Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
The Big Island of Hawaii is simply amazing. Rainforests meet lava flows and the night sky blends into the endless ocean. From sea level to 13,678 feet, this island park has a stunning array of landscapes and ecosystems.
Workshop Details
June 6-12, 2024 — Completed
This is a 7-night, 7-day tour. Your adventure begins on the afternoon of June 6 and ends in the late morning of June 12.
$5,995 (single) to $11,595 (couples) + applicable taxes. Register below.
Skill level
All Levels. Open to all who have an understanding of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
NPS website
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
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 Hawai‘i Volcanoes, we hope you join us.
Workshop Leaders
Registration
This event has passed. Thanks for your interest!
| • Deposit of $1,995 to $4,595 (depending on room type) is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $4,000 to $8,000 (depending on room type) is due on February 7, 2024. → 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 6, 2024. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, entrance fees, or transportation to or during the workshop. |
The Hawai‘i Volcanoes Experience
The National Park Service describes Hawai’i Volcanoes as “Born of Fire, Born of the Sea.” This could not be a more apt description.
The park contains two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa, as well as one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kīlauea. Our adventures will take us from the island’s Pacific shores through the pāhoehoe lava flows of older eruptions to cinder cones, extinct craters, rainforests, a lava tube and the rim of the currently active volcano.
We’ll also venture outside the park to visit some of the magnificent locations on the “wet side” of the island, plus an evening trip up the saddle roads to take in sunset and stars from the slopes of the 13,803-foot Mauna Kea.
We’ll spend time exploring the paradise of Hawaii and relaxing in our own private rainforest escape: Volcano Village Estates. Here our group will be the only guests and we’ll have full run of the manicured grounds, which can serve as ambiance as well as an impromptu shooting location. The historic 1931 Dillingham residence will also serve as a casual meeting place where we can learn, discuss and enjoy the company of our co-adventurers.
What You Should Know
While night photography experience is not necessary, if you are new to night photography, this may not be the ideal tour for you. We’ll be foregoing classroom instruction in favor of maximizing our time in the park as well as a few other can’t-miss sites on the Big Island.
If you would like to attend this tour but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-trip tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Alternatively or additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-tour 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:
photographing the Milky Way
shooting panoramas
blue hour and black hour blends
light painting
star trails
and more …
This tour will have field instruction only. We will be out in the field at different locations each day and night.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
The tour will officially start at check-in to the Volcano Village Estates on June 6. Volcano Village is 3 minutes from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, 40 minutes from Hilo International Airport and 2 hours from Kona International Airport. Depending on the time and location of your inbound flight you may have to book a hotel the night prior to ensure you can make it to Volcano Village Estates to check in by 4 p.m.
Nearby Airports:
Hilo (ITO) —40 minutes from Volcano Village Estates
Kona International Airport (KOA) —2 hours
Rental Car
You will need a rental car.
There is no need for four-wheel-drive.
If you are interested in carpooling or sharing a rental car, let us know and we will try to connect you with another attendee looking for the same.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation.
Lodging & Food
Lodging, breakfasts and two dinners are included in the tour price. We have secured some of the best boutique lodging near Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park for our adventure: Volcano Village Estates. It is truly a quintessential rainforest escape just 3 minutes from the park entrance. All lodging includes in-suite bathrooms.
Lodging
Most participants will stay in single-accommodation cottages or bungalows, which is included in the $5,995 ticket.
A couple can stay in the Pineapple Suite, which includes a small kitchen and private whirlpool tub, which is included in the $9,695 ticket.
A couple can also secure the spacious Pele Deluxe Suite for a modern and luxurious stay, which is included in the $11,595 ticket. The Pele includes a full kitchen, a private lanai, step-in shower, heated floors, artistic lighting, modern designs and eclectic furnishings.
Food
Daily breakfasts will be supplied by the staff of the Volcano Village Estates.
Lunch and most dinners will be on your own.
Two dinners are included in the tour fee.
When on the night shoots, you may wish to bring snack food or a sandwich and plenty of water.
Weather
Expect daytime highs in the 70s F, lows in the mid-60s, as well as intermittent rain.
Recommended Attire
Shorts and short-sleeve shirts for daytime, light pants and long-sleeve shirts for night.
A raincoat will be necessary and a light winter coat and warm upper body base layer may be useful on the slopes of Mauna Kea.
Comfortable and protective outdoor shoes are recommended for field shoots. Sandals and other open-toed shoes are not recommended while in the field. There will be one or two long hikes, and we will be on trails, and walking over sharp and crusty lava, so quality trail shoes or hiking boots would be optimal.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this tour is Moderate-Active. (See more about our classifications.)
Most of our activities will be moderate, but there will be at least one strenuous hike down to the floor of the Kīlauea Iki crater (and back up). Alternate locations will be available for those wishing not to make this hike.
Please consider your physical abilities prior to registering. There will be trails and tricky footing involved, and you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark.
Our locations will range from sea level to 4,000 feet in elevation. We may even get to 9,000 feet (by car, not hiking) if conditions permit. Altitude sickness can become a concern at over 8,000 feet, and some people can experience it at elevations as low as 6,000. If you are sensitive to high elevations, there will be lower elevations nearby to explore.
Note: To ensure the safety of individuals and the group, the tour 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 tour, we will be happy to discuss your concerns one-on-one before you register. You are also, of course, welcome to attend a tour 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 section 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.
Paradise …
“I immediately realized this was not like the other islands I had visited.”
I still remember the first time I visited Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park back in the mid-1990s. I was extremely excited about the trip, but not because of the island of Hawaii or the national park. It was because I was assisting the world-famous landscape photographer David Muench on a workshop. He had been a hero of mine since I first picked up a camera, and I couldn’t wait to meet him.
Up to that point I had never been to Hawaii. My only experience with islands was the ones with rest stations between the lanes of the New Jersey parkway, and of course those of the Caribbean. While I love the Caribbean for its clear blue waters and relaxing beaches, I have never felt an overwhelming need to photograph those particular scenes. Sure, I would take a few snaps, but the islands for me were more of a place to have drinks with umbrellas, to read a novel on the beaches and to snorkel. The other familiar islands were for coffee and restroom breaks from driving.
When I first landed in Hawaii I immediately realized this was not like the other islands I had visited. Mountains that rose 13,000 feet, waterfalls, lava, crashing waves, rainforests and perhaps the most kind people on earth. Paradise.
The weather is perfect year-round. It’s never too hot or too cold (unless you are on that 13,000-foot volcano!). High 70s to low 80s during the day and low 60s to low 70s at night. Basically always the same with just a few degrees of change throughout the seasons. Paradise.
As I explored the island during that and many future visits, I came to realize that Hawaii is not only a photographer’s dream but also a place to have drinks with umbrellas, to read a novel on the beach and to snorkel. They also have restrooms. And some of the world’s finest coffee (Kona, which is grown on the western slopes of the island). Hawaii is truly Paradise.
