Westcliffe, Colorado Celebrates 5 Years Of Dark Sky Status ~ 2020
Westcliffe and Silver Cliff comprise the first dark sky community in Colorado. They are the ninth—and highest—such community in the world.
In addition to preserving the physical and emotional benefits of stunningly starry nights for those who call Westcliffe home, the designation draws stargazers and night photographers from around the world to visit this crown jewel of the International Dark Sky Community.
The valley west of Westcliffe is one of the best places to photograph the night sky due to it's elevation, which at 8,000 feet, puts you closer to the stars than any other Dark Sky community in North America.
Join us July 2020 for an incredible one night - all inclusive star filled, "Awe of the Milky Way Workshop" over the Wet Mountain Valley.
This is a one night in-depth instruction and guidance astrophotography workshop that will teach you how to find your way around in the dark to find the best composition, what exposures to use for night photography and how to focus in the dark.
We will teach you how to capture the Majestic Milky Way, how to shoot star trails, image stacking and exposure blending. Also: an introduction demonstration into deep space astrophotography using a tracker.
Also Included in this workshop will be custom astronomy cosmic tour presented by an exceptionally knowledgeable astronomy guide using high powered telescopes. He will be giving us a close up view of several deep space objects including Jupiter, Saturn, The Moon, galaxies and star clusters.
There is no place like a "Dark Sky Community" for photographing the night sky!
Required Equipment and Accessories :
- DSLR or mirrorless camera with ISO range to at least 6,400 and shutter speeds to at least 30 secs
- Wide angle lens with a aperture of f/4 or larger and a full frame equivalent of 14 - 35 mm
- A sturdy tripod
- Intervalometer, wireless remote or shutter release cord
- Extra batteries
- Headlamp with a RED filter
- Small flashlight
NOTE: If you need to purchase or rent ANY of the required equipment - please, feel free to contact me at 719.930.1301 and I can help you get set up.
Recommended Items:
- Warm clothes (as the night gets later it does get cooler)
- Gloves and hat
- Hiking Boots
- Snacks and beverages
- Camping chair or any portable seat. We do a lot of standing.
Day 2 : What You’ll Need For Processing Class:
- Bring your laptop to the class loaded with a couple of images you want to process.
- Make sure you have the latest version of Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop CC loaded. If you don’t already own Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop CC - you can download a free 7 day trial here.
- Notebook paper and pen for keeping notes.
- You will be given a 4 page "cheat sheet" on the things we covered for you to take home.
More Details:
Participants: Limit 14
Experience Level: Beginner - Advanced Beginners and experienced photographers will benefit from this workshop.
Endurance Level: Easy - All age levels are welcomed. We’ll drive to each location then walk to the best position.
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Workshop 1 Dates : July 18, 2020 - July 19, 2020 SOLD OUT
Day 1 : Meet at 4 pm for orientation at Hermit Basin Lodge. Dinner at 6 pm at Lodge. Depart for shooting location 7:30 pm - 2 am. Return to Lodge.
Day 2 : Breakfast at 8 am. Post processing Lightroom class 10 am - 12 noon. Depart for home at noon.
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Workshop 2 Dates : July 19, 2020 - July 20, 2020 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Day 1 : Meet at 4 pm for orientation at Hermit Basin Lodge. Dinner at 6 pm at Lodge. Depart for shooting location 7:30 pm - 2 am. Return to Lodge.
Day 2 : Breakfast at 8 am. Post processing Lightroom class 10 am - 12 noon. Depart for home at noon.
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Lodging: Our home base for this workshop is Hermit Basin Lodge and Conference Center. We have reserved a block of rooms (single occupancy) for our stay.
This is an ALL inclusive Workshop.
What is Included? The cost of the workshop DOES includes: Photo instruction by Craig Wennersten at multiple locations, deep space observation session and photo editing using Lightroom / Photoshop classroom instruction.
Also included: One night of lodging at Hermit Basin Lodge plus dinner the first night and breakfast the next morning.
This workshop DOES NOT include: Transportation to/from and during the workshop, (we will carpool as much as possible) flights or car rental.
Price: $ 399.00 Click Here To Reserve Your Spot Today!
Hope To See You There! ~ Keep Looking Up!
Please feel free to contact Craig if you have any questions or need any help with your gear or equipment requirements. I am happy to help!
