Wild Mustangs of the Adobe Valley

Prior horseback riding experience is helpful, but not required to participate on this trip. All riding is done at a walking pace and many novice riders have successfully completed this trip. Be advised, however, that there are inherent risks associated with riding horses and traveling in the wilderness. See the trip FAQ’s below for more details. If you have any questions about your ability to tackle this adventure, please contact us.

Ken Lee

Ken Lee, the founder Art of Seeing Photography Adventures is as passionate about helping others grow as photographers as he is about creating his own images. Ken’s Whole Brain approach to teaching photography addresses both the Craft (gear, technique, post-processing) and Creative (Composition & the Photographer’s Eye) aspects of image-making – and the completely different approaches needed to master both. Click the links to read more about Ken Lee and The Art of Seeing, what you can expect from an Art of Seeing workshop, or to see examples of Ken’s photography.

We understand life happens and plans may change. If you need to cancel your reservation, the following policies apply to this workshop:

Deposits are NOT refundable but may be transferrable to another Art of Seeing workshop for up to 24 months from date of cancellation in accordance with the following schedule:

Regardless of when you cancel, if we fill your spot*, you will receive a refund of all fees paid less your deposit and $150 processing fee. If we cannot fill your spot, the amount of your refund is based upon the cancellation date:

• Cancellation 120 days or more from workshop start date: 100% refund of fees paid less deposit and $150 processing fee. Deposit transferrable up to 24 mos.

• Cancellation 90 – 120 days from workshop start date: 50% refund of fees paid less deposit and $150 processing fee. Deposit forfeit.

• Cancellation less than 90 days from workshop start date: No refunds.

*canceled spots are filled after the workshop reaches full capacity

Click here to read our complete Terms & Conditions

We highly encourage participants to purchase travel insurance to recover expenses not covered by our Cancellations & Refunds policy in case you need to cancel your reservation.

Day 1 – Our adventure begins at 3pm when we meet at River Springs camp (NOT Rock Creek Pack Station), approximately 54 miles north of Bishop, CA. After introductions and an overview of our workshop schedule, Ken and one of Rock Creek’s naturalist guides will help you prepare for our first shooting session by going over wildlife photography techniques, some basic equine behavior/herd dynamics and how to best approach the mustangs. Then we’ll break for an early dinner before heading out for a sunset shooting session on foot. “Down low” at River Springs is where we will see the largest number of horses, often as many as 70 or more. It’s not uncommon to see stallions battling and foals of the year nursing or playing, but mostly we’ll see mustangs doing what all horses mostly do, which is eat.

The keys to photographic success in this situation are patience, preparation and awareness. You will have the opportunity to learn and practice all of these aspects during this workshop. Overnight at River Springs.

Day 2 – Begins pre-sunrise with hot coffee or tea. Once the caffeine kicks in, we’ll head out for our second shooting session. The wide valley floor, between two snow-capped mountain ranges, is ideally situated for both morning and evening light, but completely different photographically in each situation. It’s difficult when the adrenaline is pumping but maintaining awareness of light and backgrounds in addition to behavior when shooting this morning will pay off in stronger images. After our morning photo session, we'll enjoy a hearty breakfast and then we saddle up and head out for the ~3-hour ride to our second camp at Pizona Springs. On the way, we’ll ride past the herd we just photographed and have lunch on the trail at a spot overlooking a valley that is a favorite grazing ground for another large herd of mustangs. After our arrival at Pizona, you’ll have the afternoon free to relax and explore. Look for blooming wildflowers or check out the old stone stagecoach tollhouse nearby. Or take a nap. After dinner, Ken will present Seeing 101, his talk on the “other half of photography”. Then relax around the campfire until you hear your sleeping bag calling.

Day 3 – This is the day we go “up high” in search of smaller bands of mustangs and grand landscapes. We’ll saddle up after breakfast and head out for an all-day ride. Somewhere down the trail, we’ll cross the state line into Nevada. Rock Creek’s guides are experts at tracking and finding mustangs, but there are no guarantees. If we are very fortunate, we’ll find mustangs at the very top of our ride where we have the entire expanse of the Sierra Nevada and immense Boundary Peak as our backgrounds. The scenery here is simply breathtaking. Even if the mustangs don’t cooperate (which happens often), this is an amazing spot for landscapes, especially black and whites. You can also get your own horse to model for you for the price of an apple core or a few carrots. No guarantees regarding weather, of course, but the typical pattern calls for clear mornings with puffy white clouds filling the skies in the afternoon. Perfect to add some drama to your pictures! End the day with generous servings of cowboy cuisine followed by an informal discussion on image management and processing using Adobe Lightroom.

Day 4 – Our final day begins with an optional sunrise landscape session in the valley just beyond our camp. If you’ve seen enough sunrises, just get up in time for another hearty breakfast. Then we pack, break camp and ride back to River Springs. One last shooting session with the River Springs herd, lunch and then we say our goodbyes.

*** Note: this itinerary is tentative and subject to change without notice due to weather, location of the horses and a number of other variables.***

Q: How much riding experience do I need?

A: Prior riding experience is helpful but not required to participate on this trip. In addition, be advised:

• Riding horses/mules and wilderness travel are inherently risky activities that include the possibility of serious injury or even death. By registering for this trip, you explicitly accept and assume all such risks.

• The horses/mules are gentle, experienced and surefooted and RCPS' wranglers will match your mount to your riding abilities. However, horses and mules are not machines, and their behavior is not 100% predictable.

• We move at walking pace, but the mountain trails we travel on can be rocky, steep and less than perfectly maintained in places.

• We are traveling in the wilderness where there may be no cell phone reception and medical assistance may not be immediately available.

Having said all that, many novice riders have completed this trip with nothing worse than stiff legs or a sore bum. If you any questions about whether this trip is right for you, please contact us to discuss your concerns.

Q: What should I pack?

General Items: Please take a look at this RCPS page for a list of general items you should pack. In addition, we strongly suggest bringing a pair of muck boots (or similar). We will be walking across some pretty marshy ground and you could easily find yourself standing in water/mud up your calves. A towel to wipe down after being in mud and spare socks are also handy. Note: muck boots will only be needed in the River Springs area – you can leave them behind in your car before we depart for our second camp on Day 2.

PhotoGear

• Camera - DLSR's and interchangeable lens mirrorless bodies are the most popular choices but some people have done very well with fixed lens compacts that have a good zoom lens (e.g. “bridge” cameras). Also, definitely bring your smartphone. Although not the ideal tool for wildlife photography (yet), it’s a great tool for developing your Photographer’s Eye and your instructor will cover tips for getting the most out of it.

• Lenses

A telephoto lens is the most important piece of photo gear for this trip. We recommend a lens that reaches 300mm (200mm for crop sensor cameras) minimum, preferably 400mm+.

Other lenses - you will also want 1 or 2 shorter focal length lenses for landscapes as well as equine photography. Common mid-range and wide angle focal lengths include 16-35mm, 24-105mm & 70-200mm

• Tripod - highly recommended but not required

• Spare Memory cards - You will be shooting a lot, probably a lot more than you typically shoot. It's easy to shoot 1000+ images in 24 hrs when the action is good. We will be out there for 4 days.

• Spare Batteries/Charger - we will have a generator at camp to recharge batteries, but you should have at least one spare (absolute minimum) in the field. Don’t forget your battery charger.

• Camera bag/pack - something that will fit into large saddle bags. Giant camera backpacks are NOT appropriate. As an example, my 26 Liter capacity photo backpack is about the very maximum size bag you should bring.

• Small Camera bag – if you are an experienced rider, there will be some opportunities to photograph from horseback (see next question for more details). A small camera bag (big enough for a body and one lens ONLY) will be handy if you do this.

• Misc. –Polarizing filter, cleaning kit/lens cloth & camera manual (electronic or print).

Q: Will we ride with camera gear? Will we be shooting from horseback?

A: Mostly no. Whenever we are riding, all camera bags will be stored in saddle bags on a pack mule and will not be readily accessible. If you are an experienced rider and want to try shooting from horseback (NOT recommended for novice riders), you may bring a body and one lens with you on our rides, but the camera must be stored in a bag (tied to the saddle) when riding. For safety, camera straps are not allowed when riding. We want to emphasize that horseback is not a great platform for shooting and should only be attempted by experienced riders.

Q: How should I pack?

A: A medium duffel bag (e.g. large gym bag) or stuff sack(s) are ideal for your clothing & personal items. Sleeping bags & pads should be in their own bags. A compact camera bag or backpack (no giant photo backpacks!) for your camera and lenses will complete your kit.

Q: How much stuff can I bring?

A: Technically, there is a 40lb weight limit per person for all “dunnage” which includes everything (luggage, photo gear, sleeping bag/pad) that is not on your body when riding. This limit is not strictly enforced but if you are struggling to meet it, you are overpacked.

Q: Are you sure we will see horses?

A: There are never any guarantees with nature, but we expect to see many horses on Days 1, 2 and 4. When we move up to high country on Day 3, we will be looking for smaller bands that may or may not show up.

Q: Do we get our own tents?

A: Yes, you will be assigned a separate tent by default. We also have larger tents for couples. Please let us know when registering if you wish to share a tent with another participant.

Q: Can I bring my own camping gear?

A: You need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping pad. All other camping gear is provided but if you prefer to bring their own tent, that is fine.

Q: What is the bathroom situation like?

A: Picture a pop-up port-a-potty with a wooden toilet inside.

Q: What will the weather be like? What kind of clothing should I pack?

A: These are the mountains, so you must be prepared for a little of everything. The weather can be wildly variable and change quickly– we’ve seen everything from snow (more than once), hale & rain to daytime high temps in the 90’s on past trips.

I always dress myself mentally in layers when packing for a mountain trip. Next to your skin should be your base layer (long underwear), then maybe a t-shirt or long sleeve shirt and pants. Good mid layers include wool sweaters, thin down jacket/vest or a fleece/soft shell jacket. For your outer layer, you definitely want a waterproof jacket & pants. It can be quite chilly at night and early mornings so if you get cold easily, you may want to add an extra layer. Don’t forget accessories like sunglasses, hat/beanie and gloves.

Q: How many people will be on this trip?

A: The maximum number of guests on this trip is 12.

Q: Which airport should I fly into?

A: The closest airport is Mammoth-Yosemite (MMH), a small regional facility with limited flights, especially post pandemic. The next closest airport of decent size is Reno, NV (RNO) which is about 3.5hrs from Adobe Valley.

Q: Where should I stay before/after the trip?

A: There are plenty of hotels/motels/campgrounds in or near the towns of Bishop or Mammoth Lakes. You may also want to consider The Inn at Benton Hot Springs which offers both camping and inn rooms with natural hot springs hot tubs. This is the closest lodging to Adobe Valley but be advised that there are no services (restaurants, gas, supplies, etc) in the immediate vicinity

Q: What is the elevation of Adobe Valley?

A: Our two camps are at approximately 6500 and 7000 ft elevation. The highest altitude we reach is approximately 8000 ft during our ride on Day 3.

Q: Is there much hiking required?

A: There are no planned hikes but the large herd of mustangs at River Springs is constantly moving and photographing them could involve a walk of up to a couple of miles. There is no elevation gain but the ground can be uneven and muddy in places.