels and involve photographing landscapes, animals, sunrises, and sunsets, as well as other field sessions. While workshop locations vary, you should expect to walk relative distances with your equipment. Please refer to the Fitness Level below for each workshop. Some workshops are more strenuous than others. If you have any health issues or concerns, please reach out to us prior to registration.