THE NABATEAN EMPIRE

Camera and Lenses

Stability and Light

Desert Protection

Field and Edit

Over the years, we have developed a welcome package to make your stay as comfortable as possible and help you make the most of your experience. It brings together a thoughtful selection of essentials—things that are easily forgotten or can be difficult to arrange from abroad.

We begin with one of the most important: staying connected.

Your welcome package includes:

Everything is packed in a protective, waterproof expedition dry bag, ready to accompany you throughout the experience.

This workshop links Petra in Jordan with Hegra and AlUla in Saudi Arabia.

Participants will receive guidance on the recommended arrival and departure airports, the meeting point and any documentation required for the planned route. Passport, visa, insurance and entry requirements remain the responsibility of each traveller and must be checked against current official information.

Main transfers will use comfortable private vehicles. Local licensed transport, guides and site-specific services will be arranged where required.

Access to archaeological sites, tripods, lighting, night work, drones and professional-style production equipment may be regulated separately in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Nothing requiring permission is assumed to be automatically available; the final field plan will follow the written conditions received from the relevant authorities and site operators.

The journey includes substantial walking in Petra, long road transfers and exposure to heat, dust and uneven terrain. Routes may change for safety, access or operational reasons without weakening the central photographic relationship between the two Nabatean territories.

Petra · Honouring the Land

In Petra, we have chosen not to retreat into the anonymity of a conventional international hotel. We will stay at the Ammarin Bedouin Camp, near Little Petra: a place created by the local community and managed by the Ammarin tribe to preserve its culture while generating sustainable work and income for the people who belong to this land.

This is not a theatrical reconstruction of Bedouin life. It is an act of hospitality rooted in a living tradition. Members of the community prepare the food, welcome the guests and share their knowledge of the landscape. We will sleep in traditional goat-hair tents, with real beds, clean linen, electricity and hot showers, surrounded by rock, sand and the immense silence of the desert.

The choice reflects the ethics of the workshop. At Petra, accommodation is not simply a question of comfort; it is part of our relationship with the place. Staying here allows us to honour the people who have protected these landscapes, to approach their culture with respect and to ensure that our presence contributes directly to the community receiving us.

As the camp itself says:

“At the Ammarin Bedouin Camp, you can sleep beneath a billion stars, not merely three, four or five, as you would in a hotel.”

AlUla · The Monumental Desert

In AlUla, we have made a radically different choice. For the final chapter of the workshop, we will stay at Banyan Tree AlUla, one of the most extraordinary desert hotels in the world. Its villas are set within the monumental landscape of the Ashar Valley, surrounded by vast sandstone formations whose scale, colour and silence seem almost impossible.

Here, architecture does not attempt to dominate the desert. It withdraws into it. The villas, terraces and tented structures become discreet points of observation within a landscape so immense that it can leave you momentarily speechless.

After travelling through Petra, crossing the border and photographing the southern Nabataean world at Hegra, Banyan Tree offers more than rest. It allows the experience to continue after the cameras have been put away. The desert remains outside the windows, the rock formations hold the final light, and the night returns the valley to silence.

The exceptional character of Banyan Tree AlUla lies precisely here: it is not merely an elegant hotel placed beside a remarkable destination. It is an accommodation conceived as an immersion in one of the most powerful landscapes on Earth.

Petra and AlUla therefore offer two different forms of hospitality: one rooted in community, memory and living Bedouin culture; the other suspended within the monumental beauty of the desert. Both are part of the journey.

Exploring Together

There is a particular rhythm to travelling with photographers. We walk together, then something catches someone’s attention and the pace changes. One person has already found their photograph; another is still watching the light. A little farther along, a passage or a line in the landscape invites someone else to stop.

In Petra and AlUla, I like to leave room for these different ways of seeing. Exploration belongs to the work, and there will be moments when you wish to spend a little time away from the place where the group has gathered. You can do so, always in pairs. Choose someone whose company you enjoy and with whom you feel comfortable exploring. Each pair will carry a walkie-talkie.

We cannot depend on mobile reception throughout these landscapes. Our radios allow us to keep in touch without relying on the telephone network, though the shape of the land affects their reach too. Before you move away, let me know where you are heading, and we will agree on where to meet again. These small arrangements give us the freedom to follow our own photographs while keeping an attentive eye on one another.

Planning, Discussion & Staying Informed

Each evening, we will sit down together and look ahead to the following day. We will talk about the places we intend to reach, the photographs we might find there, the way we will travel and the walking involved. At breakfast, we will return briefly to that conversation, going over the essentials and any adjustments before we leave.

I want everyone to understand the day we are setting out into. These conversations are also the moment to say what you think. Perhaps a particular route feels too demanding, an activity does not appeal to you, or something in the programme leaves you uneasy. Whatever the reason, bring it into the conversation. You do not have to justify a concern before sharing it, and the confidence of others need not determine how you feel.

This is a photographic experience for the soul, not a course in becoming a hero.

As the day unfolds, keep me informed about the smaller things too. A foot beginning to hurt, a blister, a little cut on a hand, tiredness that feels greater than you expected: these are easy things to dismiss when there is so much around us to see. Please mention them while they are still small.

A group is made up of individuals, each experiencing the same day a little differently. Knowing how you are allows me to take that into account. It is how I can look after all of us while giving each of you the attention you need.

Petra — Distance, Height & Balance

Petra asks us to look upwards as well as ahead. Some of the positions we seek lie above the valley floor, on higher ground or along the upper reaches of the canyons. As we rise, the city begins to reveal different relationships: a façade finds its place among the surrounding cliffs, a passage opens into a wider view, and the scale of the stone becomes easier to understand.

Old passages and stairways cut into the rock bring us to many of these places. Walking them involves the effort of ascent, but also the quieter work of keeping our balance on uneven steps and finding our footing on the way down. A camera bag adds its own weight to every movement.

This is why I recommend a walking pole, even to those who are entirely comfortable on their feet. It gives you another point of support as you move from one photographic position to the next. While walking, allow your attention to return to the ground. When something makes you want to lift the camera, stop first and find a steady position from which to look.

At Petra, a distance on a map tells only part of the story. The steps, the changes in height and the equipment on your shoulders all belong to the journey.

AlUla — Walking Between Sand & Rock

In AlUla, the ground can change from soft sand to uneven rock, asking us to adjust our pace and footing along the way. On sand, each step yields a little; on stony ground, we give more attention to where we place our feet. With photographic equipment on our backs, even a modest distance can involve more effort than the view ahead suggests.

The walking pole earns its place here as well. It offers another point of support as the surface changes, helping us move with greater steadiness between the places where we stop to photograph.

When choosing what to take out for a session, remember that every lens will travel the whole way with you, including the hours when you do not use it. A bag that sits securely and leaves your hands free makes exploration easier. Carry what you expect to work with, and leave room for water and the clothing the day requires.

There is a pleasure in arriving at a photographic position with enough energy left to give it your full attention. The way we carry our equipment helps make that possible.

Clothing for the Desert

People who live and work in deserts have much to teach us about dressing for them. Loose clothing that covers the skin and a head covering that shelters the head, neck and face are practical companions for long days outside. Give them the same consideration you give your shoes and camera bag, choosing garments that let you walk, climb and carry your equipment comfortably.

Through the many years I have spent travelling in deserts, I have come to appreciate the *tagelmust*, the traditional Tuareg head wrap, particularly when working as a photographer. We may walk for some time with our equipment, then remain almost still while a photograph takes shape. A length of cloth that can be adjusted around the head and neck, or drawn across the face when the wind lifts the sand, is useful through all these changes. I recommend bringing one for our days in Petra and AlUla.

It has another use that is especially welcome in the heat. If you begin to feel uncomfortably hot, pause in the shade and wet the fabric thoroughly with cool water. Place it loosely over your head and the back of your neck, keeping your face clear. As the water evaporates, it helps draw heat away. Rest with it there, and wet it again as it dries.

If that feeling of heat comes with a headache, dizziness, nausea or unusual weakness, stop walking and let your companion and me know straight away. The wet cloth can help with cooling, but confusion, collapse or difficulty staying alert require urgent medical help and immediate cooling of more of the body.

Think of clothing as something that accompanies the whole day: the approach, the time spent photographing and the walk back. When it allows us to move comfortably and remain at ease, more of our attention is available for the place itself.

Stay Hydrated

In the dry air of Petra and AlUla, sweat can evaporate almost unnoticed. Your clothes may feel dry even as you walk, climb or stand with the camera. Meanwhile, a photograph can absorb you so completely that a long time passes before you think of drinking.

Keep your water where you can reach it easily. A bottle in an accessible pocket or a drinking reservoir with a tube means you can take a few mouthfuls without putting everything down and opening your bag. Make use of the pauses throughout a session. When you feel thirsty, allow yourself that moment, even if the photograph is unfinished or the group has not yet moved on.

Over several hours of walking and sweating, we lose salts as well as water. Water remains essential, and during prolonged exertion we can complement it with electrolytes from food or an electrolyte drink. Individual sachets, mixed according to their instructions, are easy to carry. The aim is to replace what we are losing; there is no benefit in forcing ourselves to drink excessive amounts.

Tea Along the Way

We will often stop for tea with our local hosts. There will be time to put down our bags, settle into a seat and allow conversation to take the place of walking.

The tea contributes to our fluid intake. In dry conditions where sweat can evaporate freely, a warm drink can also encourage sweating and help the body release heat. Its value belongs to the pause as a whole: something to drink, a little rest and a place out of the sun.

I would not want us to pass through these landscapes without making time for the people who live in them. Sitting together over tea allows an encounter to find its own pace. These moments belong to our photographic journey just as fully as those in which we have a camera to our eye.

Eating During the Day

Our days will include regular, carefully planned stops for food. We will buy from local vendors whom I have known well for many years, giving ourselves time to eat and recover between stretches of walking and photography.

You may not wish to eat local food at every stop. In that case, bring a few energy bars you know you enjoy, something familiar that is easy to reach when you need it. Walking across sand, climbing stone steps and carrying equipment can make a day more demanding than its distances suggest. Sometimes your appetite catches up with that effort only later; a snack between meals helps keep you fuelled along the way.

Sun Protection

Clothing and a head covering do much of the work, but there will always be places where the skin remains exposed. For our days outdoors, bring a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher, offering protection against both UVA and UVB.

Apply it generously, remembering the ears, the back of the neck and the backs of the hands. With a camera in our hands and our attention elsewhere, these are easy places to forget. Renew the protection at least every two hours, and after heavy sweating or wiping your skin, following the product instructions.

This belongs to our preparation in every season. Cool air can make hours outside feel comfortable, but it does not tell us how much ultraviolet exposure we are receiving. Keep your sunscreen close to your water, where it is easy to find. During one of our pauses, it takes only a moment to look after the skin that has been carrying the day with you.

After leaving Petra and the Nabatean desert, where carved stone, water and long roads had begun to enter one frame, the images ask for the cohort that learned to read that civilisation together.

I did not include six months of post-workshop contact by chance, nor as a simple service.

Many years ago, I was teaching an online course that could easily have felt impersonal. Instead, when it ended, the group did not want to dissolve. We had never all sat around the same table, yet years later we are still a living community. From that experience came conversations, magazines, books, friendships and shared ways of looking.

It taught me how valuable a small circle of people can be when they have lived and worked through an experience together.

For this reason, every workshop includes six months of continued contact at no additional cost: a private group, image sharing, feedback, and a form of ongoing tuition shaped by cultural prompts — a book, an image, a thought, an exhibition, or an occasion that may open a new direction in the work.

The event ends. The adventure in photography begins.

18–25 May 2027. At Petra, sunrise advances from approximately 05:43 to 05:39 and sunset extends from approximately 19:27 to 19:31. The desert day offers nearly fourteen hours of light, but its photographic value is concentrated at the margins.

In Petra, first light enters selectively. The Siq holds darkness long after the open landscape has brightened, while carved façades receive colour according to their orientation rather than the clock alone. Late light restores relief to sandstone and gives the human figure a truthful sense of scale.

The moon moves from waxing gibbous through the full moon around 20 May and then begins to wane. This arc offers bright desert nights during the central part of the workshop, subject to site access and local permissions, followed by a gradual return of deeper shadow.

May in Petra is generally warm and dry, with seasonal temperatures around 14–29°C and very limited rainfall. Afternoon wind may lift fine dust and reduce contrast. AlUla is typically hotter, often reaching the mid-thirties by day, with coolness returning after sunset and a pronounced difference between shade and exposed ground.

Because this journey crosses two distinct desert territories, the Light Map cannot be reduced to a single set of numbers. Petra is read through canyon, orientation and reflected sandstone; AlUla through open sky, monumental rock and a more severe accumulation of heat.

Here light becomes archaeological. It reveals inscription, erosion and the patient labour of carving, allowing photography to follow the Nabatean world not as a catalogue of monuments, but as a civilisation written into stone.