Intro to Night Photography: Saguaro
You’ve almost certainly seen night photos on Instagram. Photos of beautiful points of stars, a stunning Milky Way, light-painted cactuses with their arms stretched to the sky. If you’ve dreamed of making photos like these, but you’ve never tried, or you’ve tried and failed, then we’re here to help. Join us in Saguaro, the national park jewel of the Sonoran Desert, for 5 nights of learning how to shoot in the dark.
Workshop Details
Main Workshop
October 18-23, 2024 — 1 Spot Left
This is a 5-night, 6-day workshop. Your adventure begins on the morning of Friday, October 18, and ends on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 23.
$2,195 + applicable taxes. Register below.
Skill level
Beginner. This workshop is for people new to night photography. Participants should understand the basic principles of photography, but need no night photography experience.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
NPS website
Add-On: Chiricahua
October 24-25, 2024
This is a 2-night optional add-on available only to attendees of the main workshop. Your adventure begins on the evening of Thursday, October 24, and ends after a night shoot on Friday, October 25.
More information below.
$895 + applicable taxes. Registration information will be sent to attendees of the main workshop.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
NPS website
Workshop Leaders
Registration
| • Deposit of $600 is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $2,195 is due on July 20, 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 July 19, 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 Intro to Night Photography Experience
Have you been interested in night photography, and perhaps seen our workshops listed before, but felt unsure about your skill level and whether jumping into five nights of shooting in the dark would be jumping in over your head? If so, then this workshop is for you!
We will base ourselves in Tucson, Arizona, giving us easy access to the amazing Saguaro National Park, home of scores of spectacular locations for learning and practicing night photography. And we’ll be teaching it all, from moonlit exposures to star points to star trails to light painting and more.
During the day we’ll teach you the background info on all the fundamentals of night photography. We’ll get you out into the field before dark, so you can see your way around and plan what you’ll do once night sets in. And we’ll be by your side the whole time, helping you grow from being just interested in night photography to being comfortable and knowledgeable enough to shoot in the dark on your own—or at more advanced workshops in the future!
The Chiricahua Add-On Experience
Put your newfound night photography skills to use in this “wonderland of rocks” desert landscape, which is on track to become the next new national park.
Chiricahua is a geologist’s dream, which means it’s also a night photographer’s dream. We love formations! They’re a perfect foreground element to build dynamic, layered landscape compositions. Moreover, they’re a perfect subject for light painting. This national monument (which is halfway through the process of being “upgraded” to national-park status) features countless rhyolite rock pinnacles, some rising hundreds of feet from the desert floor. The landscape also contains shallow caves, faults, mountain formations, ancient lava flows and a giant volcanic caldera.
Combine all of that with starry desert night skies, and we have an amazing place for night photography.
More information will be sent after you register for the main workshop.
Note: This optional add-on is available only to workshop attendees. You will receive a link to purchase a ticket (if desired) after registering for the main workshop.
What You Should Know
While this is a class for Beginner night photographers, it’s not for those new to photography in general. You should know how to use your camera and a tripod. You should be comfortable with the fundamentals of exposure—i.e., shutter speed, aperture and ISO, how they relate, and how to set them manually in your camera.
Night photography experience is not necessary. In fact, if you’ve been on one of our regular workshops before, then this particular workshop is probably not for you.
If you would like to attend this workshop but are unsure whether you have adequate 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
Our Intro to Night Photography is exactly what it sounds like. It’s for those who are curious about this genre but who have little experience with it. We’ll walk you through all the fundamentals, from how to get your camera gear ready for a night shoot, to how to focus in the dark, to how to determine exposure for star points. We’ll start the week working closely with you on every decision, and by the end of the workshop you’ll be ready to venture into the night on your own.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
camera settings
in-field gear setup
how to work safely in the dark
how to focus at night
determining exposure for star points and star trails
photographing the Milky Way
and more …
We do not tell our attendees what to photograph, but we will start several in-field demonstrations by lining up the group and walking you through the thought process and setup for that night’s shoot. Then we will encourage you to spread out and use what you have learned to create your own unique images. We’ll be there to guide you.
This workshop will have both field and classroom instruction, and plenty of time to practice night photography. At night, participants can stay out shooting as long as they, or their camera batteries, hold out. Each participant will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Chris and Tim in the field.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation.
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.
Nearby Airport:
Tucson (TUS) — 20 minutes from hotel
Lodging & Food
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own accommodations and meals.
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 morning.
Info and group code will be sent soon after registering.
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.
Food
Tucson has plenty of good nearby food options.
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.
Weather
Expect daytime highs in the low 80s F, lows in the high 50s.
Recommended Attire
Shorts or pants and short-sleeve shirts for daytime, 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 we will be doing short hikes on unmaintained trails, and you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark.
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.
Nights, Deserts and Cactuses in the West …
“Then I saw the saguaros up close. They were like people. Each with their own personalities.”
Over the years I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time in the western deserts. From the higher Great Basin deserts in Utah to the lower Mojave of California and the Chihuahuan of Texas. I’ve seen plenty of javelinas and been pricked by more than a few cactuses, agaves and yuccas.
In all of these years, however, I had never made it down to see the most iconic of all desert plants: the saguaro. I finally decided to rectify the situation.
Being a photographer, I usually imagine a location through the eye of a lens. Some places have a quiet beauty, others a rugged beauty. Some places have the sort of beauty that I appreciate but may not care to photograph. When I was planning my trip to Saguaro National Park, I was not quite sure what I would encounter. Cactus? Check. Sunset? Check.
But what else did it have to offer? Loads!
On my first drive into the park from our hotel in Tucson, I was immediately impressed with the area outside the park. I was not even in the park proper yet and I was already taking mental photographs. Then I saw the saguaros up close. They were like people. Each with their own personalities. We began naming them and calling out what they reminded us of. It was a game we played our entire trip. And it never got old.
Once I spent some time getting to know the cactuses I was able to look past them and see their incredible home. This home, the desert itself, is every bit as fascinating as the icon Saguaro for which the park is named.
