Death Valley in Spring Landscape and Lunar Eclipse Photography 2026

Death Valley Spring Landscape and Moon Photography

March 2-6, 2026

We’ve already had a big rain storm cross Death Valley in September and now more rain is washing the park in November, so we’re on for two spring workshops! Storms in August, September and October cause plants to germinate and there can be profuse blooming in the late February through April time frame. This four-night, five-day itinerary focuses on the iconic landscapes accessible from lodging in Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek. (A 5-night session a couple of weeks later heads out to more remote areas.) We’ve planned our 5 days in Death Valley to be midweek to avoid potential weekend crowds in the event of a “super bloom”!

We’ll explore Death Valley’s sand dunes, salt flats, eroded badlands, and spectacular vistas. It also has sites with a rich history of mining, and rustic cabins and head frames remain. We like March timing to shoot the Park, before the worst of the oncoming heat starts to arrive.

This year we can plan for a full moon rise during sunset, the moon setting during sunrise, and we have a total lunar eclipse to capture as well! We have some great shot concepts in mind.

The last really strong wildflower blooms were 2005 and 2016. Will 2026 be our next strong wildflower year? Either way, Death Valley’s exotic landscapes never disappoint. Spring weather can also be spectacular. We live not far from Death Valley, and we watch the weather throughout the season and as the workshop date approaches to anticipate where the best conditions will be in any given season.

What’s included:

Local expertise and guiding to subjects & light, based on our 60+ trips exploring the Park
Optimized itinerary based on experience, weather apps & conditions
Photography instruction, composition consultation (if desired)

What’s not included:

Lodging (lodging recommendations will be provided upon registration)
Transportation
Meals/snacks/beverages
Entrance fee to the park
No group lodging issues (high price, no cancellation, etc.)

Sample Itinerary

To ensure you get the best pictures and to accommodate for weather, we keep the itinerary open and flexible: we have an idea of which opportunities are available and what’s left on our priority list, but conditions and weather influence what’s next. This is an example of what to expect, though it may change as necessary during the workshop. We change lodging once to cover more ground while having less time driving, more time shooting, while getting more sleep before our sunrise shoots!

Day 1 — Travel. Meet in the afternoon in Stovepipe Wells after everyone has checked in to their hotel. We’ll photograph sunset, possibly blue hour, then head in for dinner. We may opt to go out and get a few night shots before retiring to our hotel rooms for the evening.
Day 2 — We’ll meet for an optimal sunrise near Stovepipe Wells, and make a few photography stops on our way to breakfast. We’ll grab a quick bite and then head back out for more photography, particularly in the directions west and north while it’s most convenient. We’ll break for lunch and dinner as needed, perhaps get a meal to go so or in Beatty or Panamint Springs, we can shoot away in more interesting places, away from the crowds. Nights we can practice night photography or conduct post-processing demos. On some of the clearest mornings we’ll go out for Milky Way photography.
Day 3 — Similar, but moving to the Furnace Creek area for recommended lodging so we can have shorter drives to points south.
Day 4 – Similar optimal sunrise at a predetermined place based on weather and sunrise forecasts, we may make a few photography stops on our way to breakfast. We’ll grab a quick bite and then head back out for more photography. We’ll break for lunch and dinner as needed, sometimes take one to go so we can shoot away from the crowds.
Day 5 – meet to shoot sunrise, have a farewell breakfast, and head back to our hotels to check out and make our way homeward.

If you have the time, our 320-page photographers’ guidebook “Photographing California Vol. 2 – South” can give you more locations to shoot on your trip, in Death Valley or the Eastern Sierra (Alabama Hills, Mono Lake, etc.).