Mount Rainier is one of my favorite places to capture the night sky
and other various beautiful landscapes. There are endless compositions
to shoot and a million and one beautiful places to visit. This workshop
will take you to some of my favorite spots and provide 1 on 1 and group
instruction along the way. We will meet Friday at Tipsoo Lake and start
our adventure with sunset. After that it's on to an array of great
locations to photograph the night sky, followed by a sunrise shoot,
then a 3-4 hour post processing session. I will cover everything I know
about night sky photography, provide beginners with a strong foundation
to build upon, and give already knowledgable star photographers more
information and new views to work with. I will also cover my post
processing techniques that will make your night sky photos stand out in
print or on the screen. Join me for a night of adventure, learning, and
star photography in the wilderness of Washington State's Mount Rainier
National Park.
I also offer 1 on 1 instruction any time near the new moon. Just shoot me an email if interested.
You can find all my tutorials at:
www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com/learnphotography
Want me to teach a star photography workshop near your home base? All we really need is dark night skies and enough interested people. If you have both of these things shoot me an email, I am always open to travel.
Due to high demand I have opened another workshop for ( August 10th - 11th ) SOLD OUT
Mount Rainier ( June 7th and 8th ) SOLD OUT or ( Aug 9th - 10th ) SOLD OUT
Cost:
125$ will cover everything included below and can be paid through PayPal at the bottom of this page. To hold your spot in the workshop a 75$ non-refundable payment is required. The remaining 50$ must be paid a minimum of 60 days before the workshop in order to keep your spot. You are also welcome to pay the full amount of 125$. Refund and cancelation policies are also included below.
Workshop Schedule:
Review camera settings and other pre-shoot details to ensure everyone is informed and ready to get the best shots possible of the night sky.
Shoot the our first Milky Way shots learning and reviewing various different “field” techniques for capturing the most of the night sky. There are so many different possibilities for shots at Tipsoo Lake, including views and reflections of Mount Rainier. This is one of my favorite places to shoot stars!
Drive to Sunrise Visitor Center, snow permitting (The highest parking area on Mount Rainier).
Capture the night sky with Mount Rainier in the foreground! ( The shot above was taken there )
Snap off some more star shots getting various different compositions at the location and learning tons of great info on how to capture the most out of every star shot. Along with shooting and learning you can throw questions my way at any time during our adventure.
Drive 30-45 minutes to Reflection Lakes. ( The very bottom picture on this page was taken there, but the moon was out. )
We will grab a few more star shots at the lakes. This is a great spot capture Mount Rainier, the Milky Way, and even some star reflections in the lake.
For anyone that is still awake, let's watch the sunrise. Reflection Lakes is an amazing place to watch the sun peak over the top of Mount Rainier.
After sunrise we will pause for a 5-6 hour nap and then set up for our star photography post processing adventure. I personally sleep in the back of my car. There are options for tents as well.
Upon joining back up I will cover my complete star photography post processing workflow and any other questions you may have about Lightroom, Photoshop, or star photography in general. If we have extra time any questions concerning post processing are always welcome:)
That's Great & All, But What Will I Learn?
Learn the key points of planning for your adventure to the stars or your shoot as some call it.
In depth knowledge of "The BIG 3", ISO, Aperture and Exposure and how they pertain to the different kinds of star shots you would like to capture.
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 dark to life.
How to get great shots of the Milky Way and the worlds that surround us.
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.
My complete post processing workflow including many tips, tricks, and ideas that I bring with me to the shoot and the desk in post processing.
Post Processing Noise Reduction.
Photoshop Digital Blending.
Luminosity Masks in Photoshop.
Color Correction and final editing touches.
Open floor post processing questions and learning.
A free set of my Under the Stars Lightroom Presets will also be included:)
OK OK, So 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:
www.lensrentals.com
www.borrowlenses.com
Also check your local camera shops, they often offer these options.
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. These can also be rented at the links provided above.
A tripod. Any will work but the bigger/stronger the better.
A big memory card. Two 16-32 GB cards are preferable.
Batteries, batteries, batteries, I carry at least 2. 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. Here is an
example.
Intervalometer / camera timer.
Tons of clothes. The weather is extreme on the mountain and it's better safe than sorry. A wind breaker is always great to have.
Lots of bug spray.
A head lamp, It does not have to be anything expensive, but must have RED light option. Something like
THIS works just fine.
Tasty treats, snacks, food or anything you may like to eat or drink over the 20 hours we are together. Food is not included in the workshop cost, nor will it be provided.
Water, did I say water? I usually buy a gallon jug and bring it along.
Your laptop running the following programs:
It helps to have at minimum 4GB of RAM as well.
An external power if/as necessary. Some laptops will run for 3 hours of processing pictures on a full charge. Others will not. I personally carry something like
THIS just in case. Keep in mind we will not have access to charging outlets, unless you would like to recharge in your car.
Adobe Photoshop CS4 or above.
Adobe Lightroom (preferred) or Adobe Camera RAW.
Adobe Bridge (optional)
Your laptop plug/power source.
Will Weather Cause Workshop Cancellation?
The workshop will only be canceled if the weather conditions are dangerous and may cause safety issues. Otherwise it is on rain or shine so bring the appropriate clothes and camera gear:)
In the case of cancelation due to weather I will re-schedule another workshop to make up for the lost time.
Refunds:
If you are not able to make the workshop for any reasons you may cancel up to 60 days in advance and receive a refund of 50$ out of the total of 125$. The 75$ deposit is not refundable.
Transportation:
You are responsible for your own transportation. I will provide detailed instructions on driving directions, along with other necessary info through email to everyone that signs up. If you would like to see for yourself, type "Tipsoo Lake Mount Rainier" into Google Map search.
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:)
Contact:
Feel free to email me with any other questions or give me a buzz at 717-360-1191 if you are more comfortable calling.
Here are a few more of my star photography shots....
