Learn to photograph the stars, Milky Way, night sky & sunset, while traveling to one of the darkest & most photogenic locations on planet earth.
With 2 nights & 3 days of professional photography instruction, you will leave the workshop with great images and expertise in:
- Complete camera technique (night sky & landscape photography)
- Photo editing technique
- Planning your shoots
- The complete photo creation process for night sky & landscape photography
Scroll down for more details, dates, and sign-up information.
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| Great Views of 14,410 Foot Mount Rainier. One of the Many Destinations We Will Visit. |
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| Photograph Glacier Rivers & Old Growth Forests plus Alpine Lakes & Snow Capped Peaks. |
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| Mount Rainier Features Some of the Best Night Sky Photography In the World. |
Workshop Overview
We will spend Friday & Saturday nights photographing the Milky Way, night sky, Moon, and stars.
A sunset shoot is included each night where you’ll also learn my landscape photography techniques.
As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, I’ve spent years exploring each of these locations and have photographed them dozens of times.
After countless shoots, and hours upon hours of research I can guarantee you that we will visit the best locations, at just the right times.
Receive $300 of Bonus Learning Material Upon Sign Up
Upon registering, you will receive these products instantly via email.
My Camera Technique & Photo Editing for Landscape & Night Sky Photography Course (20 hours of video)
Sign Up, Dates, & Cost
Workshop Dates:
CLICK & JOIN: Friday, August 2nd – Sunday, August 4th, 2024 (2 spaces remain)
Workshop Cost: Workshop Cost: $2,495 Total / $500 deposit to reserve your space.
Skill & Fitness Level: Any / All. I will teach to your current skills.
Refund & Cancellation Policy: Click Here & View
- Upon sign up, you will receive a detailed PDF including all logistics & everything you’ll need to prepare.
- Once the workshop sells out the registration button will no longer work. All signups are first come first serve.
Scroll Down for Complete Details & Logistics
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| Photograph the Best Locations at Mount Rainier National Park |
What Will I Learn at the Workshop?
With 2 nights & 3 days of in-depth instruction, you will leave the workshop with great photos and a vast knowledge of landscape, night sky, star, and Milky Way photography.
Visit my star photography photo gallery and landscape photo gallery for an example of the pictures I’ll teach you to take & edit.
Learn the Essential Camera Technique Skills
Here’s what we will cover:
- My start to finish camera technique for night sky & landscape photography. I work with each student 1 on 1 to ensure an in-depth understanding & high-quality images.
- Easy to understand & implement techniques for selecting the perfect focus, f-stop, ISO, and exposure time for any shooting situation.
- Focusing at night. You will learn 5 of my favorite methods for obtaining sharp focus at night. These are guaranteed to work.
- The 500 Rule: Selecting the optimal exposure time for different star photography scenarios.
- Troubleshooting 101: How to set up for the perfect night shot in any conditions. This includes focusing at night, multiple exposure images, etc.
- The best techniques for milky way photography.
- How to capture great photos at dusk and dawn.
- How to photograph star trails while decreasing noise or light pollution in your shots.
- The ability to capture a sharp foreground as well as the Milky Way or stars in the background.
- Using multiple exposures, settings, and advanced tools to improve the quality of your star photography.
- Depth of field blending to achieve ultimate sharpness throughout the entire picture. Techniques provided for night/star and landscape (sunrise / sunset) photography. We will cover how to effectively capture the full depth of field using multiple exposures and then combine them during our classroom post-processing sessions.
- Effectively capturing all necessary RAW picture data in the field, to minimize post-processing at home and come away with overall better photos.
- We will cover all these bases for night sky & landscape photography.
- Open floor session. Each one of you provides something you would like to learn and we will all go through the process step by step.
- The sunset shoot provided each night will teach my camera techniques for shooting sunrise, sunsets, or during the day.
Whatever else you may want to learn, these workshops are anything goes… so ask away:)
Click Here & Sign Up (or Scroll Down for More Details)
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| Sunset, Twilight and Night Photography Included with Each Shoot |
Learn the Essential Photo Editing Skills
The photo editing session will be held in a classroom-style setting where each student has an area to set up their computer and work on their photos.
I will be displaying my computer screen on a large 80″ projector which will allow us to work through my entire photo editing workflow from start to finish.
Students will be able to follow along on their own computers and ask questions at any time they like.
There is also additional time for one on one instruction allowing each student to work on some of their own photos taken on this tour.
I’ll show you how to turn an image like the following, straight out of the camera.
Into something that looks like this, with my simple photo editing techniques.
Photo Editing Skills Covered
- Learn my start to finish photo editing technique for night sky photography including beginner through advanced skill sets.
- A complete explanation of luminosity masking techniques and how they apply to night sky and landscape photography.
- RAW image processing using Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Camera RAW.
- An in-depth explanation of Photoshop layer masking and how to apply it to your photos.
- Color correction for night sky photography.
- Color theory & color harmony. How to selectively choose colors for your night sky photos to portray the desired mood of the scene.
- Advanced noise reduction techniques for night sky photography.
- Applying selective noise reduction using luminosity masks in Photoshop.
- Focus stacking for night sky photography to achieve sharp focus. We will be working on these techniques in the field, and then post-processing the shots in Photoshop.
- How to contrast the Milky Way and make it really pop.
- Explanation and use of the Photoshop Channels Module.
- Explanation and use of the Photoshop Layers Module.
- Using Photoshop curves and levels for night photography.
- Using Groups in Photoshop.
- Making detailed selections in Photoshop.
- Artistic cropping, warping, and free transform in Photoshop.
- Final photo presentation techniques.
- Web sharpening and Print Sharpening techniques.
- Plus much much more. Ask anything you like.
Before & After Photo Editing Example
Here is the photo straight out of the camera.
I teach you to edit your shots to bring out the color & details, like this.
Click Here & Sign Up (or Scroll Down for More Details)
Learn to Plan & Scout for Your Photo Trips
From weather prediction, and great shooting locations to planetary motion; this workshop will cover all the bases, allowing you to fully plan your next shoot in an effective, efficient manner.
I do an extensive amount of planning before & during every photography trip.
This is key to setting yourself up for nice photos.
Extensive planning went into this photo workshop to ensure the best results at the best times.
Here are some of the topics we will cover during this part of the workshop:
- In-depth scouting & planning for star, Milky Way & night sky photography.
- Weather – How to best predict (making educated guesses) the weather for a given location, and how to scout for clear dark skies.
- Effectively reading cloud cover charts to predict clear skies.
- Analyzing high and low-pressure systems to predict nice sunrises/sunsets, or clear skies.
- Preparing for photography trips / finding dark skies prior to visiting locations.
- Planetary Motion & Planning – How to prepare for a night under the stars. Knowing where the Milky Way will rise, the Moon will set, and where certain stars or celestial bodies are located in the night sky. This is key for planning a shoot around a certain event.
- Reading topographic maps to plan your shoots.
- Maps – Digitally prepare a map containing all of the information you need for one of your big photo trips.
Click Here & Sign Up (or Scroll Down for More Details)
My Certifications & Safety Information
I am a certified Wilderness First Responder which includes certifications in CPR, AED, Epinephrine auto-injector, plus wilderness medicine & first aid.
This is an 80 hour, 10 day, training certification, with a recertification every 2 years, that I always keep up to date.
- All workshops are registered and held in compliance with the US Department of Interior / US National Park Service.
- Dave Morrow Photography LLC holds a 2 million dollar general liability insurance policy going beyond the 1 million dollar policy required by Mount Rainier National Park.
Each year I spend 9 months living in the wilderness & photographing it.
You are in good hands!
Tentative Schedule
Friday (Day 1) – Sunset & Night Sky Photography:
This includes approximately 8 hours of shooting & in-depth professional instruction.
During the first afternoon & night of the tour, we will shoot on the North-East side of Mount Rainier National Park, exploring the White River Glacier Valley & Sunrise area which is located at 6,700 feet above sea level.
We will shoot all of my favorite locations in the area.
Saturday (Day 2) – Sunset & Night Sky Photography:
This includes approximately 8 hours of shooting & in-depth professional instruction.
We will explore new areas and capture more images of sunset & the night sky.
I’ll provide you with exact locations on day 1.
Sunday (Day 3) – Photo Editing Instruction:
We will meet around 10 AM for our photo editing classroom session which will last approximately 4-5 hours.
I will cover my entire photo editing workflow in Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW & Photoshop.
No matter your skill level you can learn from this part of the workshop.
You will also have the chance to work through some of your shots from the workshop & I’ll help you with any questions.
Upon signing up you will receive an email and PDF with full logistics and details on everything you need to know.
What Should I Bring with Me?
Upon sign up, you will receive a detailed PDF including everything you’ll need to bring with you.
I’ve also provided this below for reference.
Camera Equipment
If you need some star photography camera lens and gear recommendations I have provided you with some great options that I have tested.
Recommended Night Photography Cameras & Lenses.
You can also reference the What’s in My Camera Bag Section of this website for more recommendations and tips:)
- A DSLR or Mirrorless Camera. Keep in mind star photography is one of the few fields where a better camera really does help to produce better results. A full frame / 35mm sensor will really help you to capture the best of the stars, but is not required. Renting a camera and lenses is always a great option. There are many websites that provide this service such as BorrowLenses.
- Glazer’s Camera in Seattle has one of the best and more affordable rental programs around if you want to pick up a rental on your way to the workshop.
- A wide-angle lens is very important. Any lens between 8mm-24mm will work. You will also need an f-stop of at least f/4 maximum speed, although f/2.8 is preferred. These can also be rented at the links provided above.
- It’s also preferred to have a zoom lens for photographing landscapes at sunset. A 70-200mm range is always great to have.
- A tripod. Any will work but the sturdier the better.
- Two 32 GB or larger memory cards.
- A minimum of 5 fully charged batteries. Long exposures drain the battery quickly.
- Camera Timer—Even a cheap knock-off works, check reviews online before buying these brands to avoid a letdown.
- Camera / Lens Rags—I carry a lot of these at all times.
- Circular Polarizing Filter for sunsets (optional)
- Neutral Density Filters for sunsets (optional)
- Laptop Computer running Photoshop & Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Camera RAW. You can take the workshop without this, but you won’t be able to edit photos in our post-processing sessions.
Clothes, Gear, and Other Items
You will be provided with a detailed checklist of everything you’ll need for the workshop upon signing up.
Here is an overview:
- Clothes for temperatures between 35 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, this is a huge range of temperatures. Using layers will prevent you from bringing so many clothes. For laying basics, reference the bottom of my Guide to Backpacking & Traveling with Photography and Camera Gear Tutorial.
- Shorts & / or pants for the weekend: The weather is very nice, sunny and warm during the summer months, but the temperature is likely to drop at night.
- Long sleeve and short sleeve shirts for the weekend.
- Flashlight and/or headlamp.
- Hiking socks.
- A windbreaker / light jacket—Waterproof is great if you have it.
- Light boots for hiking.
- Winter hat/beanie.
- Sunscreen.
- Bug spray.
- Food and water for 12 hours – Often we are in locations that aren’t within an hour of a store. It’s good to carry extra food and water at all times.
- Sunglasses.
Click Here & Sign Up (or Scroll Down for More Details)
Physical Requirements
This workshop will require you to hike up to 1/4 mile each day over fairly flat terrain.
I have had nearly all fitness levels attend my workshops and they have done just fine:)
Sleeping / Lodging Arrangements
Hotel (lodging) and camping fees are not included in the cost of your admission.
Upon signup, you will receive step-by-step instructions, allowing you to easily make reservations from my recommended list of hotels.
I have stayed in each of these hotels to ensure their quality.
You also have the option to stay at a campground, where you can also park your car.
You will be provided with full details on this option, along with my favorite campsites.
Transportation
You are responsible for your own transportation to/from and during the workshop.
Here is what I recommend:
Air Transportation
Both Seattle (SEA) and Portland (PDX) airports will provide a central location for you to fly into.
I would recommend Seattle over Portland as the drive time is slightly shorter.
Rental Car Information
For those of you that need to rent a car for the workshop, I would suggest renting a small to mid-sized sedan that holds all of your gear and does fairly well on fuel economy.
You do not need a 4WD, truck, or SUV at any time during the workshop.
Car rental services can be found near both Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA) airports.
Can I Bring a Friend?
If your friend brings a camera (not including point & shoot/phone) they must pay for the workshop.
If they do not have a camera or plan to learn in the post-processing session then it is free of charge.
Click Here & Sign Up (or Scroll Down for More Details)
Questions?
I am always happy to help:)
Contact: Workshops@DaveMorrowPhotography.com