Theodore Roosevelt
Chock full of wildlife, badlands, prairie, grasslands and more, this park is the place that inspired Teddy Roosevelt to begin protecting vast tracts of precious lands. Visit this often-overlooked northern gem of the park system to discover its nocturnal side.
Workshop Details
July 12-17, 2022 — Completed
This is a 5-night, 6-day workshop. Your adventure begins on the morning of Tuesday, July 12, and ends after a final slideshow on the afternoon of Sunday, July 17.
$1,995+ applicable taxes. Register below.
Skill level
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
Theodore Roosevelt 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 Theodore Roosevelt, we hope you join us.
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 $1,395 is due on April 13, 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 April 12, 2022 (see cancellation and refund policy). |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, Theodore Roosevelt entrance fees, or transportation to Medora or to our nightly shoot locations. |
The Theodore Roosevelt Experience
Theodore Roosevelt National Park has two main units and one off the beaten path. We will be based near the South Unit in Medora, North Dakota. The South Unit includes a rich swath of wildlife to experience during the day, including enchanting bands of wild horses. You are also likely to see massive herds of bison, some elk and thousands of prairie dogs in a handful of gigantic “towns.”
The Little Missouri River winds through the South Unit, and a high vantage over the riverbed provides a breathtaking view. In fact, it’s so wondrous that one spot is memorialized as where Roosevelt decided to embark on an idea that would eventually become the National Parks Service.
You might also see a petrified forest or perhaps the even more remote Elkhorn Ranch, which once belonged to Roosevelt, and much of his spirit remains there. The South Unit is a placid area that is filled with life.
We will also spend some time in the even-less-visited North Unit. Here you will find more bison (you’re gonna see a lot of them on this trip), and this park’s badlands. An interesting feature are the “cannonballs,” natural geologic globe-like formations of sand and mud among the eroded badlands and hoodoos.
Wherever you go, it’s evident what turned the attention of the bully pulpit toward conservation, protection and the sharing of wild spaces.
What You Should Know
Participants must have at least basic photo skills, know their cameras well, and be comfortable shooting RAW in manual mode with a DSLR or high-end mirrorless camera.
Night photography experience is not necessary, but even folks with extensive experience shooting at night will find this class challenging, stimulating and inspiring. For more advanced night photographers, we can offer a portfolio review and specific challenges and goals, and will offer guidance in the field if you mainly want to concentrate on creating portfolio images or learning more advanced techniques.
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
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 light painting techniques.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
panoramas
star trails
light painting in moonlight
time-lapse
how to plan a night image with 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 at different locations each night. 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 work with participants one-on-one to make sure everyone gets the most out of the workshop. During classroom sessions, there will be presentations by the instructors, but we will focus on developing your images and sharing everyone’s work and ideas with each other.
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 Matt and Chris in the field.
We do not tell our attendees what to photograph, and won’t line you up in a row to all shoot the same thing (unless it’s helpful to get some people on track). 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
Logistics & General Info
Travel
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.
Nearby Airports:
Bismarck (BIS) — 2 hours from Medora (highly suggested)
Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt (DIK) — 45 minutes (limited flight options)
Lodging & Food
Medora is compact—only seven blocks—and we’ll be there in high season. But we chose a wonderful hotel and have obtained a block of rooms for our attendees.
You are not required to stay at the official workshop lodging, though doing so does make it easier to meet with the group each morning. Lodging info and group code will be sent when our lodging partner is ready to begin taking reservations. If you are interested in sharing a room, let us know and we will try to connect you with someone like-minded in the group.
Medora has a handful of food options, many great. We encourage eating two meals per day—a good breakfast and a great late lunch. When on the night shoots, you may wish to bring snack food or a sandwich and plenty of water.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own meals and accommodations.
Weather
Expect daytime highs in the mid-80s F, lows in the mid-50s.
Recommended Attire
Shorts and short-sleeve shirts for daytime, light pants and long-sleeve shirts for night. A sweatshirt and medium-weight jacket will likely be useful, and a base layer might not be a waste of packing space. Layers are good. Comfortable and protective shoes are recommended for getting around. There won’t be long hikes, but we will be on trails, so quality trail shoes or hiking boots would be optimal.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this workshop is Easy. (See more about our classifications.)
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 involved, and you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark.
Additional Info
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.
Sometimes you go back to find the future ...
“With afternoon thunderstorms grumbling their way through, we spent time contemplating the Little Missouri River. ”
Chris and I were spending time in the area after finishing a workshop at Devils Tower in Wyoming. We had really planned on visiting other places in the Dakotas, but the schedule was loose and the elevator at Wind Cave National Park was broken.
Chris suggested we drive north to check out Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Now, I’ve studied parks and had a dream list. But I’ll be honest, I was not aware of this one. I quickly Googled it and said, “Hell, yes! Let’s go!”
If was mid-July, much like you will be experiencing. The prairies and grasslands were swathed in yellow flowers. The park was teeming with wildlife. I was surprised. Truly. I had never seen so many bison in one place prior to this. Nor had I seen as many wild horses. It was such a joy.
The gently rolling hills had a calming effect. With afternoon thunderstorms grumbling their way through, we spent time contemplating the Little Missouri River. On the spot that memorializes Teddy Roosevelt’s landmark moment to protect and share precious lands, I was moved to tears. He turned away from personal family tragedy and toward making a strong nation stronger, and protecting our most special landscapes.
I had a very strong moment of gratitude, and thanked Chris for suggesting the visit to this park. With new eyes, I saw more of what Theodore Roosevelt wanted us to see. Precious, wild lands married to sky. And another world emerging at night.
