conferences

Ready for a Virtual Adventure? Announcing the 2024 Night Photo Summit!

We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Night Photo Summit!

This fourth annual virtual conference spans 3 days and highlights what’s new and exciting in the intersecting worlds of night photography, national parks and dark skies.

Since 2021 the summit has evolved and grown to gather photographers, artists, authors and astronomers from around the globe to share their passion for all things nocturnal.

The Night Photo Summit is here to scratch your itch, and promises education, inspiration and just plain fun. The nights may be cold now, and the Milky Way core might be hiding below the horizon, but with that comes the promise of a not-too-distant spring and the promise of new opportunities to get back out there and make stellar images.

Until then, we’re here with a cadre of new speakers and new topics to whet your appetite and to sow new ideas for the coming year. The summit is also a great way to connect with old friends and to make new ones, with multiple opportunities to network and socialize with both speakers and attendees.

Join us February 2-4, 2024, to experience 3 days of dynamic presentations from more than 35 luminaries who will light up your nights and your imagination.

SPEAKERS

We have felt immensely blessed to be able to work with so many top-notch speakers for the summit, and this year is no different. In addition to a few returning presenters, attendees will get to learn from and interact with 19 inspiring new voices.

The 2024 speakers include Sean Bagshaw, Royce Bair, Benjamin Barakat, Yuri Beletsky, Gabriel Biderman, Forest Chaput de Saintonge, Tim Cooper, Joshua Cripps, Alan Dyer, Daniel Freeman, Michael Frye, Kim Henry, Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn, Matt Hill, Melissa Kaelin, Marybeth Kiczenski, Lance Keimig, Tim Little, Pete Mauney, Andrew McCarthy, Brandon Nesbitt, Chris Nicholson, Eric Pare, Jessica Rojas, Jess Santos, Mike Shaw, Anthony Sleiman, Chris Smith, Babak Tafreshi, Adam Woodworth and Dan Zafra, with more to be announced in the next couple of weeks.

SESSIONS

This year’s summit features sessions on planning extraordinary images, shooting with drones at night, using weather apps and exploring urban night photography, as well as (of course) techniques including image capture, different ways of working with moonlight and star trails, black and white at night, post-processing and more.

There are classes for all levels, including a series of five pre-recorded presentations that cover all the fundamentals of night photography.

There are intermediate and advanced level courses, as well as instructive, inspirational and informative sessions covering a wide range of topics. All in all, the programming totals over 45 hours of learning and virtual adventure.

Sponsors & Giveaways

We are thrilled to announce that several sponsors are already on board! B&H Photo, Nightscaper Photo Conference, Sigma, Spencer’s Camera, Calibrite, Novoflex, Acratech, Chimani and Focus on Stars are raring to go, soon to be joined by more!

Each and every sponsor is offering giveaways to be randomly awarded at the summit’s final party. More info on that to come!

How to Join Us

If you’re into night photography, or if you want to get into it, this is an event you absolutely do not want to miss.

Tickets are $399, and include:

  • 3 days, more than 35 instructors, over 45 hours of inspiration, instruction and fun

  • a Fundamentals series of video classes for newbies or anyone who wants a refresher

  • 1 year of access to re-watch all of the courses

  • a live image review session

  • exclusive glow-in-the-dark summit T-shirt

  • personal access to product experts from manufacturers and developers sponsoring the event

  • giveaways throughout the duration of the summit

  • an unprecedented opportunity to connect with like-minded photographers passionate about the night

Moreover, if you purchase your ticket by January 13 at 2 p.m. EST, you’ll get your shirt and a swag bag before the summit!

(Note: shirts and swag bags will be mailed only to attendees with U.S. addresses, but we may be able to help those from other countries too. We’ll be in touch with more info after you register.)

Registration is available now, so sign up today and mark your calendars to join National Parks at Night for the world’s fourth online Night Photo Summit!

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

As if all of that is not enough, we’ll be releasing plenty more information over the next few weeks. To stay tuned in to it all, we invite you to follow the summit social media accounts on:

We are very much looking forward to seeing you online next month. In the meantime, feel free to ask us any questions via the social media accounts above, in the comments below, or through the Night Photo Summit webpage.

Seize the night … online!

Lance Keimig is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. He has been photographing at night for 30 years, and is the author of Night Photography and Light Painting: Finding Your Way in the Dark (Focal Press, 2015). Learn more about his images and workshops at www.thenightskye.com.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Ready for Inspiration, Education and Fun? — Announcing the 3rd Annual Night Photo Summit

We are thrilled to announce the return of the Night Photo Summit!

Now in its third iteration, the Night Photo Summit is a 3-day virtual conference that celebrates everything night photography. Each year we aim to make it a little bigger, a little better, and to bring you even more opportunities to learn, to be entertained and (of course) to Seize The Night!

We know that there are many night photography enthusiasts out there who are looking to connect and learn, so we created the summit to exalt in the joys of our shared passion. Perhaps you’re hunkered down for the long cold winter, not able or ready to travel, but still keen to expand your knowledge and be better prepared for the coming Milky Way season. Maybe you’d like to learn a new technique to broaden your horizons, or simply long for that kick in the pants that a healthy dose of inspiration can provide.

The Night Photo Summit has all that covered––and then some.

Join us from February 3-5, 2023, to experience 3 days of dynamic presentations from 35-plus world-class photographers, authors, artists, astronomers, and national park and dark-sky activists.

Sessions and Speakers

This year’s summit features sessions on creativity, auroras, publishing photography books and lighthouses, as well as (of course) night photo techniques, including image capture, different ways of combining exposures, lighting, mobile night photography, post-processing and more.

There are classes for all levels, including a series of five recorded presentations that cover all the fundamentals of night photography. You’ll have access to those before the summit begins if you’d like a refresher, or to get you up to speed if you are just getting started in night photography.

There are intermediate and advanced level courses, as well as instructive, inspirational and informative sessions covering a wide range of topics. All in all, the programming totals over 45 hours of learning and virtual adventure.

Our incredible lineup of speakers and talks includes:

  • Albert Dros: “Cities Come to Life After Sunset”

  • Alyn Wallace: “Night Sky Wonders”

  • Chris Nicholson: “Photographing Moonlight”

  • David Zapatka: “USA Stars and Lights: A Lighthouse Project”

  • Dirk Ercken: “Light Painting from Within the Scene”

  • Elia Locardi: TBA

  • Forest Chaput: “Choosing a Telescope (and Other Equipment) for Deep Sky Astrophotography”

  • Gabriel Biderman: “9 Parks at Night”

  • Harold Ross: “Light Painting the Still Life”

  • John Paul Caponigro: “Naked Eye, Camera Eye, Mind’s Eye”

  • Joseph DePasquale: “Unveiling the Infrared Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope”

  • Katrina Brown: “Designing the Night with Light”

  • Ken Lee: “Behind the Book: My Path to Publishing a Monograph”

  • Kevin Adams: “365 Nights: A Year of Inspiration”

  • Lance Keimig: “Know Your Options: Decisions That Lead to Your Best Images”

  • Matt Hill: “Color Management for Night Photographers”

  • Michael Frye: “Reducing Noise with Star-Stacking”

  • Noel Thomas: “Astro Time-Lapse Techniques”

  • Pete Mauney: “Plane Trails at Night: Visualizing Human Networks”

  • Phill Monson: “How to Put Nature First as Creators”

  • Rachel Jones Ross: “A Field Guide to Photographing the Northern Lights”

  • Rafael Pons: “Moon Photography Planning (from Beginner to Pro)”

  • Royce Bair: “Starlight Blends”

  • Russell Preston Brown: “New Developments in Mobile Night Photography”

  • Sandra Ramos: “How to Keep Your Instagram Account from Being Hacked”

  • Sherry Pincus: “Things That Go Bump in the Night: Staying Safe in the Wilderness”

  • Susan Magnano: “Spark your Creativity with Luminescent Portraits”

  • Tim Cooper: “5 Photoshop Techniques for Night Photography”

  • … and more to be announced!

Sponsors & Giveaways

Every attendee will be automatically entered into drawings for a large number of giveaways from our generous sponsors, as well as amazing session-specific giveaways from speakers. More info on that to come!

How to Join Us

If you’re into night photography, or if you want to get into it, this is an event you absolutely do not want to miss.

Tickets are $399, and include:

  • 3 days, more than 35 instructors, over 45 hours of inspiration, instruction and fun

  • a Fundamentals series of video classes available on-demand before the summit weekend

  • 1 year of access to re-watch all of the courses

  • a live image review session

  • exclusive glow-in-the-dark summit T-shirt (mailed to attendees with U.S. addresses, and we may be able to help those from other countries too!)

  • personal access to product experts from manufacturers and developers sponsoring the event

  • giveaways throughout the duration of the summit

  • an unprecedented opportunity to connect with like-minded photographers passionate about the night

Moreover, if you purchase your ticket by January 13 at 2 p.m. EST, you’ll get your shirt and a swag bag (USA only) before the summit!

Registration is available now, so sign up today and mark your calendars to join National Parks at Night for the world’s third online Night Photo Summit!

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

As if that isn’t all enough, we’ll be releasing plenty more information over the next few weeks. To stay tuned in to it all, we invite you to follow the summit social media accounts on:

We are very much looking forward to seeing you online next month. In the meantime, feel free to ask us any questions via the social media accounts above, in the comments below, or through the Night Photo Summit webpage.

Seize the night … online!

Lance Keimig is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. He has been photographing at night for 30 years, and is the author of Night Photography and Light Painting: Finding Your Way in the Dark (Focal Press, 2015). Learn more about his images and workshops at www.thenightskye.com.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Seize the Night, Online! — Announcing the Second Annual Night Photo Summit

We are delighted to announce the second annual Night Photo Summit!

Last winter, we hosted and produced the first Night Photo Summit, a 3-day virtual conference to celebrate everything we love about night photography. It was intense. It was educational. It was fun!

We created the summit as a way to share our passion with you, the community of like-minded photographers who love the night.

Over 350 people joined together for a long weekend of inspiration and camaraderie, and it was such a blast that we knew, even before it was over, that we would do it again in 2022.

Join us from February 4-6, 2022, to experience 3 days of dynamic presentations from 30-plus world class photographers, authors, artists, rangers, an astronomer, and even a meteorologist.

Sessions and Speakers

There are sessions about creativity, dark skies and weather, and of course night photo techniques––image capture, lighting, time-lapse, post-processing and more.

There are classes for all levels, including a Night Photography Fundamentals track, as well as intermediate and advanced level courses, all totaling for over 45 hours of learning and virtual adventure. And we are thrilled to have our friend and world-renowned nature and cultural photographer Art Wolfe share his World at Night project turned book.

There will be panel discussions (including “Women in Night Photography—Challenges and Achievements Under the Stars”), a group image review with the National Parks at Night instructors, and opportunities to connect with the wider community of creative professionals who share a love of night photography.

Our incredible lineup of speakers and talks includes:

  • Adam Woodworth: “Milky Way Crash Course”

  • Amir Shahcheraghian: “10 Years of Night Sky Photography in the Desert National Parks of Iran”

  • Art Wolfe: “Art Wolfe Presents: Night on Earth”

  • Autumn Schrock: “Process to Print: Making Your Night Photos Shine on the Wall”

  • Chris Nicholson: “Oceans, Lakes, Rivers and Ponds: Working with Water at Night”

  • Colleen Miniuk: “Finding Your Creative Voice”

  • Erik Kuna: “Planning a Milky Way Adventure with PhotoPills”

  • Forest Chaput de Saintonge: “Deep-Sky Astrophotography with a Telephoto Lens”

  • Gabriel Biderman: “Out of this World: Beyond the Basics of Star Trail Photography”

  • Gunther Wegner: “Day to Night Transitions: The Holy Grail of Time-lapse Photography”

  • Hannu Huhtamo: “Drawing with Light”

  • Imma Barrera: “Under the Night Sky as a National Park Artist in Residence”

  • Jess Santos: “Building Your Instagram Presence”

  • Kah-Wai Lin: “Photographing Auroras and Winter Landscapes”

  • Ken Lee: “How to Use Light Painting Angles to Create Detail, Texture and Drama”

  • Kevin Adams: “Fantastical Fireflies”

  • Lance Keimig: “8 Lessons from Early Night Photographers That Will Make You Better Tonight”

  • Matt Hill: “How to Capture and Edit Multirow Night Panoramas”

  • Michael DeYoung: “Using the Best Weather Forecasts to Find Clear Skies and Perfect Clouds, Day or Night”

  • Michael Frye: “Expressive Night Photography”

  • Mike Mezeul II: “Extreme Nature in the Night”

  • Nicole Mortillaro: “What to Look Forward to in the Night Skies of 2022”

  • Ranger Rader Lane: “Night Skies in our National Parks”

  • Rafael Pons: “How to Plan Your Night Sky Photos (Milky Way, Star Trails and Meteor Showers)”

  • Royce Bair: “Low-Level Lighting: How to Create Stunning Nightscapes”

  • Susan Magnano: “Luminescent Portraits: A Live Demo with Light Writing”

  • Tim Cooper: “Creating Realistic Landscape/Milky Way Blends”

  • … and more to be announced!

Sponsors & Giveaways

Every attendee will be automatically entered into drawings for a large number of giveaways from our generous sponsors, as well as amazing session-specific giveaways from speakers. Prizes include a Gitzo tripod, Vallerett photography gloves, a KelbyOne membership, a book and print from Art Wolfe, light painting tools, an Irix lens, a Move-Shoot-Move star tracker and more.

The Night Photo Summit is sponsored by Chimani, Coast Portland, Irix, Ledlenser, Manfrotto/Gitzo, Move-Shoot-Move, the NightScaper Conference, PhotoPills and Vallerret, with additional sponsors to be named soon.

How to Join Us

If you’re into night photography, or if you want to get into it, this is an event you absolutely do not want to miss.

Tickets are $399, and include:

  • 3 days, more than 25 instructors, over 45 hours of inspiration, instruction and fun

  • 1 year of access to re-watch any of the courses

  • a live image review session

  • three panel discussions

  • exclusive glow-in-the-dark summit T-shirt (mailed to attendees with U.S. addresses, and we may be able to help those from other countries too!)

  • personal access to product experts from manufacturers and developers sponsoring the event

  • giveaways throughout the duration of the summit

  • an unprecedented opportunity to connect with like-minded photographers passionate about the night

Moreover, if you purchase your ticket before noon EST on January 14, you’ll get your shirt and a swag bag (USA only) before the summit!

Registration is available now, so sign up today and mark your calendars to join National Parks at Night for the world’s second online Night Photo Summit!

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

As if that isn’t all enough, we’ll be releasing plenty more information over the next few weeks. To stay tuned in to it all, we invite you to follow the summit social media accounts on:

We are very much looking forward to seeing you online next month. In the meantime, feel free to ask us any questions via the social media accounts above, in the comments below, or through the Night Photo Summit webpage.

Seize the night … online!

Lance Keimig is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. He has been photographing at night for 30 years, and is the author of Night Photography and Light Painting: Finding Your Way in the Dark (Focal Press, 2015). Learn more about his images and workshops at www.thenightskye.com.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Three Days of Night: A Wrap-Up of the Very First Night Photo Summit

Note: Missed the Night Photo Summit but want to catch up? For access to videos of all the presentations until February 2022, buy a Replays ticket!


Some honesty: In the weeks leading up to our Night Photo Summit, we sounded confident in our marketing. But behind the scenes, we had no idea how this would go.

We knew the speakers would be amazing—we know almost all of them personally, know they’re good people, know they always bring their best (which is among the very best in the business).

We knew that night photography is exciting to learn about, exciting to do—and that it’s hard to go outside and do it right now, at least the way we used to at this time last year.

We knew that even in the best of years, mid-winter is a time when people are looking for something new to do inside, and a weekend of e-palling around with other night photographers could more than satisfy that need.

However, that’s about all we knew. All five of us at National Parks have spoken at conferences, summits, exhibitions, trade shows, photo festivals, etc., and two of us have extensive experience on the industry side of these events. But we had never built our own event of this size, on our own, from bottom to top. Doing so felt like we were standing at one edge of a canyon wondering how to get to the other. While in some ways we were crossing a familiar bridge, in many other ways we were leaping with hesitant faith.

Now that the Summit is over, we can look back and see the results. It was an experience. It was hard work, but enjoyable work. And in the end? We feel it went great.

When we say we’re happy, that can mean different things, and it does mean different things. We were happy with a lot: the quality of the programs, the vitality of the speakers, the enthusiasm of the attendees, the participation of the sponsors. But the biggest metric of success? The number of smiles at the end.

The group shot from the “Under the Stars” closing session party.

The People

We’re happy to report that about 350 people, representing six continents, attended the first Night Photo Summit—which, as far as we know, was the first online night photography conference ever. To see 350 people there? At the very first event of its kind? Wow.

Each of you made the effort worthwhile, because each of you brought a unique energy, each of you contributed a bit of what made this collective experience special. Many have reached out in the past week to express thanks, but the gratitude genuinely goes both ways.

We couldn’t have done this without you. We started building this Summit, but you finished it. All 350 of you helped, all 350 of you brought your passion and curiosity, all 350 of you coalesced to make this conference what it really was: a community that grew closer over an extraordinary long weekend, together sharing the joy of something we all love.

The Speakers

Again: Wow.

Thirty speakers joined us to help lead this adventure, and all of them delivered some of the best educational and inspirational content we’ve ever seen concentrated into one conference. Of course, we’re not surprised—we know these people, and we knew they’d be good. Still, our lack of surprise doesn’t hinder us from being amazed.

The speakers spanned all sorts of disciplines. They brought expertise in night photography, obviously, but also in travel, astronomy, preservation, activism, environmentalism, technology, creativity, outdoors skills and more. The tapestry of knowledge and wisdom they wove was nothing short of uplifting and exhilarating, and it was beyond everything we and the attendees could wish for.

The 35 speakers of the 2021 Night Photo Summit.

The Sponsors

Don’t let any skepticism of commercialism fool you—the sponsors weren’t there just to sell to an audience. Their support made the Summit more viable, but more importantly, their contributions made it an even better experience.

The Night Photo Summit sponsors offered 33 giveaways valued at over $5,000.

Every sponsor provided giveaways for attendees, from lenses to monitors to software to books and more—33 giveaways worth over $5,000. Many sponsors also offered show specials on their services and gear, most of which attendees still have access to (some of the deals don’t expire for months!). And many of the sponsors also provided programs for the attendees: talks on calibration, light painting, star trackers, night photography filters, and so on.

Clearly, the sponsors weren’t just advertisers—they were a critical part of the team.

What’s Next?

If you weren’t able to join us, we have great news: You still can!

Replays of more than 45 sessions are available for 24/7 streaming until February 2022.

The Night Photo Summit Course Catalog of video replays.

The Night Photo Summit Course Catalog of video replays.

The Night Photo Summit registration fee covered not just the three days last weekend, but also streaming access to videos of all of the sessions for one year. Anyone can still buy a ticket to watch and learn from and be inspired by all of that content. Just visit nightphotosummit.com or click the button below to join the fun.

As for what happens in the future, beyond the replays? Well, we maybe need to rest a bit, and think a bit, and plan a bit. But we promise that we have no intention of being done with the Night Photo Summit. It will be back.

Until then, know that we are filled with gratitude for everyone who was involved—those who worked behind the scenes, those who encouraged us, those who supported us, those who joined us on stage, and especially those who joined us from the comfort of their homes and coffee shops around the world. We hope that the education we provided helps bring your night photography to new heights, and that the inspiration we offered helps you shine even brighter among the stars.

Chris Nicholson is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night, and author of Photographing National Parks (Sidelight Books, 2015). Learn more about national parks as photography destinations, subscribe to Chris' free e-newsletter, and more at www.PhotographingNationalParks.com.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Our First Night Photography Summit and More — We’re On the Road Again!

One of our favorite parts of what we do is getting out into the imaging community to talk about what we love: night photography and national parks. Either as a group or individually, we routinely speak at conferences, trade shows, national park celebrations, camera clubs and so on. We do this all year, but we always seem to be especially busy in the fall.

And so it goes again in 2018.

Over the next several weeks we will be presenting and leading night walks at some of the biggest and most exciting photography events in the U.S., from north to south and coast to coast. Plus … in conjunction with a couple of great partners, we will be hosting our very first night photography summit, a three-day celebration and discussion of all things night photography!

Read on for more information about where, when and how to join us on the road for some amazing night photography educational experiences.

New York Night Photography Summit

Babylon, New York
November 2-4

We’re going to break from chronological order for a moment to start with this one, because we’re too excited to delay announcing it any longer: We will be hosting our very first conference, the New York Night Photography Summit, just three weeks from now.

Moreover, we will be partnering on this event with two incredible ambassadors of the photography world:

  • PhotoPills, the app that serves as the personal assistant and scouting solution for photographers around the world. The creator and bard of PhotoPills, Rafael Pons, will be joining us to teach about scouting and about how to use their powerful app, as well as helping us teach during mini-workshops in the field.

  • Photographic Federation of Long Island (PFLI), the huge umbrella of camera clubs from two counties of New York and the five boroughs of New York City. PFLI knows the island better than anyone, and they’ve secured a venue for the presentations and vendors, as well as permits for our mini-workshops on Friday and Saturday nights at Fire Island National Seashore and the Fire Island Lighthouse.

The summit will take place over the long weekend of November 2-4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. There will be lectures and tutorials on night photography, plus access to vendors, book signings with authors, and more. On hand will be National Parks at Night instructors Gabriel Biderman, Lance Keimig, Matt Hill and myself. Presentation topics covered will include:

  • ideal gear for night photography  

  • how to photograph lighthouses at night

  • planning Milky Way images with PhotoPills

  • tips and tricks for post-processing 

  • leveling up your creative night photography experience

  • light painting

  • Milky Ways and starry skies

Then, on Friday and Saturday night we’ll be leading night mini-workshops at the beautiful Fire Island locations. Rafael and four of the National Parks at Night instructors will be on hand to help with:

  • photographing the Milky Way in November

  • photographing star trails & star points

  • light painting the rolling sand dunes and sweeping shoreline

BenQ, maker of the best photography-specific computer displays you can buy, has eagerly signed on as a sponsor for the event, and will be bringing some of their best monitors for attendees to check out. B&H Photo, the world’s premier photo retailer, is also sponsoring, as is our favorite photo printer, Bay Photo Lab.

To learn more about the New York Night Photography Summit, and to register for the event, visit npan.co/NYSummit.

OK, now onward with chronological order. …

Out of Moab Landscape Photography Conference

Moab, Utah
October 5-9

This one just ended—Out of Moab is the second national park-based landscape photography by the Out of Chicago group, and this time was in the amazing sunrise, sunset and night landscapes of Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. I was at the conference delivering a talk titled “6 Steps to Better Night Photography,” as well as leading night excursions to Landscape Arch, Windows Arch Loop, and Sand Dune and Broken Arch.

The conference sold out very shortly after it was announced, so if you’re interested in what this great organization is offering in the future (hint: Northwest coast), be sure to get on their mailing list. See OutOfChicago.com for more information.

Biscayne & Redwood National Parks

Homestead, Florida, and Hiouchi, California
October 19-20

This year Biscayne and Redwood national parks are celebrating their 50th anniversaries, and we’ll be there celebrating with them!

We ran workshops in both parks this year, and photographs from all the workshop students (as well as instructors) will be part of a pair of print exhibits held simultaneously in visitor centers at each park. The opening receptions will occur the weekend of October 19, and will include presentations, night photo walks and mini-workshops by Gabe, Tim, Lance and myself. The public is welcome.

The exhibits and the associated events are being sponsored by Bay Photo Lab. In addition to making the event possible, Bay will be providing all the prints for both locations, using their patented Xposer print format that comes with custom hanging hardware.

Moreover, many of the workshop attendees’ and instructors’ prints by Bay are available for purchase from our online gallery. All profits will be donated to the two parks.

For more information, see our previous announcement of this event.

PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo

New York City
October 25-27

We’re back at one of the largest photography conferences and trade shows, once again talking about the ways and arts of nocturnal imaging. This year we’ll be presenting “The Night Photography Toolbox: Gear and Skills to Level Up Your Nocturnal Images,” sponsored by Nikon. Here’s the official summary:

“Advancements in technology have made Milky Way and dark-sky photography more accessible, from cameras and lenses to software, GPS receivers, LED panels and much more. The members of National Parks at Night will share which gear helps them successfully scout, capture and create in a variety of night environments. They will also discuss productive processing, nocturnal photography techniques and other skills in their toolbox that will inspire you to ‘seize the night!’ ”

In a rare event, all five National Parks at Night instructors—Gabe, Lance, Matt, Tim and I—will be on stage presenting together.

For more information, visit the PhotoPlus website via this link, where you can register for the expo for free and get 15 percent off the price of a conference pass.

B&H Event Space

New York City
October 29-30

Immediately after PhotoPlus, a few of us will be spending a couple of days at the B&H Event Space delivering talks to the in-person audience and via livestream.

Lance and I will be discussing “Our Journeys into the Night: How We Found Ourselves in the Dark,” and Tim will present “Processing Your Night Photography: Lightroom through Photoshop.” Our good friends at BenQ, maker of the best photography-specific computer displays in the world, are sponsoring both talks.

Nature Visions Expo

Manassas, Virginia
November 2-4

Based in northern Virginia in the shade of the nation’s capital, Nature Visions features three days of seminars, lectures and workshops. Three of those will be led by Tim:

  1. “Realistic HDR”

  2. “Nightscapes: After the Magic Hour”

  3. “Power of Photoshop for the Outdoor Photographer”

For more information, visit the Nature Visions website.

Sierra Club

New York City
November 15

Our friends at the New York City Sierra Club Photography group have invited us to return, this time with Matt leading a one-night workshop, “Central Park at Night.”

The public is welcome; tickets are $30. For more information, visit the club’s website.

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark

Birmingham, Alabama
November 18

20170413_Birmingham_098-6.jpg

Our final workshop of 2018 will conclude with Gabe and I presenting the student slideshow at the park’s visitor center, giving the public a chance to view the unique night work that we’ll do in this unique setting.

For more information, stayed tuned to our social media accounts and to the park webpage.

B&H Event Space

New York City
January 17, 2019

Let’s put this in the category of “sneak peak,” because while the event is confirmed, it’s yet to be officially listed. So, you heard it here first!

We will start the new year back the Event Space, as I join photographer and expert backpacker Sherry Pincus for “Backroads and Backpacks: Photography Off the Beaten Path.” (You may recognize Sherry as being the backpacking instructor for our first backcountry workshop at Shi Shi Beach in 2019.)

180219.043_Chris Nicholson.jpg

Sherry and I will talk about how to find the unique photos in popular national parks by driving the primitive roads and/or hiking into the wilderness, far away from the overlooks, the information signs and the tourists. Not only the how-to, but also the how-to-stay-safe.

Stay tuned to our social media and to the B&H Event Space calendar for the pending announcement. (The event will be free to attend live or via livestream.)

Conferences, Camera Clubs, et al.

Throughout the year all five National Parks at Night instructors lecture, present, and lead photo walks and workshops all around the country—at conferences, trade shows, camera stores, museums, galleries, photography clubs and more. In 2018 we’ve had the joy of participating at:

  • OPTIC Imaging Conference (sponsored by B&H Photo)

  • B&H Event Space (sponsored by BenQ)

  • CreativeLive

  • Photographic Federation of Long Island Spring Spectacular (sponsored by B&H Photo)

  • Rocky Mountain School of Photography

  • Maine Media Workshops + College

  • Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center

  • Connecticut Valley Camera Club

  • Greater Lynn (Massachusetts) Photographic Association

  • Long Island Camera Club

  • Englewood (Florida) Camera Club

  • New Haven Camera Club

  • and more

Interested in having us join your party next year? We’ll happily add you to the schedule!

If you belong to a club or conference that might like to hear about night photography and/or national parks, etc., feel free to contact us. There are numerous topics we’re prepared to talk about. We’re also eager to speak and/or lead photo walks for podcasts, trade shows, outdoors groups, night sky festivals, arts councils, museums, educational institutions and … well, probably for anyone interested in participating in engaging discussion about the topics we are crazy-passionate about.

To keep updated about where and when we’ll be presenting at any given time, reference our Speaking Engagements webpage, or sign up for our event notification emails.

We look forward to meeting you all out in the photography community at some point soon. Until then, seize the night!

Chris Nicholson is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night, and author of Photographing National Parks (Sidelight Books, 2015). Learn more about national parks as photography destinations, subscribe to Chris' free e-newsletter, and more at www.PhotographingNationalParks.com.