Yellowstone Astrophotography Workshop - July 2023
Yellowstone National Park is known for big skies, clean air and sunny days that all add up to nighttime skies that are filled with brilliant stars.
Against this vast expanse of the starlit sky, the Milky Way provides a spectacular background to Yellowstone’s geysers, hot springs and steaming pools.
Join us in July 2023 for this 4-night workshop and discover the magic of being surrounded by a world of stars.
At well over 2 million acres of incredible beauty and its spectacular clear skies ~ Yellowstone is a premiere location to photograph the night sky.
Each area of the park will provide you with remarkably unique night-scape shooting and lighting challenges to better hone your skills.
Within Yellowstone are half the geysers on planet earth. There are over 500 of them, and they erupt, spew, gurgle, gush, and yes even - explode - making them exceptional for reflecting and illuminating the night sky!
Each night our shooting will begin at sunset and continue for several hours of astrophotography to be able to maximize our time in the park.
Some of the locations we will shoot:
- Upper Geyser Basin - Old Faithful Area
- Midway Geyser Basin - Grand Prismatic Area
- Lower Geyser Basin - Norris Geyser Area
- Firehole River Area
- West Thumb Area
Required Equipment and Accessories:
Astrophotography requires a professional level camera and lens in order to be successful and get the image results you are looking for.
If you do not have a professional level camera or lens, we would highly recommend purchasing or renting them.
- DSLR or mirrorless camera with non-extended, "native" ISO to at least 12,800 and shutter speeds to at least 30 secs
- Wide angle lens with a aperture of f/2.8 or larger and a full frame equivalent of 14 - 24 mm
- A sturdy tripod (long exposures require it to be very stable)
- Shutter release cord or intervalometer (best option for exposure blending)
- Extra batteries
- Headlamp with a red filter
- Small flashlight
If you need to purchase or rent ANY of the required equipment - please, feel free to contact Craig at 520.732.1440 to help you get set up.
- Warm clothes (as the night gets later it does get cooler)
- Gloves and hat
- Hiking Boots
- Sunscreen
- Snacks and beverages
- Folding camping portable chair
What You Will Learn:
Techniques we will be focusing on:
- Single Shot Milky Way
- Star Trails and Processing
We will also take a look at:
- The best times to photograph the Milky Way
- How to find the best dark sky location
- Best equipment to use
- How to focus in the dark
- How to set exposure and ISO
- Rule of 400 / 500 / 600
- Identifying other lights in the night sky
What You’ll Need For Processing Class:
More Details:
Participants: Limit 10
This workshop is designed for the beginner to intermediate photographer as defined below:
- Beginner I : Someone having a strong knowledge and firm understanding of their camera with "little to no" experience in astrophotography.
- Beginner II : Someone having a strong knowledge and firm understanding of their camera and have "tried" their hand at astrophotography.
- Intermediate : Someone having a strong knowledge and firm understanding of their camera with "some" experience in astrophotography.
Endurance Level: Moderate - Light hiking is involved, but nothing too strenuous. We’ll drive to each location then hike to the best position.
Transportation: We will car pool to the park every night.
Workshop Dates:
Yellowstone Workshop Dates: July 13 - 16, 2023
Arrival Date: July 12, 2023 or morning of July 13, 2023
Departure Date: July 17, 2023
Lodging:
Our home base for this workshop is Best Western Desert Inn located in West Yellowstone, Montana where we have reserved a block of rooms at a reduced rate.
To reserve your room, call (406) 646-7376 and tell them you are with the Mike's Camera / Craig Wennersten Workshop in July of 2023.
*Because of the popularity of Yellowstone and a limited amount of lodging it is recommended you make hotel reservations as soon as possible.
Price for the Workshop:
$2,995.00 For Photographer Participant
The cost of this workshop DOES include:
Bonus Day Tour Of Yellowstone Guided By Rik Williams:
The cost of this workshop DOES NOT include:
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!