Terlingua Light Painting Intensive
Terlingua. A place of tattered graves, old churches, desert detritus and more characters than cacti. A barely-north-of-the-border place that time almost forgot, until artists discovered it not long ago. We’ll venture to the Big Bend region of southwest Texas to visit the haunts and hauntings of this out-of-the-way nearly-ghost town, where the old wares and wheres of the village provide ample fodder for the art of light painting. Terlingua is full of crumbling adobe structures, rusty old cars, rock formations and all sorts of curiosities slowly being swallowed up by the harsh desert environment.
Workshop Details
Main Workshop
April 18-23, 2027 — Sold Out, Join Waitlist Below
This is a 5-night, 6-day workshop. Your adventure begins on the morning of April 18, and ends after a final slideshow on the afternoon of April 23.
$2,495 + applicable taxes.
Skill level
Intermediate and above. 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
Add-On: Big Bend & Boquillas
April 24-25, 2027
This is a 2-day, 2-night optional add-on to Big Bend National Park, available only to attendees of the main workshop. More information below.
$1,095 + 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
Hoping to get a spot? Sign up below for our no-fee waitlist.
| • Deposit of $800 is required to reserve your spot. |
| • Balance of $2,395 is due on January 18, 2027. → 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 January 17, 2027. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, entrance fees, or transportation to or during the workshop. |
The Terlingua Experience
You’ve got the hang of night photography in different conditions and environments, and perhaps have used added lighting for some of your images. But if you’ve never felt really in control of your lights, or had an easy understanding of how to achieve the look you were after for your images, then this workshop is for you.
Our goal is to help you develop the skills and confidence to creatively add light to your images. You’ll work with different tools and techniques to find your comfort zone and to develop a style that can be applied to your images wherever you are, in whatever conditions you may find yourself. Perhaps you are a more accomplished light painter who is looking for a project, or a treasure trove of exciting subject matter to illuminate. You are welcome, too, and we’ll assist you with ideas, locations and image reviews to help you develop a cohesive portfolio.
We’re holding this workshop around the full moon, which will provide illumination for the greater landscape while we emphasize lighting specific elements of our foregrounds, or perhaps filling in the deeper shadows. You’ll be able to do short star-point exposures or longer star-trail exposures, but we aren’t here to photograph the Milky Way. You will, however, be able to apply the techniques you learn to future Milky Way images.
The workshop will include a mix of classroom and field instruction, along with image reviews to help analyze what you might have done differently to improve your images. Matt and Lance will guide you along the way, offering as much or as little instruction as you need, along with plenty of support and encouragement.
We’ll do all this while experiencing the quirky little place that calls itself Ghost Town, but is really anything but.
Terlingua’s origins were as a mining town in the late 1800s, at one time boasting a population of about 2,000 people. The area has several defunct cinnabar mines that shut down in the late 1940s, taking the town with it.
Until about 20 years ago, the town truly was a ghost town, except for a few hardy souls who sought peace and quiet, or an escape in the West Texas desert. These days, Terlingua has been discovered by artists and adventurers seeking the same things, but who also want good food and cell service. The tourism boom has brought a much needed revenue stream, but the area still retains most of its character and wildness despite better restaurants and phone coverage.
The Big Bend & Boquillas Add-On Experience
Terlingua is a stone’s throw from Big Bend, and it would be a shame to come all this way and not at least dip our toes in the national park. Spend an extra two days and nights in the area, and we’ll get a taste of the park, as well as cross the Rio Grande for a day trip into the quaint and remote Mexican village of Boquillas del Carmen (passport required), and do a half day river paddle in canoes or kayaks through Santa Elena Canyon.
The details of this add-on adventure will be worked out closer to the trip, as weather and water conditions change rapidly and frequently in the desert. We’ll create the best experience possible for you based on conditions at the time of our adventure, but a river trip, day trip to Mexico, and a taste of Big Bend will all be part of the add-on experience.
What You Should Know
This light painting intensive workshop is designed for intermediate and advanced photographers who are comfortable with night photography, but wish to improve their lighting skills. You’ll have the opportunity to work with both handheld flashlights and LED panels on light stands, along with any other light source you can conjure up.
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. We will be happy to offer advice and answer questions about night photography in general, but the focus of the formal education will be on lighting techniques, including light painting and low-level landscape lighting.
If you would like to join us on this trip but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-event tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-trip reads.
What You Will Learn
The workshop is about learning to control light sources to achieve the look of a visualized concept, as well as experimenting to discover new and unexpected possibilities with light.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
light painting with handheld light sources
low-level landscape lighting with LED panels on stands
combining the two techniques above for the ultimate level of control and finesse
how to light for star points, star trails, and if you’re interested, portraits and even light writing
and more …
Gear
We will supply a list of recommended lighting tools to consider in advance of the trip, but you are welcome to use any portable light source that you bring with you. We’d like you to be completely comfortable with your camera equipment so that we can focus exclusively on lighting techniques during the workshop.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
Terlinga is not the quickest town to get to. But the trip is manageable, and well worth the effort! All the major airports are a fair distance away, but the drive through the desert is spectacular.
Nearby Airports:
Midland/Odessa (MAF) — 4 hours from Study Butte, Texas
El Paso (ELP) — 4 hours, 45 minutes
San Antonio (SAT) — 6 hours, 45 minutes
Rental Car
You will need a rental car.
There is no need for four-wheel-drive, but high-clearance is prudent.
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.
Lodging & Food
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own accommodations and meals.
Lodging
We will be staying at the Big Bend Casitas in Study Butte (4 miles from Terlingua). Each casita has a porch, bird-watching garden and kitchenette that includes a sink, small refrigerator and microwave, along with dishes, glasses, utensils, etc. We also have access to outdoor grills in the courtyard.
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. There are other lodging options in Study Butte and Terlingua, including camping, plus a wide range of interesting rentals.
If you are interested in sharing a casita, let us know and we will try to connect you with someone like-minded in the group.
Food
We will have an optional welcome dinner at the Starlight Theatre in Ghost Town on April 17 before the workshop begins. It gets very busy, and we probably won’t have time to eat there once the workshop has begun.
Terlingua has a surprisingly good range of restaurants and food options.
The nearby town of Study Butte also has a small (but big enough) grocery store.
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
Terlingua is really, really hot in the summer. Which is why we’re holding the workshop in the spring. Expect daytime highs in the 80s to low 90s F, nighttime lows in the upper 50s to low 60s.
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—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 page 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.
Meeting the Mayor …
“ Just when we thought the night couldn’t get any better, Blair pulled out the key to the mine and led us through the horizontal drift …”
Way back in 2007, I was asked to teach a night photography workshop in Big Bend National Park for the Texas Photo Society. It was my first visit to the park, and fortunately, my contact from the society was a great guy and also knew the park and surrounding area very well.
We covered a lot of territory, hitting all of the main attractions. We explored and photographed the remains of a “Mexican village” near LaJitas that was actually a movie set that has since been flooded and cleared away. Out of everything we saw, and everywhere that we went during that week-long trip, it was the little ghost town of Terlingua that made the biggest impression on me.
The place had a vibe that was a cross between a hippie commune and a Mad Max movie, and was chock full of oddball characters, roadside distractions, a wonderful old cemetery and most especially the unofficial mayor of Terlingua. Blair Pittman was a retired National Geographic photographer from East Texas who held court on the “porch” outside the trading company every afternoon and evening. He told entertaining stories of his life and travels, but mostly of the unruly cast of desert rats who lived in and around Ghost Town.
It turns out that Blair was currently acting as caretaker for one of the old cinnabar mines in the area. It had oddly been redeveloped as a resort in the 1970s, but it had quickly failed. He lived on site in the only habitable structure on the property, and when he heard about our workshop he invited us to come and photograph the ruins of the mine! Oh what a night that was!
The site was ruinism at its finest. We photographed into the wee hours, had pizza and beer, and listened to more of Blair’s stories. Just when we thought the night couldn’t get any better, Blair pulled out the key to the mine and led us through the horizontal drift until it finally ended in a small chamber that was completely covered in crystals. It was remarkable.
Sadly, Blair has since passed on, and the mine property has changed hands a couple of times. It is in fact for sale again at an astronomical price that no one in their right mind would pay. That said, there are more than a few souls not of sound mind in the region, so perhaps someone with vision and money will redevelop the property into the next phase. For now, it languishes behind locked gates and security cameras. Between now and when our workshop begins, know that I’ll be working to get us access to that special place.
