Welcome! - Workshops listed below!
My 2024 Colorado Night Photography Workshops are designed to take novices to intermediate and intermediate to advanced.
These are fun workshops that are geared around learning both in the field and through pre recorded videos and unlimited zoom sessions if needed.
Eastern Colorado has some super dark skies which make it great for stargazing and capturing the night sky with your digital camera. Having dark skies is key to capturing the various celestial objects during different times of the year.
Beginning in early March through Mid October the "Galactic Core" of the Milky Way is visible here in the northern hemisphere. This is generally what people want to photograph when they go out at night, even though the "Milky Way" is visible all year long and offers various constellations to shoot as the year turns from summer to fall, and fall to winter.
Because the stars follow the same equatorial path, where the milky way is in the summer, Orion will be in the winter. This makes going back to the same location worthwhile to capture a different sky over any given subject if you're looking to the south.
If you love staying out all night or getting up super early in the morning then the Spring Milky Way may be good for you. If you need more rest or want to simply stay up just after sunset then the Summer/Fall Milky Way will be more to your liking.
What's the difference?
In the Spring, the Milky Way is laying down close to the horizon just before sunrise. Radiating from the south and leaning to the east. This makes it fairly easy to do full arching panoramas like you see in the image at the top of the page. This is a little more difficult on the body because you need to be up and at your location ready to go once the milky way core gets above the horizon. Generally, i'll head out around midnight to get in position for these types of shots.
In the summer the milky way is up right after sunset. It's also in a more vertical position most the night. This makes it fun to line up with various foreground subjects for images that have a lot of impact to the viewers.
Later in the Summer/Fall the Galactic Core starts to dip below the horizon shortly after sunset. This works well when you need to face to the southwest to get a good foreground. The Milky Way will actually start leaning a bit to the west as well. By the end of October the galactic core is no longer visible here in Colorado. That doesn't mean our season is over... it's just the beginning of the winter sky where we are more than likely to turn our attention to Orion, The hunter.
In the field we will talk about planning/scouting, shooting techniques, exposure, f stops, shutter speeds based on the lens you're using. Making sure we get the right images at capture to properly edit is key. There will be times we shoot the entire scene (foreground and sky) all at once and other times where we can work on techniques for bluehour blends.
Back home after the workshop you'll be given a set of several short videos that cover everything from RAW processing, stacking, blending, bluehour blends, focus stacking, masking and final processing. These videos allow you to work at your pace on your own time. Because they are broken up into short videos you can pick and choose the ones you want to watch based on where you're at in the process.
Anytime you need help after the workshop, you can always rely on me as a resource. I offer each of my students unlimited access to me via email, zoom or just additional videos if there is something that comes up and you want a video on how to do it, I'll make one. This is the added value that lasts a lifetime so you never get stuck in your journey.
What gear do I need to take the workshop?
Digital Camera - Full Frame or Crop Sensor
F/2.8 lens or faster
Cable Release or interval shooting in camera
Computer (stacking software optional but highly recommended)
Sturdy Tripod
Safety in mind
Willingness to learn
Want to have fun!
Specific locations will be discussed upon signing up or if there is a particular place you want to shoot, let me know and I'll plan it out for you.
These workshops will cover areas between Denver all the way over to the Kansas/Colorado border based on the time of the year.
Investment -
You can pick any number of nights you like during the dates listed.
1 Night - $295
2 Nights - $550
3 Nights - $799
Please note that you DO NOT need to sign up for all the dates in a given workshop. Each night is it's own workshop. If you only want to attend one night, that's fine! These are simply the best dates to shoot the Milky Way during this time of year.
Workshop Dates 2024
March 7th - 10th & March 12th - 15th (New Moon Phase)
-Completed-
Opportunity for star trails photography before the core rises.
Milky Way very low on the horizon just before sunrise. Roughly 1.5 hours of core shooting starting about 3:30am.
Workshop will start at Midnight each night and run through sunrise at 7:30am
April 4th - 13th (New Moon Phase)
-COMPLETED-
Opportunity for star trails photography before the core rises.
Milky Way low on the horizon about 1am-4am - Roughly 3 hours of core shooting.
Workshops will start at 10pm and run through sunrise at about 6:30am
May 3rd - 4th (Moonrise about 4:15am 18% - 10%)
Opportunity for start trail photography before the core rises
Milky Way core up from 12:00am - Almost 5 hours of core shooting
Workshop will start at 10pm and run through sunrise at 6am
June 3rd (New Moon Phase) 1 Night Only
Workshop will start at 7:30pm (sunset and blue hour foregrounds) and will run till 3:30am when the core is no longer visible due to twilight. Milky Way is up right after sunset allowing for about 5 hours of core shooting.
July 2nd - 9th (New Moon Phase)
Workshop will start at 7:30pm (sunset and blue hour foregrounds) and will run till 3:40am when the core is no longer visible due to twilight. Milky Way is up right after sunset allowing for about 5 hours of core shooting.
Aug 5th - 6th SOLD OUT (New Moon Phase)
Workshop will start at 7pm (sunset and blue hour foregrounds) and will run till 2am when the Milky Way Core sets. Milky Way is up right after sunset allowing for about 4 hours of core shooting, 5 hours Milky Way shooting.
Aug 7th- 8th (New Moon Phase)
Workshop will start at 7pm (sunset and blue hour foregrounds) and will run till 2am when the Milky Way Core sets. Milky Way is up right after sunset allowing for about 4 hours of core shooting, 5 hours Milky Way shooting.
Aug 30th - Sept 5th (New Moon to Waxing Crescent)
Workshop will start at 6:30pm (sunset and blue hour foregrounds) and will run till 3am. Milky Way core sets around Midnight. Milky Way is up right after sunset allowing for about 3.5 hours of core shooting, 4 hours Milky Way shooting with opportunity to shoot star trails after the core sets.
Sept 6th, 7th, 8th (Private Event LTPC)
Workshop will start at 6:30pm (sunset and blue hour foregrounds) and will run till 3am. Milky Way core sets around Midnight. Milky Way is up right after sunset allowing for about 3.5 hours of core shooting, 4 hours Milky Way shooting with opportunity to shoot star trails after the core sets.
Just Added!!!!!!! Kansas & Monument Rocks! Aug 2nd, 3rd & 4th (SOLD OUT!!!!!!) Based Out of Oakley, KS
Special Kansas Night Photography Workshop at Monument Rocks & Surrounding areas.
This is a 3 Night Workshop with 2 instructors. You will get all the instruction, post processing, shooting techniques help you can want. Monument Rocks is a special place and even more so at night. 3 Nights - $995 per person - 4 person max
What's not included - Airfare, Rental Car, Travel insurance, meals, lodging, camera gear, camera insurance (highly recommended).
What's included in the workshops?
Professional location guiding, onsite learning with a professional photographer (me), instructional videos to learn at your own pace, unlimited help after the workshop including zoom sessions at no additional cost.
What's not included?
Airfare, Rental Car, Travel insurance, meals, lodging, camera gear, camera insurance (highly recommended).
Cancellation Policy
Full payment secures your spot - If you cancel 90 days before you will be granted a full refund, 45-89 days before the workshop 75% refund or credit, 31-44 days before the workshop a 50% refund and 0-30 days before the workshop no refund will be given. I highly recommend you purchase Travel Insurance to help cover any losses that may occur if you cannot attend the workshop.
How do I sign up?
Simply use this link to take you to the contact page
Let me know the dates you'd like to attend and I'll take it from there.
I look forward to working with you this year!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
