Our trip begin in Rapid City, the city of presidents. We will meet at 11AM and sit down for lunch in down town Rapid City. From there we will go over basics, enjoy food and then load up vehicles and travel to Devils Tower, Wyoming.

Our first day will be spent enjoying Devils Tower. The legend has it that devils tower was formed from a great tree stump that a series of sisters climbed to the top of to run away from their brother who turned into a great bear. The stump rose high into the sky where the sisters were trapped and turned into the constellation Pleiades.

At sunset we will travel to Devils tower and enjoy the lightshow as it unfurls. If we are lucky we will catch a rising moon behind it or some dazzling colors at sunset.

Day 2 will begin once again at Devils Tower. Having two shots at this location gives us the best chances for a stunning light. As soon as we are done with sunrise we will pack up and head towards the Black Hills to say hi to Mount Rushmore and to drive through Custer State Park. After we enjoy an afternoon of passing through Custer State Park we will officially head into the Badlands.

First, we will check into our hotel rooms in Wall South Dakota. From here we will explore an area of Badlands where the photographic possibilities are endless and the light bleeds for an eternity. We will wrap up our first evening in the park enjoying a rising full moon then head to bed.

On day three we will be getting up very early to catch sunrise at the iconic Big Badlands Overlook. This iconic spot is the quintessential view of Badlands National Park and is perfect for both wide angle and telephoto work. Be prepared to switch between your 16-35 and your 70-200mm lens.

As the sun rises we will switch to something a bit more cute for our morning. Throughout the park are large colonies of Prairie Dogs. At this point we will pull out some telephoto lenses and spend an hour or two photographing Prairie Dogs as they interact. While this occurring you guide will discuss the important role of Prairie Dogs and how they are crucial for grassland species. If we are lucky we may even catch a Burrowing Owl hanging out among the colonies.

After lunch we will have a bit of down time from our early sunrise. Post our reset, we will have a full photography lecture on composition and the craft of photography. Following our lecture we will enjoy and early dinner then head back into the badlands for an evening of hiking into the Conata wilderness of badlands and to catch sunset.

Sunrise will be a treat but will require an early sunrise. We will hike out into the badlands in a location that few go out and explore. This location has towers, melting earth and the potential for stunning abstracts and grand landscapes. So be prepared for a very early morning.

After we finish up with our sunrise shoot we will spend an hour or two visiting some of the overlooks within the park and possibly enjoying the Prairie dogs and bison as we see them. After our early morning we will have some down time where we can catch up on sleep. (We will have some early mornings!) After some R&R we will get back on the education train and have one more in depth presentation on the craft of photography.

Once we have had our education we will enjoy one more early dinner then head out into the Badlands and explore a far flung corner of the park that is rarely visited.

On our final day we will return to Castle Section to give everyone another chance at the giant towers of Badlands National Park. While we are hiking, keep your eyes peeled for fossils as this section of the park is famous for a new fossil being discovered on a near daily basis.

Once we finish with our sunrise shoot we will head back to the hotel, pack up our rooms and head back to Rapid City SD. From here we will either drop you off at your chosen hotel or you will be taken to the Rapid City Airport where you will catch your flight home. (Book your flight for either late Saturday May 22^nd or Sunday May 23^rd)