Starry (NM) Night Workshop - June

See and photograph the Milky Way in one of my favorite areas of the State. The Plains of San Agustin offer wide open views in every direction, very dark skies and incredibly bright stars. The area's high elevation and lack of light pollution make it a perfect location for star gazing and nightscape photography.

We will meet in Magdalena, get to know each other, go over techniques and drive a short distance to where we will shoot and become familiar with the area. Once the sun goes down, we will spend hours photographing the Milky Way and working on other long exposure techniques like star-trails and light painting.

What you will learn/ topics covered:

- How to photograph the Milky Way!

- How to focus your lens in the dark

- Camera and lens settings for long exposure / nightscapes

- How to read your camera's histogram (and why it's important)

- Star trail, light painting and other long exposure techniques

- Verbal tips and tricks to post processing your images

What you need to bring:

- A DSLR Camera capable of Manual (M) Mode and it's user manual.

- Two + camera batteries and memory cards (at least 16GB).

- Wide angle lens at least 28mm with an aperture of f/2.8 or faster. There are many places online where you can rent equipment if you do not own one. Feel free to ask for a list of suggestions.

-Shutter Release or Intervalometer (for star trails) are recommended.

-Sturdy Tripod.

-Headlamp (preferably with a red light setting).

- Warm clothes. Temperature can drop quickly in the high desert

- Hiking boots. No sneakers/tennis shoes! (small cacti in the area).

Other:

- All levels of experience are welcome. This class is limited to 5 participants. The small group size means I can spend more time with each of you and better help when there are questions.

- Tickets are non-refundable but are transferable if you find another person who can take your place.

- Weather - Thunderstorms can be severe but usually move quickly through the area. We will continue as long as conditions allow. If weather does cancel the event a full refund will be issued or credited towards a future workshop.

If you have any questions, please email knatephoto@gmail.com