Milky Way | Star Trails | Night Skies

4 Nights in Big Bend National Park

September 26 - 30th, 2024

If you are looking to make a final payment, I will be sending you an email approximately 30 days prior to the workshop. If you would like it sooner, just let me know.

The Milky Way in the fall is out early in the evening!

It's in a vertical position before the core starts to set below the horizon.

Join us as we venture in the desert with some of the darkest skies

in the lower United States.

We will shoot Milky Way in the early evening and then turn to star trails, light painting, and more after the Milky Way core has set. We can also shoot at sunrise and those amazing West Texas sunsets!

Before the Workshop:

One on one Zoom call available to answer any questions before the workshop.
Introduction to Night Photography eBook

Topics covered in the field:

Camera settings for night photography
How to focus at night
How to photograph star trails
How (and why) to use an intervalometer
Using PhotoPills to plan your Milky Way shot
Using Augmented Reality to plan your night photographs
How to shoot panoramic pictures in landscape photography
How to light paint foreground objects for landscape photography shots
Understanding hyperfocal distance
How & when to use hyperfocal distance in landscape photography

Post-Processing Videos Immediately after the Workshop:

Attendees will have access to post-processing videos. Videos include:

Using Lightroom and Photoshop for post-processing night photography pictures
Lightroom: Upload and organization
Lightroom: Basic editing for Milky Way images - global and local edits
Lightroom: Advanced Editing: Luminosity Masking
Lightroom: Editing batches of pictures for import into stacking software or Photoshop
Photoshop: import from Lightroom for advanced editing for Milky Way, including masking, dodge and burning, and luminosity masking.
Photoshop: Layering for Focus Stacking for day or night landscape photography
Photoshop: Layering for exposure blending
Photoshop: Import from Lightroom for stacking (layering) for star trails
Creating and stitching panoramic pictures from Lightroom or Photoshop.
StarStax: Import from Lightroom for stacking for star trails
Stacking for Noise Reduction in Starry Landscape Stacker (Mac) or Sequitor (PC)

Details

Attendees are responsible for park entrance fees, lodging, and meals
A detailed itinerary will be sent to all attendees one month prior to the workshop (and after the final balance is paid). We will get together each evening around 5 through approximately 2:00am (or longer).
Each workshop is capped at 8 people.
Required and recommended equipment can be viewed HERE.
Lodging recommendations can be viewed HERE.
See the BIG BEND WORKSHOP FAQs page to get answers to some very common questions.
Final payment is due 60 days prior to the workshop.

Reserve Your Spot!

Total Workshop cost is $950, reserve your spot with the $350 deposit.
Final payment will be due 60 days prior to the workshop. You will be sent an invoice approximately 90 days prior to the workshop to make the final payment.
By placing a deposit to reserve your spot, you agree to the Cancellation Policy
You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours after deposit payment.
Workshop attendees are responsible for their lodging, travel, and food.

BIG BEND