Death Valley Astrophotography Workshop
DEATH VALLEY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
SEPTEMBER 10-14, 2018
LIMITED TO 5 PARTICIPANTS
$1000
Nowhere else on earth will you experience a place quite like Death Valley and nothing can fully prepare you for the scope of its landscape! This is a place of raw beauty where an alien environment reveals many wonders from the otherworldly polygons that make up the salt flats at Badwater Basin to the soft, sinuous lines of the vast Mesquite Sand Dunes. Other wonders include the mysterious sailing stones at the Racetrack Playa, the colorful badlands of Zabriskie Point and the many rivers of cracked and peeling mud along the desert floor. Night brings even more mystery to this place and it is truly dark, allowing every star to shine bright and the Milky Way to show its core in full clarity. Travel with us through this land of extremes for a memorable trip under the stars!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Participants will have the opportunity to photograph a wide variety of astrolandscapes in locations like Badwater Basin, the Mesquite Sand Dunes, Zabriskie Point and the Racetrack Playa among others. You will gain an understanding of the night sky and how to plan future astrophotography shoots through the use of various apps and charts pertaining to locating stars, monthly moon phases and positioning and brilliance of the Milky Way. We will also be discussing techniques such as light painting, creating panoramic images through stitching, capturing star-trails, and post-processing techniques to make your star images really shine!
*** Please Note: Some hiking of up to 1-3 miles round-trip through uneven terrain is required to access some of the locations on this trip. Most of this hiking is over relatively flat, even terrain but hiking through the sand dunes can be strenuous. Also, September is still hot in the desert and though temperatures will be hot during the day, we will only be hiking and working on the fringes of the day and into the night so you shouldn’t expect to be too uncomfortable. We will make sure everyone has access to plenty of water during field sessions.
WORKSHOP ITINERARY:
Monday, September 10 – Meet and Greet followed by our first photography session. We will head out for a sunset shoot and then spend our first night under the stars. We typically will be out photographing the stars until 1AM-2AM.
Tuesday, September 11 – We will begin with lunch (optional to attend) followed by an afternoon classroom session and photo critique. We will then have an early dinner and head back out for a sunset photo shoot and another night of shooting under the stars. We typically will be out photographing the stars until 1AM-2AM.
Wednesday, September 12 – We will begin with lunch (optional to attend) followed by an afternoon classroom session and photo critique. We will then have an early dinner and head back out for a sunset photo shoot and another night of shooting under the stars. We typically will be out photographing the stars until 1AM-2AM.
Thursday, September 13 – We will begin with lunch (optional to attend) followed by an afternoon classroom session and photo critique. We will then have an early dinner and head back out for a sunset photo shoot and another night of shooting under the stars. We typically will be out photographing the stars until 1AM-2AM.
Friday, September 14 – We will meet for a final critique and finish by 10AM to get ready for hotel check out.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Daily personalized one-on-one instruction with Tina and Kevin in the field, post-processing classroom instruction and constructive critiques.
- Transportation during the workshop to workshop shooting locations.
- Water and snacks.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Airfare to and from the area. Las Vegas, Nevada, is the closest large city airport.
- Transportation between the airport and your hotel.
- Hotel lodging.
- Daily meals and beverages.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- DSLR or Mirrorless Camera with capability of producing low to moderate noise at ISO 1250 and higher.
- Wide angle lens in the 14mm to 24mm range (the wider the better) with an aperture of f4 or below (ie: f3.5, f2.8, f2, etc.). Lenses ranging from 24mm to 200mm are also good for our sunset shoots though not required.
- Sturdy Tripod.
- Intervalometer (helpful but optional – must have if you want to do star-trails)
- Laptop with Photoshop (trail versions are usually available if you don’t already have photoshop.)
- Flashlight or headlamp, preferably with a red light.
- Sturdy walking shoes.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
A deposit of 50% of the workshop price is due upon registration and is non-refundable or you can choose to pay the total amount up front. Final Payment is due 30 days prior to the workshop event. If the final payment is not made by the due date your space will be forfeited.