The South Dakota Badlands Up Close
Limited to only 12 attendees to allow for one-on-one time with your workshop host.
Two Sessions:
June 2026 Finalizing now
June 2026 Finalizing now
Rugged Landscapes – Endless Horizons – Light in Motion
Step into a world sculpted by time and transformed by light. The Badlands of South Dakota offer a surreal landscape of eroded peaks, sweeping prairies, and layered canyons that shift in color with every sunrise and sunset. This immersive workshop invites you to explore one of America’s most dramatic natural treasures — a place where silence, shape, and shadow tell stories millions of years in the making.
Led by Greg and Julia Johnson, this small-group workshop combines field instruction, composition coaching, and faith-based reflection in an atmosphere of awe and serenity. Each day brings opportunities to master your camera in dynamic light, refine your post-processing techniques, and connect with the raw beauty of the Great Plains. Whether you’re a landscape enthusiast, a wildlife photographer, or an artist seeking renewal, the Badlands will inspire you to see the world with fresh eyes
Your Daily Badlands Experience
Mornings begin beneath pastel skies as the first light touches the ridgelines, painting them in hues of gold, rose, and rust. After capturing sunrise across the formations near Panorama Point or Door Trail, we return to camp or lodging for breakfast and image review. Midday offers guided instruction on filter use, long exposures, and HDR blending, followed by editing sessions where Greg helps you bring out the subtle textures and tones that define this landscape.
Afternoons and evenings focus on wildlife and golden-hour compositions. Expect to photograph bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and raptors as the setting sun ignites the horizon. Twilight sessions highlight the park’s otherworldly beauty, and clear nights provide chances for astrophotography — capturing the Milky Way stretching above the badlands formations. Evenings close with group discussion and faith-based reflection, creating a balance of technical mastery and spiritual renewal.
Why the Badlands?
Few places in North America offer such a dramatic interplay of light, color, and form. The Badlands’ rugged beauty challenges photographers to balance technical precision with creative vision. Every sunrise reveals a new palette, every canyon a new composition. This workshop is ideal for those looking to expand their landscape photography skills, embrace adventure in a supportive community, and experience a deep connection with the natural world through art and faith.
The Badlands National Park Photography Workshop by Drive On Photography offers a four-day, small-group experience exploring South Dakota’s stunning landscapes. Led by Greg Johnson, an award-winning travel photographer, the workshop features hands-on field instruction, post-processing tutorials, and faith-based reflection. Participants capture sunrise and sunset scenes, wildlife, and night skies across iconic locations such as Panorama Point, Door Trail, and Sage Creek Basin. This experience joins other Drive On Photography Workshops in Tanzania, Charleston, Tucson, and Bosque del Apache, blending professional training with unforgettable adventure.
🌎 Join the Drive On Photography Workshop Series
From the rugged cliffs of South Dakota’s Badlands to the savannas of Tanzania and the historic charm of Charleston, each Drive On Photography Workshop is a journey of creativity, exploration, and renewal. Led by Greg Johnson, an award-winning photographer and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, these experiences bring together small groups of passionate photographers for unforgettable adventures around the world.
Every workshop combines hands-on field instruction, personalized editing guidance, and faith-based reflection, helping you grow both technically and artistically. Whether you’re capturing wildlife in Africa, coastal light in the Carolinas, or desert skies in Arizona, each destination offers a new opportunity to connect with nature, art, and purpose.
Drive On Photography offers luxury and small-group photography workshops in the U.S. and international destinations, including Tanzania, Charleston, SC, Tucson, AZ, and Bosque del Apache, NM. Led by Greg Johnson, an award-winning photographer and retired Air Force Colonel, these experiences blend professional training, faith-based reflection, and adventure in unforgettable locations