Little Known Northern Utah Workshop
June 10th to 15th, 2022

A private, by reservation only, six day field workshop
to the Lesser Known areas of Northern Utah with Alain and Natalie Briot
Limited to 6 participants


This workshop is open to advanced photographers only


Celestial Sunrise, Northern Utah


"I just wanted to say thank you for a fantastic workshop. 
I admit I was a little hesitant about joining a workshop with someone I have not met before, however, I was pleasantly surprised. 
The quality of the instruction, the handouts, and Alain's keen insights beyond the technical aspects of photography
made this workshop second-to-none and a valuable investment to me. 
Your scheduling and organization of the workshop was flawless. 
In addition, phenomenal locations and a fun and diverse group of participants made this workshop a clear winner.  
It was definitely worth the money and more."

Rene Pirolt, Workshop participant

Workshop FAQ
Discover our other workshops

Announcing an exciting, by invitation only, six day Northern Utah workshop to the lesser known areas of Northern Utah with Alain and Natalie Briot
Natalie and I have lived in remote areas of the Southwest for years and we have been offering workshops in the Southwest for over 10 years now.

Our regular workshops are open to groups of 12 to 14 photographers. This group size allows us to offer our workshops at an affordable price. However, it also limits us to visiting areas that can accommodate a large group.

Unfortunately, many areas of the Southwest, including some of the most photogenic areas, are difficult to access with a large group. Most of these areas are also little known and rarely traveled except by local residents. This is unfortunate because these lesser known areas are just as photogenic as the most famous ones, if not more.

This is why we decided to create The Lesser Known Workshops Series. These workshops are by invitation only and are offered primarily to students who have attended one or several of our regular workshops.
They are open to 6 photographers only, and 1 transfer, although we do not always have a transfer. The small group size allows us to explore areas that cannot be explored with a large group. Having previous participants means the group is cohesive and highly motivated.

Given how remote and unknown some of the locations in these workshops are, we should have titled it The Unknown Locations Workshops! This would not be an exaggeration because we will be exploring and photographing areas discovered by Natalie and I, areas that most photographers do not know about, areas that are rarely, if ever, photographed.

Northern Utah is one of these little known areas that are beautiful yet rarely visited and photographed because it has not been 'discovered' yet.

Northern Utah is characterized by beautiful landscapes, the Hyanpa and the Green River, the presence of Indian Petroglyphs, the diversity of landscapes offered by Dinosaur National Monument, and uniquely whimsical rock formations. All these factors offer a unique opportunity to create a six day, private, small group photography adventure workshop with Alain and Natalie Briot packed with exciting locations and personalized learning opportunities.

About Alain and Natalie Briot

Alain Briot specializes in creating large format, fine art landscape photographs for display in home, offices and public spaces. His work is part of thousands of private and public collections in 138 countries worldwide and in all 50 states. Alain has been photographing since 1980 in Europe and since 1983 in the United States. Alain has 6 years of experience teaching photography and communication courses at the graduate and undergraduate level at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. He has 20 years of experience photographing the Southwest and Utah's Canyon Country, the fascinating region we will explore during this workshop.

Natalie Briot is a certified Art Teacher. She has been teaching since 1992, first in Houghton, Michigan, then in Chinle, in the heart of NavajoLand, starting in 1995. Natalie loves teaching and specializes in helping her students fulfill their vision through visual exercises. Natalie is extremely patient and attentive to her students' needs.

We will take you to each of the locations shown in the photographs on this page so you can bring back your own photographs from these amazing places! The detailed itinerary below lists the specific locations we will visit during this workshop:

1 - Your Workshop Itinerary
The itinerary for this workshop was designed with two goals in mind: convenient travel arrangements and exciting photographic opportunities. We will start this workshop in Vernal, Utah, where Natalie and I will welcome you. The exact location and time of our first meeting will be emailed to you after you register. We will end the workshop in Vernal, Utah. Lodging during the workshop will be in Vernal.

Friday, June 10th, 2022

We will meet you in Vernal, Utah. Vernal will be our home base for the duration of the workshop. Vernal is the gateway to the natural wonders of Northern Utah. You will receive information on our exact meeting time and place, together with directions, before the workshop.

On this first day we will start with workshop orientation and introduce each other. After a first photography tutorial, which will address the goals of this workshop, we will then photograph sunset near Vernal.


Lodging: we will spend the night in Vernal, Utah

Saturday, June 11th, 2022
On Saturday we will explore and photograph the McPhees Spring area of Dinosaur National Monument. In the afternoon we will conduct print reviews of the participants works. Several lectures on light, composition creativity and personal style are also scheduled.

We will photograph Sunset either in Dinosaur National monument or nearby, at a location selected based on the possibilities offered by light and composition.

Lodging: we will spend the night in Vernal, Utah.

Blue Grass in Dinosaur National Monument, Northern Utah

Sunday, June 12th, 2022
On Sunday, we continue photographing in Dinosaur National Monument. This time we will visit a fantastic area called Brown Hole, which is along the Yampa River, in the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. We will spend all day photographing, and we will have lunch in the park. The subjects will include landscapes and also ghost towns, historical sties, petroglyphs and more. This will be a day to remember, both for the photographic opportunities and for the beautiful drive.

On Sunday we will continue doing print reviews. A presentation on photography by Alain and Natalie is also scheduled for Sunday.

Lodging: we will spend the night in Vernal, Utah.

Monday, June 13th, 2022
Petroglyphs and Badlands landscapes.

We will visit an extensive petroglyph site near Vernal, Utah. This is one of the most fascinating sites in the United States with carved figures up to seven feet tall.  We will spend the morning photographing this extensive petroglyph site.  We will also continue the print reviews. A presentation on photography by Alain and Natalie is also scheduled for Monday.

After lunch, which will be in Vernal, we will look for interesting formations in the badlands that surround Vernal.  Yes, Badlands do offer exciting and unique photographic possibilities.  I think you will not be disappointed.

Lodging: we will spend the night in Vernal, Utah.

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022
We will photograph Sunrise near Vernal, either along the Green River or in Dinosaur National Monument depending on participants preference as well as on light and weather.

The day will be spent exploring the Little Known Canyon area and photographing the unique rock formations located there. This is an area that offers unique opportunities for creativity.

Sunset will be in Little Known Canyon

Lodging: we will spend the night in Vernal, Utah.

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022

You have the opportunity to do one more Sunrise near Vernal on Wednesday morning if your schedule allows you to. This sunrise is optional and you can decide to do it or not during the workshop.

The workshop ends after Breakfast to provide you with plenty of time to drive back and catch your return flight.



Incoming Storm, Northern Utah

2 - The four unique aspects of this workshop:

A - This workshop has a unique focus: Light, Composition, Creativity and Personal Style
Our teaching focus will be directed towards helping you develop, or refine, your knowledge of light, Composition and creativity and start developing a personal style

Each location has a unique type of light. That is, light quality changes from one place to another. Light in Northern Utah is not the same than light in, say, the Sierra Nevada or the Sonoran Desert to name two other places where we lead workshops.

We will photograph and study the light in the many areas that we will explore during this workshop. While these areas are not located very far from each other, the light quality in each of them is entirely different. We will study what these differences are, and how it affects the way we photograph these areas, during the workshop.

We will also study how light and composition interact, and why we need to understand this interaction in order to create photographs that take advantage of what each location has to offer. Join us in this in-depth study of light and composition! Remember that light is everything in photography. Light is the most important element, because without light there would be no photographs. Photography literally means "Writing with Light.", from the Greek Photos: light and Graphos: Writing.

Finally, we will study how we can use light and composition to develop a personal style. A personal style is a style of photography that is unique to each of us. In many ways a personal style becomes our trademark, so to speak. It is something that is immediately recognizable. When someone looks at our photographs, they know they are ours because they recognize our personal style in our work.

We will study how to make this happen during the workshop through examples, lectures, print reviews and more.

B - You will be working under the guidance of not one but two instructors: Alain, professional large format photographer and Natalie, painter and Certified Art Teacher.
You will be working with two professional instructors who both have intimate knowledge of Southern Utah and of all the locations where we will be visiting. Having two instructors for a small group is a huge benefit. It means that you will literally get one-on-one attention. This will result in much faster skill improvements than if you were working either on your own or as part of a large group.

Natalie and I also have a widely different teaching style. I focus upon taking photographs, finding the best light and the best composition possible and then framing the scene, calculating the exposure and so on. Natalie, on the other hand, takes a different approach, focusing on helping you build visual skills one at a time and completing your Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises in a constructive manner. As I said before (and I cannot say it enough) Natalie is very patient and very dedicated.

Working with both of us, and being exposed to our two teaching approaches, will be a pleasurable and effective experience for you. While I will focus on technical photographic aspects as well as on composition and finding the best photograph, Natalie will focus on helping you with your exercises, with answering questions and with providing additional information on a variety of topics.

Dinosaur National Monument, Northern Utah

C - We will take you to some lesser known locations which we discovered after years of exploration.
We found many little known, or completely unknown locations during the many years we spend exploring the Northern Utah area. The first time I went there was 1983, and the first time Natalie went there was 1987. Since then we have done numerous visits and expeditions to this area, to explore and photograph. We will be taking you to some of these locations, selecting those that do not require extensive hiking. Of course, knowing me and my work you know that I will choose locations that offer the most exciting photographic opportunities! Of course, visiting these locations is dependent on the weather and on road conditions. We may adapt our itinerary depending on these unpredictable variables.

D - You will be practicing Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises daily
In my 9-part article series on Aesthetics in Photography I introduce my Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises. This concept is based on approaching photography as an activity in which visual training is necessary. This approach is based on conducting specific exercises designed to allow you to practice your photographic skills.

While my articles describe these exercises and provide you with the theory behind them, my workshops are designed to go much farther by providing an environment where you can apply the skills you learned in my articles under the guidance of Natalie and I. Natalie is very personable, very patient and very attentive to everyone needs. I know you will love working with her.

Of course, you can get as little or as much instruction and input as you want. If you prefer to focus on your own work you will have all the time needed to create your images. Just let us know and we will work with you to provide a learning environment tailored to your needs.


Aspen and Conifer Forest, Northern Utah

8 - Cost
The cost of this once in a lifetime workshop is only USD $3500.

You are responsible for your own travel and lodging arrangements. We will email you a list of accommodations in the cities where we will be staying during the workshop, and a list of the closest airports when you register. If you need this information prior to registering simply email or call us using the contact information below.

There are three ways to reserve your seat in this workshop

1 - use the paypal button below if you are an alumni and have attended a workshop with us before. This button includes the $200 alumni discount:

Alain Briot 2022 Little Known Northern Utah Workshop

$3500 Alumni price

2- Email us at alain@beautiful-landscape.com

3- Call us toll free at 800-949-7983 (or 928-252-2466) and register over the phone.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. A receipt will be mailed to you the day after your registration has been processed. You can charge the registration fee in one installment or in 3 equal installments placed to your card a month apart starting when you register. Just let us know your preference when you sign up.

If you have any questions before registering, click here to send us an email inquiry. We are pleased to assist you with any questions. You can also call Alain or Natalie Briot at 800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466 .

Registrations are on a first come, first served basis. We recommend you reserve a seat now because our workshops sell out quickly.

This workshop is for you if you have been thinking about becoming more serious about your photography, building up your portfolio, developing your personal style, studying under the personal guidance of Alain and Natalie Briot, or if you want to visit locations which offer exciting and unique photographic possibilities.

If you have any questions before registering, click here to send us an email inquiry. We are pleased to assist you with any questions. You can also call Alain or Natalie Briot at 800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466.

4 - Important things to keep in mind
- Bring clothing suited for a variety of temperatures, from cold mornings to warm afternoons. Also be prepared for potential rain and for active weather. To quote David Muench: "bad weather equals good photographs."

- Food, lodging, transportation and park fees are not included. Some of you may want to camp, some stay in a hotel, some may want to eat with the group while other may prefer to be on their own. This arrangement provides for maximum flexibility while keeping the cost of this workshop to a minimum. It will gives you maximum freedom in planning your meals and give you time by yourself if you choose.

- We will email you directions to as well as a list of hotels in Vernal when you register. You will then receive an email with the Friday evening meeting place and a detailed workshop schedule approximately 2 weeks before the workshop.

- We will be photographing from 4000 to 6000 feet elevation on average. Normally the only problem you can expect is a slight shortness of breath. However the higher elevation is something to keep in mind if you live at sea level or you are prone to encountering physical difficulties at higher elevations.

- A passenger car may be suitable for this workshop, however we will be driving on unpaved roads during the workshop. These roads should be passable with a passenger car, However, we do recommend that you rent an SUV if possible because it is more suited to this kind of activity.

-We have a no tag-along policy. Spouses, friends, significant others and non-photographers need to be registered as full-time participants to join any aspect of this workshop. This includes meetings, print reviews, lectures, meals and all other aspects of this workshop. No exceptions. For further details read our Workshop FAQ.

- We will use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other during the workshop, when we are on location and when we are driving. If you become separated from the group we will call you on your walkie-talkie to find out where you are (provided you are within a 2 or 3 mile range). For these reasons we ask that you bring a walkie-talkie, such as a Motorola Talkabout or equivalent, to the workshop. Please set your walkie-talkie to channel 4-5. If you do not have a walkie-talkie we will have a few available for you to borrow for the duration of the workshop. Please let us know prior to the workshop if you plan to borrow a walkie-talkie or bring your own so we make sure that everyone has one.

Celestial Pedestal, Badlands, Northern Utah

5 - Instructor Availability
We will be helping you and photographing with you from sunrise to sunset, with a break for breakfast and lunch, during the entire duration of the workshop.

6 - Cancellation policy
All monies are non-refundable. If you cancel participation in this workshop your registration fees may be transferred towards registration in another Beaux Arts Photography workshop under certain conditions. Transfer of fees to another workshop is not automatic and is decided solely by Beaux Arts Photography as a courtesy. We reserve the right to decide whether to transfer your fees to another workshop or not. You must register for another workshop scheduled one year or less from the starting date of the workshop you originally registered for.. Participants transferring from another workshop will be registered for this other workshop in excess of the regular number of participants. We can only accept one transfer per workshop. If you decide to attend a higher priced workshop, or if the workshop fee has increased, the difference in cost between the two workshops will be charged to your credit card when you notify us that you want to sign up for this other workshop. A ten percent transfer fee will be applied at the time of transfer. In order to get a transfer credit you can only cancel one workshop, Summit or seminar per calendar year. Your registration is guaranteed only when we have payment in full. We reserve the right to change this policy at any time. Workshop fees can only be transferred to another workshop and cannot be used towards purchase of a product such as mats, portfolio cases, CD or DVD tutorials, prints, portfolios, or other. Workshop fees cannot be transferred towards purchase of the Mastery Workshop DVDs. We cannot transfer consulting fees towards workshop registration. If this workshop is cancelled by us you will receive a full refund.

7 - Transfer policy specific to this workshop
"Transfers" refer to participants who cancelled participation in a previous workshop and decided instead to transfer to a workshop other than the one they originally signed up for. Transfers are always in addition to the number of photographers the workshop is set for. The Little Known Grand Canyon Workshop is unique in our current workshop line up in that it is limited to 6 photographers. Since it is half the size of our regular workshops, we can only accept half the number of transfer participants. This means we can only accept 1 transfer instead of 2 for our regular workshops.

8 - Liability Limitation

Beaux Arts Photography, Beautiful-Landscape.com, Alain Briot, Natalie Briot, guides and cooperating agents aim to provide every participant a safe, educational, and enjoyable experience. We act solely as agents for you regarding accommodations, special activities, and travel, by any means, and assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation, airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.

As there is always an element of risk in any adventure associated with the outdoors, participants must read this form carefully. This liability release will certify that the participant is physically fit and capable of participating in outdoor photography exercises in field locations, and is fully and completely aware of any associated risks created by field locations and weather.

Meeting times, meeting places and itinerary are subject to changes dictated by the weather, the road conditions and other unpredictable variables that are part of doing landscape photography. We do not carry cell phones. You are responsible for being at the meeting place at the designated time and have your photographic equipment with you.

By joining this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the above information concerning responsibility and release Beaux Arts Photography, Alain Briot, Natalie Briot, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Beaux Arts Photography, Alain Briot, and Natalie Briot will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. I also acknowledge that Alain and Natalie Briot have the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime and that workshop policies are subject to change at any time .


Photographs and text Copyright © Alain Briot 2021

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