HaleaKala National Park
Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui consists of two vastly different environments: the summit of the volcano and the Kipahulu coast near the town of Hana. The summit district is barren and rocky, basically a beautiful, high altitude desert. The Kipahulu section is a coastal area with lava flows that tumble into the ocean and a dense, tropical rainforest. During our week on Maui, we’ll explore the summit and crater of Haleakala, snorkel with turtles, visit cultural and historical sites, and drive the famous Road to Hana on our way to the coastal section of the national park.
Tour Details
June 9-15, 2025
This is a 7-night, 7-day tour. Your adventure begins on the afternoon of June 9 and ends after the night shoot on June 15.
$7,995 for singles, $12,295 for couples. Register below.
Skill level
Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
NPS website
Our workshop mission is to explore every U.S. national park. As with all our Passport Series locations, it may be years (if ever) before we return to any specific park. If you have a dream of making epic long exposures at night at Haleakala, we hope you join us.
Tour Leaders
Registration
| • Deposit of $1,795 is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $2,000 is due on February 9, 2025. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is February 8, 2025. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, most meals, airfare, Haleakala National Park entrance fees, or transportation to Maui or to most shoot locations. |
The Haleakala Experience
Our week on Maui will be full of rich and diverse experiences. There is so much to see and to photograph that we couldn’t possibly do it all, or even half of it.
That said, we won’t be spending our days lounging in beach chairs with a good read. We’ll peer down into, and venture into, the immense crater of Haleakala volcano at sunset, at night and at sunrise, we’ll visit and photograph waterfalls in the rainforest, and visit Hawaiian cultural sites and learn about the history of its people. We’ll go snorkeling with sea turtles, and will also have a little down time to relax and enjoy the tropical climate.
We will be touring and photographing both day and night. Our adventure begins under a full moon, which wanes into a later-rising gibbous moon throughout the week, which will provide opportunities to photograph the Milky Way core in some very dark sky locations. There will be opportunities to improve your astro-landscape techniques, as well as to photograph waves crashing on lava with day and nighttime long exposures. Lance and Matt will be available to assist and guide you along the way.
We’ll quickly relax and slip into island time as day-to-day stresses melt away and your senses open up to this new environment. There is a pool, hot tub and spa at our first hotel, and there will be time to book a massage or other pamperings if you are so inclined. You’ll also have the opportunity to recharge your internal batteries underneath a waterfall or in the warm ocean. There will probably be banana bread, definitely tropical fruits and maybe a mai tai.
What You Should Know
This tour caters to knowledgeable photographers with an intermediate or higher skill set. Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
We will be happy to offer advice and answer questions about both day and night photography, but there will be no classroom instruction as this adventure is a tour rather than a workshop. Matt and Lance will provide instruction in the field on specific topics as needed.
If you would like to join us on this trip but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-event tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-trip reads.
What You Will Learn
We hope to push you to step outside your comfort zone—to test the limits of what you and your camera can do.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
nighttime panoramas of the volcano summit and crater
astro-landscape photography techniques
daytime long exposures with neutral density filters
and more …
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
Plan to arrive on June 9 by mid-afternoon, and to depart no earlier than 7 p.m. This will give you an opportunity to take your time on the road from Hana to the airport.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation.
Nearby Airports:
Kahului Airport (OGG) — 20 minutes from our first base; 2-4 hours from where the tour ends, depending on conditions
Rental Car
You will need a rental car to travel around the island and to most shoot locations. We will provide transportation to and from the volcano summit.
The Road to Hana is narrow and challenging, with numerous sharp turns and single-lane bridges. If you are prone to motion sickness or if you feel uneasy driving or riding on winding roads, please take this into consideration.
We highly recommend carpooling for this tour, as parking along the Road to Hana is very limited. If you are interested, we can assist with the arrangements.
Lodging & Food
We will be staying in two different and special resorts on Maui, but neither is what you might expect. We have carefully chosen unique properties that are well suited to our adventure. Most accommodations on Maui are beach resorts on the west side of the island, oriented to typical beach vacations.
We’ll be staying at a retreat center near Paia for 4 nights, and in luxury condos in Hana for 3 nights.
You are responsible for paying for your own meals (outside of those mentioned below).
Lodging
7 nights of lodging is included in the cost of the tour.
Shared accommodations are available for people who do not mind sharing a bed. There are no rooms with two beds.
If you cannot get an evening flight home on June 16, you’ll need to either leave Hana early that or book a hotel near the airport for that night.
We suggest taking your time on the way back to the airport, and stopping at some of the places you might have missed on the way to Hana.
Food
A welcome dinner on the first night, one brunch and four breakfasts are included in the tour fee.
When in Hana, everyone will have a full kitchen. We recommend making a stop for groceries/snacks before heading to Hana, as supplies there are limited.
When on the night shoots, you may wish to bring snack food or a sandwich and plenty of water.
Weather
At the coast, expect daytime highs in the 70s to low 80s F, lows in the upper 60s. Up at the volcano summit, it’s cold and can be extremely windy. Nighttime temps can be as low as 30, with the wind chill making it feel colder. You’ll need serious winter clothing for the 2 nights at the summit.
Recommended Attire
Shorts and short-sleeve shirts for daytime, light pants and T-shirts for night at the coast.
You’ll want a bathing suit and water shoes or Tevas, reef-safe sunscreen, a sun hat and sunglasses.
A base layer top and bottom, hat, gloves, a sweater or fleece, and winter coat will be needed at the Haleakala summit.
Trail shoes for the summit, secure sandals or water shoes, and a pair of flip flops are appropriate footwear choices.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this tour is Easy to Moderate. (See more about our classifications.)
Most locations are a breeze, with this exception: We plan to hike about a mile into the crater, which begins at 10,000 feet in elevation. You will have the option to stay at the summit, or to go only a short distance on the crater trail if you wish. The hike is not arduous except for the elevation, which comes with thinner air and the risk of altitude sickness (more on that below). We’ll take it slowly, and you can go at your own pace.
Our locations on Maui range from sea level to 10,000 feet in elevation. Altitude sickness can become a concern at over 8,000 feet, and some people can experience it at elevations as low as 6,000. We will be going from sea level to the summit on two occasions, without time to acclimate. Those who live at or near sea level should be cautious and everyone should stay well hydrated.
Please consider your physical abilities prior to registering. At minimum, you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark.
Note: To ensure the safety of individuals and the group, the workshop leaders may use their discretion to limit an attendee from engaging in a vigorous activity on-site should that person’s physical health or ability be in question. If you are unsure about your ability to meet the physical demands of this workshop, we will be happy to discuss your concerns one-on-one before you register. You are also, of course, welcome to attend a workshop and sit out any physical activity that makes you uncomfortable. In such cases, we can provide you with ideas for alternative shoot locations for that time.
Considerations
IMPORTANT: We encourage reading our FAQs page for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our workshops.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
A Return that was a Long Time Coming …
“The trip brought back so many memories of the last vacation I ever took with both of my parents.”
In 1990 I was attending the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, having moved there from my hometown near Baltimore the year before. My parents had a timeshare back then, and they often traded up to go to more interesting places than Ocean City, Maryland, where we had vacationed when I was a kid. It was a pretty big deal for them to go to Hawaii, as my dad was a bit of a stick in the mud and didn’t like to travel. My mom arranged a 2-week exchange on Oahu and Kauai, and invited me to join them, which I gladly did.
Until 2024, that had been my only time in Hawaii.
There are four things that stuck with me from that trip with my parents. First, there was the incredible density of tropical fish we saw when we went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay on Oahu. A boat ride along the spectacular Napali Coast of Kauai with its countless waterfalls flowing into the sea was my introduction to the tropics. I made my favorite portrait of my dad, one that speaks volumes about the man he was, and it hangs in my house to this day.
The fourth and most memorable memory from that trip 34 years ago was the unusual decision my parents made to embark on a day trip to Maui just to drive to the top of Haleakala and see the massive shield volcano that makes up 75 percent of the island. We took the short flight from Oahu, rented a car, made the 2-hour drive to the summit, had a look around, drove back down, and were back on Oahu at our timeshare in time for dinner.
I remember shooting a roll of 120 black and white film with my old Yashicamat, and I remember one photograph in particular that I made that day. When I went back in June of 2024 to scout for this tour with my wife, I looked for and immediately found the location of that old photograph. I very intentionally replicated my earlier effort, except that this time I shot it at night. The trip brought back so many memories of the last vacation I ever took with both of my parents, but at the same time, there was so much that was new and unfamiliar.
I look forward to further explorations, perhaps with you. I’ll show you my nostalgic spot on top of the volcano.
