Star Photography Workshop & Post Processing Class at Mount Rainier National Park ( 2 Nights / 3 Days )

Join me on a 2 night / 3 day star photography workshop and tour, taking you to some of the darkest & most photogenic destinations that Mount Rainier National Park has to offer. But wait, there's more, on the last day we will spend an afternoon in a classroom where I'll teach you everything you'll need to know about post processing / editing your star photos.

Visiting new locations for each shoot you will leave the workshop with an array of different photos and an in depth knowledge of star, Milky Way and night sky photography. Complete details on what you will learn provided below.

Free Bonus Material - 150$ Value

As an added bonus for attending any of my workshops you will receive a free copy of my Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorials,  Under the Stars Lightroom 4 & 5 Presets, Star Photography Photoshop Actions + Bonus Video Tutorial & my new eBook, Photograph the Night Sky. Upon registering  for the workshop you will receive the products right away, no need to wait until your workshop!

We will be shooting from each of the next 3 locations + many more. Click on any of the photos to see them full size in the gallery. Complete workshop details below the photos. 

We will shoot from this location the first night of the workshop, then hike around to other interesting destinations in the area

Click on any of these 3 photos and head over to the Workshop Gallery to see even more workshop destinations.

Mount Rainier National Park provides some of the best night sky landscapes in the Pacific Northwest.

Overview

Mount Rainier is one of my favorite places to capture the night sky and other various beautiful landscapes. Throughout workshop I will be providing expert instruction, teaching you all aspects of night sky photography including planning, shooting and editing / post processing. You will also learn all the tips and tricks I use for landscape photography during our sunset shoots.

We will spend two nights ( Friday & Saturday ) exploring the park and photographing the night sky. On Sunday afternoon we will move to a classroom setting where I'll teach you how to post process / edit your star photos

Please reference the "What Will I Learn?" Section below for complete details on the skill sets and specific instruction you will receive during the workshop. Answers to all other questions you may have as well as sign up and payment options are provided below that.
Workshop Dates:  Friday, September 11th - Sunday, September 13th, 2015
Workshop Cost: 825$ Total / 325$ down payment to reserve your spot.  

Click Here to Register or Scroll Down for Complete Details  

If you're interested in seeing all of my star photos or want to learn a little bit more about myself, the Full Star Photography Portfolio & About Me Page should be helpful. I also provide other workshop options & destinations. Head over to my Star Photography Workshops Page for complete details.

Please email me at Workshops@DaveMorrowPhotography.com if you have any questions that are not covered in the following paragraphs starting right below the next photo. 

Finishing up another great star photography workshop with a sunrise shoot @ Mount Rainier National Park

What Will I Learn?

During the workshop you will receive in depth instruction on all aspects of night, star, and landscape photography including planning, shooting, and post processing / editing. You can find out more about each of these skill sets in the paragraphs below.

Learn to Photograph the Night Sky
There is so much to learn about star photography, but with 2 nights of in depth instruction you will leave the workshop with great photos and an in depth knowledge of night, star, and Milky Way photography. Here are some of the skill sets we will cover during the workshop.

• Focusing at night. You will learn 5 of my favorite methods for obtaining sharp focus at night. These are guaranteed to work!
• In depth knowledge of "The BIG 3", ISO, Aperture and Exposure and how they pertain to the broad array of night shots you may want to capture.
• 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.
• Using your creativity and external light sources to bring the night to life, while still capturing a natural looking and well lit photo.
• How to capture great shots of the Milky Way and the other worlds that surround us.
• How to capture great photos at dusk and dawn.
• How to photograph star trails while decreasing noise or light pollution in your shots and a basic verbal overview of using Photoshop Blend Modes to combine these 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 level 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 over all better photos. This part of the workshop ensures that you did not blow out highlights, lose dark areas, or degrade any of the color or other picture data while out shooting. It's nice to leave each shoot knowing you got the shots you wanted, without any doubts. We will cover all these bases for landscape ( sunset / sunrise ) and night/star photography.
• Open floor session. Each one of you provide something you would like to learn and we will all go through the process step by step.
• The sunset shooting session will also include my "In the Field" landscape photography workflow providing all the tricks and techniques I use to capture all of my non-night related photos.

What ever else you may want to learn, these workshops are anything goes... so ask away:)

More details on what you'll learn below the next photo.

Twilight / Blue Hour @ Mount Rainier National Park - We will photograph this location during sunset & under the stars.

Learn to Post Process / Edit Your Night Sky Photos
The post processing session will be held in a class room style setting where each student has an area to set up their computer and work on their photos.

I will be displaying my screen on a large projector / computer screen which will allow us to work through my entire post processing workflow from start to finish. Students will be able to follow along on their own computers and ask questions any time they like.

There will also be additional time for one on one instruction allowing each student to work on some of their own photos, using the newly learned skills. More details below the next photo.

A Before / After Photo showing some of the post processing / editing skills that you will learn at the workshop.

If you're interested in seeing the types of photos you will learn to edit, then check out my Star Photography Photo Gallery.

Here are some of the skill sets taught during our post processing / editing sessions.

• Complete explanation / theory of luminosity masking techniques and how they apply to night sky and landscape photography. I've designed my own post processing workflow using these techniques and will be teaching it to each student.
• RAW image processing using Adobe Lightroom and / or Adobe Camera RAW. I personally use Lightroom but am well versed in teaching both programs. 
• In depth explanation of Photoshop layer masking and how to apply it to your photos.  
• Color correction for night sky photography.
• Color theory and color selection. How to selectively choose colors for your night sky photos that portray mood and feeling. 
• Advanced noise reduction techniques for night sky photography
• Applying selective noise reduction using luminosity masks. 
• Exposure and depth of field stacking / blending. We will be working on these techniques in the field, and then post processing the shots in Photoshop.
• Contrasting the Milky Way and making it 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 use in Photoshop.
• Final photo presentation techniques
• Web and Print Sharpening techniques. 
• Plus much much more!

Click Here to Register or Scroll Down for More Details  

Learn to Plan & Scout for Your Photo Trips
As one of the most important and most neglected aspects of photography, we will be looking in depth at the best tools and techniques to use for all aspects of planning/scouting your photo trips.

From weather, and great shooting locations to planetary motion; this workshop will cover all the bases, allowing you to fully plan your next shoot in an efficient manner.

I do an extensive amount of planning for each and every photography trip. This is key to setting yourself up for nice photos. Extensive planning went into this photo workshop / tour to ensure the best results at the best times. You will learn these tips and tricks allowing you to extensively plan for your own large trips or one night shoots.

Here are some of the topics we will cover during this part of the workshop. 

• Planning your photography trips / shoots using free computer programs such as Stellarium, The Photographer's Ephemeris and a handful of other really useful night photography websites and apps. 
• 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.
• Precise Planning for Celestial Events - Want to know exactly where and when the Milky Way will rise, or the Moon will set? Want to see Venus set over the ocean from a certain location and be there to photograph it? Using my tips and tricks you can plan for any of these events, or others that you may want to photograph.  

More Details & registration below the next photo.

Out Shooting with a Group of Workshop Students - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

What Should I Bring with Me?

Please note you can take the workshop without all of the following requirements, but I can not promise you will achieve the great results you would otherwise.

A DSLR Camera, any will do, but 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 a bunch of websites that provide this service. Here are a few: Some great & affordable options for full frame rentals are the Nikon D700 or the Cannon 5DMKII.
www.lensrentals.com
www.borrowlenses.com
For those of you from the Seattle Area, Glazer's Camera has one of the best and more affordable rental programs around.

Camera Equipment
Provided below is the gear that I recommend you to bring. If you need some star photography camera lens and gear recommendations I have provided you with some great options that I have tested. You can find these in my Free Star Photography Tutorial, about half way down the page.  

• A wide angle lens is very important. Any lens between 8mm-24mm will work depending on your camera. You will also need an aperture of at least f/3.5 minimum speed, although f/2.8 is preferred.  These can also be rented at the links provided above. To see what I carry, check out the What's in My Camera Bag Page on this website.
• 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.
• A big memory card. Two 16-32 GB cards are preferable.
• Batteries, batteries, batteries, I carry at least 3. Long exposures drain the battery quickly. I also carry a car cigarette lighter plug inverter in my car. It is not necessary, but nothing's wrong with more battery juice for an early morning shoot or a quick power up on the way to a new location. You can find them at Walmart or online for 20-30$. Here is an example.
• Camera Timer - Even a cheap knock off works, check reviews online before buying these brands to avoid a let down.
• Camera / Lens Rags -I carry a lot of these at all times. Shooting at night, it will be necessary to clean your lens off.
• Circular Polarizing Filter for sunsets and the rainforest ( Optional )
• Neutral Density Filters for sunsets ( Optional ) 
• Laptop Computer running Photoshop & Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Camera RAW (Optional). 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
I've provided a small list of items that you should have or stock up on prior to arriving on the first day of the workshop. Many of the locations which we will travel to are very remote and do not have stores of any kind. Upon signing up you will receive a complete list of everything you will need for the workshop.  

• Clothes for temperatures between 35 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, this is a huge range of temperatures, but that's just how it is on the mountain. Using layers will prevent you from bringing so many clothes. Click here for Layering Basics
• Shorts and Pants for the weekend. The weather is very nice, sunny and warm during the month of September, but the temperature is likely to drop at night. 
• Long sleeve and short sleeve shirts for the week
• Flashlight and / or headlamp
• Hiking socks
• A wind breaker / light jacket - Waterproof is great if you have it
• Waterproof / resistant hiking boots.
• Warm Hat
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Food & Water for the 2 nights of the workshop. You can leave the park and get food, but it's approximately a 2 hour round trip.
• Sunglasses

Registration and Payment Options

Thanks for your interest in this workshop. I encourage you to read through the entire workshop page learning about all aspects prior to signing up. There is some additional information below the payment options.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at Workshops@DaveMorrowPhotography.com   Upon initial email contact I would be happy to talk with you over the phone as well. 

Payment Instructions

Secure payment is carried out through PayPal, but you can also pay with credit or debit card. Follow the step by step instructions below to pay using either method. I only accept full payments for my one night workshops.

1. Click on the workshop payment option you would like to select below.
2. A sales page will open showing the date you selected. On the bottom right side of this page, select Submit Order.
3. Your cart will be prepared for you on a new page.
4. If you are paying with PayPal you are now at the PayPal log in page. Go ahead and log in to pay.
5. If you are paying via credit or debit card select the Pay with a debit or credit card option below the PayPal log in area.

Workshop Dates & Cost

Below you can pay in full or provide a down payment to reserve your spot. Full payment must be made within 60 days of the workshops start date. You will receive an email with instructions for final payment upon signing up.

Each workshop is limited to 8-10 students to ensure you get the maximum amount of personalized instruction.When the workshop is sold out, you will no longer be able to select the payment options below.

Workshop Dates: Friday, September 11th - Sunday, September 13th

SOLD OUT

Click Here To Join the Workshop Wait List

Additional Information

All workshops are registered and held in compliance with the US Department of Interior / US National Park Service. Dave Morrow is certified in CPR and AED Training and holds general liability insurance.

Physical Requirements

This workshop will require you to hike a maximum of 2 miles total each day over fairly flat terrain.  We arrive at all locations with plenty of time, so there will be no need to rush. I have had nearly all fitness levels attend my workshops and they have done just fine:)

Refund Policy

If you are not able to make the workshop for any reason you may cancel up to 60 days in advance and receive a refund of 400$ from the total cost. The down payment of 325$ is non-refundable after payment. Within 60 days of the workshops no refunds can be given. If you can find someone to directly fill your spot this is acceptable as well. The monetary transfer shall be between the two parties and not involve Dave Morrow Photography. Please let me know if you decide to take this route for paperwork reasons.

Can I Bring a Friend?

Of course, if your friend is to carry a camera they must pay for the workshop, if they do not have a camera it is free of charge. We are shooting in a National Park after all, I do not own the land, nor care if we have some people that want to star gaze with us:)

Lodging Arrangements 

The workshop wraps up around 2-3AM each night.  There are a few options for lodging as well as camping.

There are hotel accommodations in Enumclaw, Packwood & Ashford, Washington. I always sleep in my car or a tent while at Mount Rainier, I have not stayed at hotels in the surrounding area, and therefore do not provide recommendations on the topic.  You may also find options close to or within the park using Air Bed and Breakfast. This is what I always do when traveling out of the city or country and find it to work great.

Another great option is camping which can be done at the many locations around the Park. If you are to camp I would suggest camping at White River Camp Ground, ( close to where will will do much of our shooting ) but there are also many other options on the Mount Rainier National Park Camping Page. Camp sites do fill up fast, so book well in advance. Please also keep in mind that during this time of year it is possible for there to be light snow at times at higher elevations. White River Camp Ground is at high elevation.


Here are a few more of my favorite star shots:

This was taken at one of the locations we will shoot from during the workshop this summer