A Few Days in the Sonoran Desert with Cowgirls with Cameras at Kay El Bar

I recently returned from our Cowgirls with Cameras workshop and retreat at Kay El Bar Guest Ranch in Wickenburg, Arizona, and it was such a fun few days to be part of. This event took place February 18 through 22, 2026, at the historic ranch, with horses and riderss provided by Arizona Horse Company and support from the wranglers at Kay El Bar. The retreat was built around western desert scenery, horses, portraits, action, lifestyle imagery, and time to learn, create, and reset.

We had such a great group of photographers join us, and that always shapes the experience in the best way. There is something special about spending a few days with people who are all excited to learn, create, and photograph in a place that looks like it came straight out of an old western film set. Between the desert landscape, the horses, the models, and the constant shift in light from sunrise to sunset, there was no shortage of inspiration.

Our days started early, and I mean early enough that caffeine was a requirement. We were out photographing at sunrise each morning, learning during the last morning, and ended the day with horses again at sunset. The Sonoran Desert gave us saguaro, barrel cactus, open space, dust in everything, warm color, and the kind of atmosphere that screams the West! The event page described it as epic western scenery with spectacular desert backdrops, and that was absolutely the truth.

Kay El Bar was such a fitting place for this retreat. The ranch is one of Arizona’s earliest dude ranches, with roots going back to the early 1900s, and it still carries that old-west character that makes the whole experience feel immersive from the moment you arrive. It is easy to see why this location made so much sense for a workshop centered around horses, cattle, western imagery, and a whole lot of desert.

The horses and riders supplied by Arizona Horse Company were a huge part of what made the experience so strong. Having access to desert savvy horses, desert landscape, and people who know how to move through that environment naturally without getting cactus thorns everywhere gives photographers so much to work with.

And because no trip to the desert should get too comfortable, I was also attacked by a jumping cholla. It stayed stuck in my boot for days, which felt a little excessive on its part. To be truthful I really just needed to test out all the warnings folks were giving me about NOT TOUCHING THE JUMPING CHOLLA. Arizona really said, welcome, but with consequences… idiot.

One of the things I love most about Cowgirls with Cameras events is the mix of learning and experience. This retreat was designed as both a workshop and a retreat, with education, photography setups, and time to unwind all built into the event. That combination gives photographers a chance to grow while also enjoying the adventure of being somewhere completely different from their everyday routine and everyday landscapes.

Trips like this always leave me tired, dusty, inspired, and very grateful. I’m thankful to the photographers who joined us, to Arizona Horse Company, to the wranglers and staff at Kay El Bar, and to my Cowgirls with Cameras partners, Kim and Phyllis, for another memorable experience in a beautiful part of the country. The desert delivered, the horses delivered, the cattle delivered and the photographers delivered. The cholla could have dialed it down just a notch.

Cara Taylor Swift
Fast Horse Photography