Sedona
Sedona is a vibrant arts community nestled among some of Arizona’s most beautiful red rock buttes. Sitting at an elevation of 4,350 feet, this desert town is world-famous for its natural beauty and new age vibe. It’s also a perfect destination for night sky enthusiasts as one of America’s IDA International Dark Sky Communities.
Workshop Gallery
Workshop Details
September 5-10, 2021 — Completed
This is a 5-night, 6-day workshop. Your adventure begins in the early afternoon on Sunday, September 5, and ends after the final slideshow on the afternoon of Friday, September 10.
$1,750 + applicable taxes. 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
Workshop Leaders
Registration
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST!
| • Deposit of $500 is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $1,250 is due on June 7, 2021. —> 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 June 6, 2021 (see cancellation and refund policy). |
| • The workshop fee does not include park entrance fees, lodging, food, airfare, transportation to and from the airport, or transportation to shoot locations. |
The Sedona Experience
This workshop experience is going to be awesome. We’ve consulted the maps, charts and apps (and our local astrologer). The result? A workshop that combines the perfect weather of Sedona in September, the world famous landforms around the town, a new moon and a dark sky community that affords us the opportunity to photograph the autumn Milky Way.
This workshop will focus on capturing the night skies over Sedona as well as the surrounding desert and mountains. While the new moon will provide the dark skies we need, it will also present several photographic challenges when trying to expose this famous landscape. Whether it’s blending the Milky Way with the gentle illumination on the local cliffs, or combining images that are shot at dusk with a moonless sky, we’ll have you covered.
Days will find us in the classroom learning the techniques necessary to both shoot and process under these unique conditions. At night we’ll be out in the field practicing what we’ve learned.
Expect a workshop filled with new challenges, new techniques, lots of fun and western skies packed with stars.
What You Should Know
This course caters to photographers with intermediate and advanced skill sets. 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.
If you would like to attend this workshop but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-workshop 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-workshop reads. Tim has also authored a 6-hour video titled Lightroom: Library and Develop Modules, in case you are interested in exploring this skill before you arrive.
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. You’ll go home after the workshop with a solid grasp of night photography in dark and moonlit environments, and a good foundation in blending and light painting techniques.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
how to photograph and edit the Milky Way
how to shoot and process using Starry Landscape Stacker
how to combine dark and illuminated foregrounds with the Milky Way
how to scout for your images using PhotoPills and other available resources
and more …
This workshop will have both field and classroom instruction. We will be in the classroom each day, and out in the field at different locations each night. Participants can stay out shooting as long as they, or their camera batteries, hold out. While in the field, the instructors will demonstrate their own techniques and will work with participants one-on-one to make sure everyone gets the most out of the workshop. During classroom sessions, we will review the previous night’s work.
Our locations have generous room to explore, so everyone will be able to spread out and not get in one another’s way. Each participant will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Tim and Gabe in the field.
We do not tell our attendees what to photograph. Instead, we encourage you to use what you have learned to create your own unique images, and to let us guide you through the process should you desire. We do not teach you to do what we do, but rather how to develop your own night vision.
Night Conditions
Travel
You will need a rental car. 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.
Nearby Airports:
Flagstaff, Arizona (FLG) — 45 minutes from Sedona
Phoenix (PHX) — 2 hours
Food & Lodging
You are not required to stay at the official workshop lodging, though doing so does make it easier to meet with the group each day. Lodging info and group code will be sent after registering. If you are interested in sharing accommodations, let us know and we will try to connect you with someone like-minded in the group.
Sedona is a small town with many good restaurants and plenty of options for fine local food. Several markets will help with purchasing snack food or sandwiches when on the night shoots. Sedona is pretty dry. Be prepared to carry and drink plenty of water!
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own meals and accommodations.
Weather
Expect daytime temps in the low 90s F, and evenings in the low 60s.
Recommended Attire
September weather in Sedona is just about as perfect as it gets. With low 90s in the day, light pants or shorts, and short-sleeve shirts will be all you need. Nights will still be comfortable while in the low 60s. Long-sleeve shirts and a light or medium coat should get you through. Bring an extra base layer, gloves and warm hat just in case. Comfortable and protective shoes are recommended for walking on the trails and keeping your feet safe from cactus. There won’t be long hikes, but we will be on trails, so quality trail shoes or hiking boots would be optimal.
Considerations
No vigorous activity will be required during the workshop, but please consider your physical abilities prior to registering. There won’t be any long hikes, but there will be trails and some rock scrambling involved, and you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark.
Note: To ensure the safety of individuals and the group, National Parks at Night reserves the right for workshop leaders to use their discretion to limit an attendee from engaging in a rigorous 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.
Please read 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.
Will anyone believe these photos? ...
“I am no stranger to red rock country, but this color was incredible.”
Having lived in the Mountain West for over 20 years, I’ve spent a lot of time visiting the red rock areas of Arizona, Utah and eastern Colorado. Still, I have never seen color as brilliant as the red rock buttes that surround Sedona.
I remember the first time I visited. It was a mid-winter trip I was making to scout for a future workshop. I had driven the 2.5 hours north from Phoenix on a dark winter evening. Arriving in Sedona in the dark on an overcast night, I couldn’t see a thing. The scenes of what makes this town so famous would have to wait. I found my hotel and settled in for the night. I remember being so tired that I did little to plan for the next morning. So, I slept.
When I woke the next morning I was in awe. Simply stunned. The mountains and buttes surrounding the town simply glowed with the morning light. Now as I have said, I am no stranger to red rock country, but this color was incredible. I remember thinking, “Will anyone believe these photos?” The red of the rocks was so intense I thought for sure the Fuji Velvia film I was shooting would make these photos look simply unreal.
I have been back to Sedona many times since and now enjoy shooting the night sky as much as I loved shooting the sunrise. I look forward to exploring the desert nights as well as these incredible rock formations with you!
