Shoot for the Edit: Colorado
When it comes to night photography, capturing the right information in the field is crucial. Sometimes we need to make multiple exposures, or change focus during a series of photographs, or shoot the same scene at different times of the evening. This workshop is designed to teach you how to not only capture all of the necessary exposures in the field but also the art of processing those captures to produce your final piece of night art.
Workshop Details
September 18-23, 2022 — Completed
This is a 5-night, 6-day photography workshop. Our adventure begins on the morning of Sunday, September 18, and ends after a final slideshow on the afternoon of Friday, September 23.
$2,550 + applicable taxes. Register below.
Skill level
Advanced. Participants should be fluent in the basic principles of photography, completely comfortable with how to use camera gear and confident with their night photography skills.
Group size
12, with 2 instructors — 6:1 ratio
Workshop Leaders
Registration
This event has passed. Thanks for your interest!
| • Deposit of $600 is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $1,950 is due on June 20, 2022. —> 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 19, 2022 (see cancellation and refund policy). |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, or transportation to Ouray or to most of our shoot locations. The fee does cover the four-wheel-drive jeep transportation into alpine areas on select nights. |
The Shoot for the Edit Experience
Ever wondered what it would be like if you lived in the Victorian age? You’ll find out. Our home base of Ouray, Colorado, is a charming town affectionately known as “the Switzerland of America.” This delightful locale looks as if it never grew out of the 1880s. Nestled in a tight valley that sits at an elevation of nearly 7,800 feet, Ouray is the perfect base for our excursions into the San Juans.
The mining history in and outside of town is rich and tangible. The beautiful wooden mills, ghost towns and old equipment left behind from the 19th century gold rush will provide us with ample light painting opportunities, and the surrounding mountains will challenge and inspire our approach to night sky photography.
Autumn is an incredible time of year to visit the Rockies. Placid lakes reflecting mountain peaks, dense aspen groves in full fall color, and jagged, towering mountain peaks will be just some of the awe-inspiring beauty we’ll capture.
On a couple of days we’ll ditch our cars and hop into open-air four-wheel-drive vehicles, letting the professional drivers chauffeur us up the narrow mountain roads. Through dense groves of aspen to the dizzying heights of mountain passes, we’ll be treated to some of the most awesome mountain scenery in the states. Don’t worry, if you’re afraid of heights, we’ll put you in the inside seat.
All of this will be fodder for the goal of the workshop: to learn how to shoot with post-processing in mind. Processing is half the battle in photography, and we’ll learn how to plan a night shoot to create the best captures for producing the best images on the computer later. Using various software we’ll star-stack our Milky Way, focus-stack our foregrounds and blend blue hour shots with our night skies.
What You Should Know
This workshop caters to knowledgeable photographers with solid skill sets. Participants should be fluent in the basic principles of photography, completely comfortable with how to use camera gear and confident with their night photography skills.
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.
What You Will Learn
Like many photographic genres, night photography has many layers. We start out simple and add complexity to our craft as we learn more. This workshop will help push you past capturing basic night photographs and into creating more nuanced and interpretive imagery.
By learning what can be accomplished on the computer you’ll be able to create better images in the field. You’ll go home after the workshop with a solid grasp of advanced shooting techniques and a good foundation in how both Lightroom and Photoshop can be used by the night photographer.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
shooting and processing stacked Milky Way photos using Starry Landscape Stacker and Sequator
shooting and stacking star trails in Photoshop
shooting and blending blue hour and Milky Way frames in Photoshop
using Photoshop to blend together light-painted images
shooting and planning Milky Way shots using PhotoPills
and more …
This workshop will have both field and classroom instruction. We will be in the classroom during the day, and out in the field each night. When we are not in the hired jeeps, participants can stay out shooting as long as they, or their camera’s 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. Classroom sessions will include both Lightroom and Photoshop demonstrations.
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 Matt in the field.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
While direct flights to this area are few, Ouray, Colorado, is serviced by several small area airports.
Nearby Airports:
Montrose (MTJ) — 45 minutes from Ouray
Grand Junction (GJT) — 2 hours
Durango (DRO)— 2.5 hours
During our adventure we’ll take a couple of open-air four-wheel-drive trips up to higher elevations. These excursions are included in the price of the workshop. You will, however, need a rental car to travel to other locations. While not required, we recommend renting a four-wheel-drive SUV. If you are interested in carpooling or sharing a rental car, let us know and we will try to connect you with other attendees looking for the same.
Aside from the jeep tours, you are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation.
Lodging & Food
Ouray is a classic example of a western mountain mining town. Think meat and potatoes rather than protein and starch. Motel instead of hotel. That being said, the town is quite charming and does house a brewery, distillery, coffee houses, and one or two places where you might find arugula.
We encourage eating two meals per day—a good late breakfast and a great late lunch/early dinner. When out on our night shoots, you may wish to bring snack food or a sandwich, and plenty of water.
Unlike most of our workshops, there is no official hotel that we’ll use as a home base. Instead we’ll provide you with a range of lodging options that are all within walking distance of our meeting room.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own meals and accommodations.
Weather
Expect highs in the mid-60s F and lows in the low-30s.
Recommended Attire
It’s cold in the mountains at night. Come prepared for winter! Hats, gloves, down coats, long underwear and warm socks. You know the drill. Although daytime temps will be sublime, once the sun goes down and we go up the mountains, the air can get quite chilly. Layers are a perfect way to adapt to these changing temperatures. The amazing night skies and jaw-dropping autumn scenery will make it all worth it!
Exertion
The exertion level of this workshop is Moderate. (See more about our classifications.)
As with all NPAN events, you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark. On this workshop we’ll add “at high elevations” to that equation. The good news is that because road access into the San Juan Mountains is remarkable, we’ll never need to be far from our vehicles.
However, while longs walks won’t be required to make great images, even the act of walking 50 yards can be taxing at high altitudes if you’re not acclimated. Our base of operations in Ouray sits at 7,792 feet. From here, we’ll only go up. Before registering, please consider your health and how high altitudes could possibly affect you, and in turn, the group.
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 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.
Considerations
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.
A Perfect Place To Just Be ...
“When returning to Colorado a few years later, I remembered why I’d felt such a powerful attraction. The sense of being at home.”
I love Colorado. In fact, it was my first introduction to the American West. I recall going there on a ski trip in the late 1980s and promising myself that I would live there within a couple of years. As it turned out, I made my home in Montana instead. A fortuitous change in plans, as I discovered my love of photography in Missoula.
The chain of events that led me from ski bum/bartender/part-time electrician to commercial photographer can be directly traced back to a small restaurant in that medium-size town in rural Montana. I’m glad things worked out as they did.
When returning to Colorado a few years later, I remembered why I’d felt such a powerful attraction. The relaxed atmosphere, awesome peaks and verdant valleys, the wildness and the unpredictability of mountain weather. The sense of being at home.
“Coming home to a place he’d never been before … Rocky Mountain High.”
The mountains of Colorado call to me. When I am there, the world is right. The crisp, cool mountain air, hot sun and friendly smiles warm my heart. The rivers, valleys and peaks inspire my creativity. Colorado, a perfect place to just … be.
