Two workshops available:

January 13-15, 2023

Jan 27-29, 2023

Why is this photography experience so magical?

Magic of Cowboys is so much more than just your standard photography workshop with horses, cattle and cowboys.  This is delightfully SO much more!  Numerous participants have come back annually -- a testament to how special and beloved this event has become.  Get your hats, boots, and camera gear ready because pard'ner, we're doing it again! 

Feeding the heart, soul and camera, the Magic of Cowboys will lift your spirits!  You'll have a buffet of photo opportunities that are creatively packed into three days of fun.  Marvel at the diversity of high quality, unique images you'll come away with and how much you'll learn along the way.  

If cancelations occur, we will notify you of an opening and/or when future events are available for registration:

Click to add yourself to the list. 

Level 2-3:  Easy to Moderate

Solid knowledge of manual exposure settings (Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO).  A pre-workshop online course on manual exposure settings is provided ($99 value) at no additional cost.

An easy, 45-minute drive from the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport transports you to an entirely different place where time slows down, history is deep, and the traditional ways of cowboys and cowgirls are carried on.  Located against the stunning backdrop of the legendary Superstition Mountains on 5,800 acres of the pristine Sonoran Desert in Gold Canyon, Arizona, lies the very special Donnelly D-Spur Ranch. 

The “D-Spur” is a decades-old, privately owned, working ranch with some of the most spectacular scenery in the Valley of the Sun. Situated adjacent to the Tonto National Forest and legendary Superstition Mountains, It will be our jaw-dropping setting for your Magic of Cowboys Photo Experience!

*Percentages are estimates.  Agenda may vary based on weather or other factors.

• Action (20%): You will learn how to best capture the action with fast-moving horses, cattle, and ranch-related activities with the cowboys and cowgirls.  Roping, herding, and more are planned! We will also teach you silhouette photography with the plentiful 2 and 4-legged creatures!
  
• Free-Roaming horses/cattle (10%): Our cowboys will work cattle in the pen, the nearby landscape, and/or will round up free-range cattle in from the open range for us to photograph.  Additionally, there are often free-roaming horses on the land surrounding the ranch.
  
• Silhouettes (15%): You will learn how to capture gorgeous silhouettes of the cowboys, cowgirls, and more!  
  
• Portraiture Made Easy (candid and stylized) (40%): A highlight is to help photographers who are new to (and even intimated by) portrait photography to have a relaxed, stress-free, fun, and “no-judgment” type experience. 
  
  Many photographers shy away from learning portraiture as it can be intimidating, stressful, and nerve-wracking!   We REMOVE that part and just give you a ton of fun in a friendly, supportive environment.  
  
  • How to use settings, natural and off-camera lighting to photograph both candid and stylized images of cowboys, cowgirls, and a re-enactment actors from the late 1800s in full authentic dress—back when Arizona was just a territory! 
  • Easy to remember posing tips for men, women, and groups
  • How to use natural light, a reflector, and one-light flash techniques
    
• Free-time for your photography (15%): Apply what you have learned! Explore the ranch and photograph the landscape, cattle, cowboys, cowgirls, horses, and more.
  

 The Magic of Cowboys & Cattle is truly different from your typical photo tour or workshop.  It's an immersive experience!

• Campfire & Music:  Join us at the campfire for local legend and singer/songwriter, Steve Holmquist, for incredibly beautiful campfire music during dinner.
  
• Award-winning, authentic "Chuckwagon" meals:  Our "chuckwagon" chef has won numerous awards and competitions for her chuckwagon style cooking over an open fire! Using hot coals, cast iron, and incredible recipes, she’ll prepare meals by campfire for us that are beyond amazing!  See how it was done 100+ years ago and taste the rich flavors that go along with the experience!  
  
• Horseback riding (optional):  Consider an optional guided horseback ride through the desert! Whether you are a beginner or advanced rider, this ranch will take great care of you and show you places in the desert you can only get to on foot or horseback!  (Available Friday morning before the workshop begins)

The entire experience is designed to bring out the best in your photography while immersing you in the rich culture of the cowboy and ranch life - right in the heart of the Wild West!

You may review our cancelation, transfer and refund policy here.

Learn how to choose the right lens for portraiture!  It's amazing what nuances change depending on the lens you use.  We will start with a fun activity that puts it all into perspective, literally, and helps you master how lens choice can impact the outcome of your portraits.  You will also learn about how to expose properly to create beautiful images in a variety of natural lighting conditions and settings. 

Learn techniques for capturing backlit portraits, action and stunning silhouettes against the evening desert sky.

Continue to perfect your silhouette exposures as the cowboys and horses roam the hilltops until the sun crests over the peak. 

Learn through fun, interactive activities how to pose, light and capture portraits without intimidation!  We incorporate lots of laughter with our instruction so that everyone is having a good time while learning!  Build your knowledge through sequential, hands-on activities with our cowboys, cowgirls, and re-enactment actors and capture images using natural light, reflectors, and ultimately-with a single flash.   

We will top off the evening with incredible horse-and-rider action, silhouettes, and more! 

Apply everything you've learned thus far and translate it into spectacular imagery with gunsmoke,  horse and cowboy silhouettes--and lots of action at the ranch!  You'll be drooling with these photo ops!

We'll start the day before dawn capturing beautiful slow-shutter / panning style images of cowboys and cowgirls, then we'll move into roping longhorn cattle!  We'll also have the horses running and kicking up dust (a participant favorite!).  There is always an extra secret or two (or more) up our sleeves that won't be revealed until that day!  

Grab your camera and explore the ranch!   We have a special photo scavenger hunt for you to enjoy while you put your skills and creativity to work!  Photograph the action, the moments, a cowboy at work or deep in thought, details, macro, saguaro cactus, rusty and weathered stuff, cattle, and much more.  We cannot wait to see what you can find!

We will meet together one last time for a final Q&A along with camaraderie, words from your leader and instructors, and a group photo before we hit the Happy Trails until we meet again...

On February 8, 2023 we will host a live webinar event for all attendees of the 2023 Magic of Cowboys.  We'll share images, offer helpful image reviews, processing tips and more.  It will be a great way to reconnect and learn even more from this experience.