Southwest Black & White Analog Road Trip with Jen & Martin

Las Vegas, Nevada • October 5–8, 2026
$800 per person | $650 Early Bird (first 5 spots) and returning students

Hit the road with us for four unforgettable days exploring some of southern Nevada's most photogenic places while making black & white photographs, experimenting with analog processes, and enjoying the company of fellow photographers. From the neon glow of Las Vegas to ghost towns and dramatic desert landscapes, we'll spend our days chasing light, making photographs, and embracing the spirit of the classic American road trip.

Our home base for the adventure will be the Thunderbird Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. You're welcome to stay there with the group or choose accommodations elsewhere. We'll gather at the Thunderbird each morning for breakfast before heading out for the day's adventure and return there each evening for demonstrations, image sharing, optional group dinners, and nighttime photo adventures.

Travel light! We'll provide the cameras, film, photographic paper, chemistry, and all materials. Pack your favorite road trip snacks (or discover some new favorites along the way!), and then caravan to the day's destination. Once we arrive, you're welcome to photograph alongside the group or head off on your own to explore at your own pace. We'll reconnect throughout the day before returning to Las Vegas each evening.

Each day features a new destination and a new photographic process.

What You'll Experience

• Black & white composition and exposure

• Direct positive photography with the Pinsta camera

• Black & white reversal processing

• Home film developing

• Film scanning and sharing images

• Plenty of time to photograph, experiment, and learn together

Each participant will receive two cameras to use throughout the road trip: a mystery vintage 35mm point-and-shoot (you never know what you'll get! that's part of the fun!) and a Pinsta camera. Both cameras are provided for use during the trip, and you're welcome to bring along any additional film or digital cameras you'd like to use.

After the road trip, we'll have everyone's 35mm film professionally developed and scanned. Each participant will receive high-resolution digital files, and all of the scans will be shared in a Google Drive folder so everyone can enjoy, download, and relive the adventure through each other's photographs.

Please note: Prior experience with the Pinsta camera is recommended. If you're new to Pinsta, we encourage scheduling a one-on-one session with Jen or Martin before joining us. No experience with 35mm cameras or photography is needed.

Road Trip Itinerary

Monday, October 5 – Downtown Las Vegas

Meet at the Thunderbird hotel in the afternoon for introductions, camera assignments, and film.

Learn the black & white reversal process, transforming paper negatives into beautiful positive prints.

Load your mystery vintage 35mm camera with black & white film and head out to make your first photographs together.

Optional group dinner followed by an evening photo walk or visit to the Neon Museum.

Tuesday, October 6 – Nelson Ghost Town

Breakfast together at the Downtowner before caravanning to Nelson.

Spend the day photographing rusted cars, weathered buildings, historic mining relics, and the desert landscape.

Return to Las Vegas for dinner, home film developing, and image sharing.

Wednesday, October 7 – Valley of Fire State Park

Breakfast together at the Downtowner before heading to Valley of Fire.

Explore dramatic sandstone formations, ancient petroglyphs, and sweeping desert vistas.

Evening film scanning demonstration, optional dinner, and nighttime photography around downtown Las Vegas.

Thursday, October 8 – Red Rock Canyon

Breakfast together at the Downtowner before our final drive to Red Rock Canyon.

Photograph layered cliffs, Joshua trees, and the ever-changing desert light.

Wrap up the adventure with Pinsta prints, a casual show-and-tell, and a relaxed farewell gathering before everyone heads home.

Included

• Use of a mystery vintage 35mm point-and-shoot camera throughout the trip

• Use of a Pinsta camera throughout the trip

• One roll of black & white film (professionally developed and scanned after the trip)

• Harman Direct Positive Paper

• Black & white photographic paper

• Chemistry and all materials

• Evening demonstrations and activities

• Shared Google Drive gallery of participant images

Not Included

• Transportation

• Lodging (we'll be based at the Thunderbird Hotel, but reservations are made separately)

• Food & drinks

• Gas

• Park entrance fees

One of the joys of black & white photography is learning to see beyond color. From the neon and architecture of Las Vegas to the textures of Nelson Ghost Town, the sculptural sandstone of Valley of Fire, and the dramatic landscapes of Red Rock Canyon, each destination offers a completely different way of seeing light, shadow, shape, and texture. Along the way, we'll share meals, stories, discoveries, roadside snack stops, and the simple pleasure of a great road trip with fellow photographers.

Refund Policy

Workshop registrations are non-refundable unless the road trip does not meet the minimum enrollment or must be cancelled by the organizers due to circumstances beyond their control (such as issues related to Martin's international travel).

If you are unable to attend, your registration fee may be applied as a credit toward a future Raw Art Collective workshop or event or transferred to another individual.

More info? Schedule a call with Jen & Martin. Email jen@rawartcollective.org to coordinate.