Night Photography Workshop

Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota

Oct 1-3, 2021

Two Day / Two Night Workshop

$795

8 Participants Max

Highlights

Take advantage of central Minnesota’s undiscovered dark night skies to capture stunning images of the Milky Way, stars, the Moon and much more.

New to night photography? This workshop is perfect for you! You’ll learn everything you need to know to set up your camera and practice using it to capture stunning nightscape images.

Got a star tracker and want to learn how to use it? You’ll have ample opportunity to do so under the undiscovered dark night skies surrounding the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Finally, you’ll see how to post process your images into trophies you’ll be excited to share with your family and friends.

Dr. Mike Shaw will be your workshop instructor and guide. He is the author of the highly-rated night photography books, “The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography,” and “Creative Nightscapes and Time-Lapses.” He is the co-creator of the video tutorials embedded in the Planit Pro app. He recently completed a Night Sky Photography Residency with the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is intimately familiar with all your workshop locations.

Highlights include:

• Two nights of guided access to stunning wilderness settings with dark skies (Bortle 3-4), all within an hour’s drive of the Twin Cities

• Opportunities for shooting the Milky Way, star trails, constellations, panoramas, time-lapses, deep-sky objects and possibly even the Aurora Borealis!

• Options to try out lens filters, star trackers, panorama heads and other specialized night photography gear

• Two days of indoor sessions on night photography, astronomy fundamentals and image post-processing.

• Create and use a custom Night Photography Plan for successful night photography using a provided template

Itinerary

Night 1 (Friday, Oct. 1): 6 pm - Workshop Commences. We meet and greet one another during our orientation meeting at the Roseville, Minnesota, Country Inn & Suites (map below). Mike will give a workshop overview and rough agenda. We’ll then discuss your goals for the workshop, and the camera systems you’re using before departing for your first session of night photography.

Night 1 (Friday, Oct. 1): Following the Meet & Greet orientation, we will drive to a beautiful dark location within an hour or so of the Country Inn & Suites. Here, you will receive personal instruction on how to properly set up and focus your camera in the dark, and compose in the dark. We’ll also establish the best camera and exposure settings on your camera for night photography. You can also explore the effects of different lens focal lengths for the best composition. After capturing a few trophy images we will return to the workshop hotel, arriving by 2 am (barring a major outbreak of the Aurora Borealis!). In the event of clouds or rain, we will do our night photography sessions in a scenic downtown area in the Twin Cities.

Day 1 (Saturday, Oct. 2): You will spend time reviewing your images and learning how to apply post-processing secrets. You’ll also learn more about the basics of night photography, including a review of the fundamentals of astronomy. You will have ample time to have all your questions answered in a friendly, supportive environment.

Night 2 (Saturday, Oct. 2): We will drive to a new location to take the best advantage of the weather and the interests of the group. You will continue to develop your newly acquired skills as you enjoy a wonderful evening under the night sky capturing breathtaking images. Perhaps the Aurora Borealis will even appear! And again, in the event of clouds or rain, we will do our night photography sessions in a scenic downtown area in the Twin Cities.

Day 2 (Sunday, Oct. 3): We return to the classroom to continue our image review and post-processing. You will also learn more about specific night photography topics of interest - your Welcome Packet includes a questionnaire for you to provide us with the subjects you are the most interested in learning about.

Day 2 (Sunday, Oct. 3): 5:00 pm - Workshop concludes. We pile in our vehicles, head home and sleep!

Workshop Structure

We’ll first meet at 6 pm, Friday Oct. 1, 2021 in the lobby of the Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota (See map).

We will depart for your first session of night photography after this meeting.

You should arrive in your own vehicle for transportation throughout the workshop, or carpool with a friend. There are no significant hikes as part of this workshop, and you will have easy access to your vehicle throughout the workshop.

Food is not included in this workshop. You are free to bring your own food, as well as visit any of the nearby restaurants or shops during the workshop.

Be sure to bring warm clothes, warm boots or shoes, a raincoat, a warm hat and gloves. It can get surprisingly cold late at night! Hand warmers are often welcome.

Workshop Venue & Accommodations

Our workshop is based at the Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota (see map):

Address: 2740 E Snelling Service Dr, Roseville, MN 55113

Phone: (651) 628-3500 .

For your convenience, we are arranging for a block of rooms with either two queen beds or a single king bed at a special rate, if needed. Details will be provided when you register. You are free to stay at other nearby hotels; there are many choices. Please contact us if you require assistance with accommodations.

We will meet in our private meeting room at the Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota, during the day on Saturday & Sunday, October 2 & 3. Here, we will review and enhance your images, work on time-lapse videos and learn basic & advanced nightscape photography techniques.

Pricing

$795/Person

Workshop Includes:

• Two nights (Friday & Saturday) of night photography sessions in dark sky locations within an hour or so of the Twin Cities

• Two days (Saturday & Sunday) of classroom sessions in our private workshop meeting room

• Photography guiding and instruction throughout the workshop at proven field locations

• Indoor post-processing / image enhancement sessions

• Mike Shaw’s original Night Photography Plan, template, and instructions for using it to plan successful night photography sessions

• Opportunities to try out filters, trackers, panorama heads and other night photography 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 Country Inn & Suites 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

As you complete your registration and payment process, you will be given the choice of either paying the full amount or a 50% deposit. If you pay the deposit, the balance payment is due no later than 90 days prior to arrival.

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