Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography
Night Photography Workshop
Minneapolis, Minnesota
March 16 & 17, 2024
Optional Meet & Greet meeting, 7 - 8 pm on Friday, March 15 in the lobby of the Country Inn & Suites, Roseville, MN
Two Day / One Night Workshop
$495
16 Participants Max
Workshop Highlights
Join Mike and an enthusiastic group of other astrophotographers in this immersive, two-day and one-night astrophotography workshop!
New to night photography? This is the perfect workshop for you!
You’ll learn everything you need to know to set up your camera and practice using it to capture stunning images of the Milky Way, stars, the Moon and much, much more.
You will also have an evening of hands-on guided field practice with your own gear where you can capture your first astrophotography image!
Learn how to capture and edit stunning landscape and deep-sky astrophotography images of:
Milky Way
Aurora Borealis
Star trails
Full/crescent moon
Distant galaxies
Comets
Deep-space nebulae & star clusters
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024!
We’ll begin by exploring the top landscape and deep-sky astrophotography subjects and the best times of year to capture them.
Then, you’ll learn the basic astrophotography gear you need and how to set it up – lens choice, focusing tips, composition techniques, exposure settings and more. You’ll learn when you need a star tracker and when you don’t.
Next, we’ll review a host of useful apps to help you plan your astrophotography sessions for maximum productivity.
Finally, we’ll conclude with astrophotography-specific post-processing tips to bring out the best in your astrophotography images.
Launch your journey into space in this knowledge-packed workshop, and learn how to bring home spectacular souvenirs to share with your family and friends!
Dr. Mike Shaw will be your workshop instructor and field guide. He is the author of the new book, “The Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography (2023)” and the acclaimed night photography books, “The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography,” and “Creative Nightscapes and Time-Lapses.” He hosts the annual Aurora Summit conference each year. He is also the co-creator of the video tutorials embedded in the Planit Pro app.
Workshop highlights include:
Two days of in-depth classroom sessions on night photography & astronomy fundamentals, including techniques for image enhancement in post-processing
One night of practice in the field - capture your first night photography image!
Expert explanations and instruction for how to stunning nightscape images of the Milky Way, star trails, constellations, panoramas, time-lapses, deep-sky objects and more
Opportunity to create your custom plan(s) for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024
Practical tips and techniques for astronomical observing; and photography tips to keep you and your camera safe, warm and functioning
Workshop Structure and Itinerary
This workshop has two components: (i) Daytime classroom sessions in our private meeting room and (ii) night photography sessions in the field. The classroom sessions involve presentations and hands-on practice. The evening photography sessions are where you will
You should arrive in your own vehicle for transportation throughout the workshop, or carpool with a friend. Be sure to bring winter clothes, winter boots, a winter hat and gloves, and hand warmers (will be provided if needed).
Friday, March 15, 7 - 8 pm. Optional Meet & Greet meeting in the lobby of the Country Inn & Suites, Roseville, Minnesota. Meet your workshop colleague and share your goals for the workshop.
Saturday, March 16 - DAY / NIGHT ONE:
9 am - noon Workshop begins in our private meeting room at the Country Inn & Suite. Mike will give a workshop overview and agenda. We will begin with astrophotography fundamentals - top night sky objects, astrophotography gear, setup, and technique
Noon - 1:30 pm Lunch break on your own (plenty of nearby options)
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm Continue in our private meeting room in the Country Inn. Learn how to previsualize and plan for an evening of astrophotography. We’ll learn about the different stages of twilight and why they’re important. We’ll also discuss useful apps and software - Planit Pro, PhotoPills, Stellarium and more.
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Dinner break on your own
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Astrophotography session - we will drive to a nearby location and practice capturing a variety of night photography images! You will drive/carpool in your own vehicle so you are free to leave or stay whenever you wish.
Sunday, March 17 - DAY TWO:
9 am - noon Continue in our private meeting room in the Country Inn. Review the prior evening’s experiences and lessons learned. After then reviewing selected “Astronomy 101” fundamentals, we’ll discuss more advanced topics - possibilities include time-lapses, star trackers, panorama, star trails, eclipse. Now is when we may hold a special discussion on preparations for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Noon - 1:30 pm Lunch break on your own (plenty of nearby options)
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm Continue in our private meeting room in the Country Inn. We’ll now discuss astrophotography image editing in Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. We will discuss image blending and compositing in Photoshop. Time permitting, we may also discuss additional software, such as Starry Landscape/Sky Stacker, Stasrtax, Sequator, and PixInsight.
5:00 pm Workshop concludes.
Learning Environment:
Mike Shaw Photography workshops are known for their in-depth explanations of essential and highly advanced topics in a friendly, supportive environment. If this is your first one, you will likely be pleasantly surprised by the collaborative atmosphere. These are not competitive, goal-driven events; instead, you will have ample opportunity to explore whatever topic(s) you are most interested in, surrounded by enthusiastic, like-minded individuals. The small group size and Mike’s deep knowledge and extensive teaching experience ensure a genuinely unparalleled learning experience with lots of personal attention. Most workshops feature roughly 50% returning attendees - for a good reason!
Workshop Venue & Accommodations
Our workshop is based at the Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota (see map). We have arranged for a block of single King Suites at a special rate of only $119.00 per night. You can make your reservation at the link below. You are also free to stay at other nearby hotels or at home if you live nearby. Please contact us if you require assistance with accommodations.
Country Inn and Suites
2740 E Snelling Service Dr, Roseville, MN 55113
(651) 628-3500
Pricing
$495/Person
Workshop Includes:
One nights of professional photography guiding and instruction under an authorized use permit with the US National Park Service
Two days of private classroom sessions on night photography, astronomy and image enhancement
The original Night Shooting Plan and instructions for use
Options to experiment with night photography specialty accessories
Welcome Packet with a complete gear list and other useful information
Workshop Does Not Include:
Hotel accommodations, if needed. You can select a room at the Moab Valley Inn from a block reserved for our workshop. There are also many other options nearby. Please contact us if you need assistance
Transportation to/from your home to the workshop meeting locations
Meals, beverages & snacks
Workshop Registration, Payment, and Next Steps
To Register for This Workshop:
Click the “BOOK NOW” button above to register and pay for the workshop. You will be asked to provide your name and contact details, along with the option of either a Full Payment or a 50% Deposit Payment. You will also be asked to electronically sign the standard release waiver during checkout. You can review the waiver HERE.
Within 24 hours, you will receive a confirmation email stating that your registration information & payment has been received, and that your spot in the workshop is secure - welcome aboard!
Next Steps:
You will receive your Welcome Packet once your Full Payment is received. The Welcome Packet has the complete workshop itinerary, venue, gear & software lists, maps, and other important details. Please review it carefully and contact us right away with any questions.
Balance Payment - Your Balance Payment is due no later than 90 days before the workshop begins if you made a Deposit Payment during your initial registration. If you initially made a Full Payment then you’re all set!
Hotel room - You should make your room reservation at the venue hotel as soon as possible. You can stay anywhere else in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area you choose, of course.
Airfare / rental vehicle - You will want to make these reservations at your convenience.
Practice - Now is a great time to start practicing with your camera, especially in the dark. See “Know Your Camera” in the “How to Prepare” section below.
Finally - please contact me right away with any questions. I am here to help!
Cancellation Policy
Recommended Gear Lists
(You will receive a detailed gear list in your Welcome Packet when you register)
Camera Gear - the Essentials:
DSLR or mirrorless camera with the ability to manually focus and manual set the exposure (ISO, f-stop & shutter speed)
Lens. An 18-55 mm kit lens works just fine. Also great are a wide-angle lens (in the 14 - 24 mm range) or a mid-range lens (in the 24 - 70 mm range)
Tripod / ballhead - the sturdier the better
Headlamp with a red bulb
Extra batteries
Extra memory cards
Lens/camera cleaning kit
Camera & other operating manuals
Camera Gear - Nice to Have:
Loupe for focusing
Cable release
Tiffen Double Fog 3 lens filter
External intervalometer
Extra flashlight
Personal Gear:
Snacks
Water
Portable chair
Hand warmers
Laptop for downloading & editing your images during the class sessions
Warm clothes in layers
Warm boots, hat & gloves
Warm jacket & raincoat
How to Prepare
Physical Fitness:
This workshop involves only very short hikes (few hundred yards) over moderate terrain from our vehicles to the shooting locations. Please let us know if you have any concerns at all in this regard.
Know Your Camera:
Knowing how to operate your camera before your workshop allows you to enjoy your time in the field creating images. Time spent practicing at home will yield major returns when you’re in the field. For example, you should know how to:
Set the ISO, aperture and. shutter speed in manual mode (M)
Set your focus mode from autofocus to manual focus, and back again
Display the image histogram on the LCD screen
Display the image histogram in image review
(For DSLR cameras) Enable live view on the LCD screen
Magnify the live view shown on the LCD screen
The level of preparation needed is different for everyone, so if there is anything you’re unsure of, please just ask.
Gear:
A little time at home preparing your gear and electronics will give you peace of mind once you’re in the field and potentially away from reliable internet access.
Review the gear list in your Welcome Packet (provided when you register)
Clean your camera lenses and sensors
Charge your batteries
Download and update all the software you expect to use; again, see the Welcome Packet. You definitely don’t want to waste valuable workshop time on these tasks!
Confirm you have all the necessary charging cords needed for your electronics
Set your camera so that it will only function with a memory card installed
