2 Night Workshop
Please read our Mission Statement for info regarding Mike's teaching style.
Visit the GENERAL OVERVIEW & ITINERARY PAGE for more information about gear specifics, clothing, weather, etc.
While no knowledge of night photography techniques is required for this workshop, please understand this is not a Photo 101 class - you should have a decent working knowledge of your camera gear and how the Exposure Triangle (aperture, shutter speed & ISO) works. Please contact us with any questions or concerns BEFORE signing up for this workshop. Thanks.
This is a two night workshop where we will meet on Sunday, March 11. We will spend 2-3 hours during our meet-and-greet discussing camera settings & other pre-shoot information and 4-5 hours photographing in the field. During the afternoon of Monday, March 12 we will spend 4-5 hours in a classroom setting where we will discuss the previous night's shoot and go over as many post-processing techniques as possible - for a for a total workshop time of approximately 12 hours.
Sandy Point Beach Park in Stockton Springs, Maine is a great spot to observe and capture the beginning of Milky Way season. The old pier pilings, rocks and tidal pool reflections make for excellent compositions here on historic French’s Point where the Penobscot River enters the Penobscot Bay. When we came here in April 2015, we were greeted on the beach by huge chunks of ice at the high tide line. A few of them were the size of a minivan and the one leaning up against one of the old pilings made for a perfect parallel line with the rising Milky Way in a few different compositions.
This workshop has been planned around the New Moon phase and tidal times. There is a relatively small window of time to photograph the Milky Way in early spring and this is a great area to shoot during low tide. As the tide comes in, the tidal pools offer great reflections from almost any angle. In the middle of March the Milky Way begins to rise around 2AM on the Eastern horizon. We will be set up & shooting before then and for 4-5 hours through the waning crescent moon rise around 5AM (bring a long lens to capture the moon at a decent focal length if you like) and astronomical sunrise.
Itinerary:
March 11: Night - meet and greet, discuss camera settings and features of the night sky - in the field photography 4-5 hours until 5AM
March 12: Afternoon - 2-6PM classroom instruction & image processing
In The Field Shooting: In the middle of March the Milky Way begins to rise around 2AM on the Eastern horizon. We will be set up & shooting before then and for 4-5 hours through the waning crescent moon rise around 5AM (bring a long lens to capture the moon at a decent focal length if you like) and astronomical sunrise. Mike will take turns helping each participant with composition, lighting, troubleshooting, etc.
Classroom Instruction: Our classroom time will mainly consist of processing tutorials and techniques via Lightroom & Photoshop and some of our favorite plug-ins to create remarkable images. Bring your laptop with Lightroom and Photoshop installed to learn techniques for processing in the digital darkroom. We will cover Mike's digital darkroom workflow - from the basics of adjusting highlights & shadows, white & black levels, contrast, clarity, noise reduction, color balance, sharpening, lens corrections, graduated & radial filters, etc. to the more advanced techniques involved in layering and masking. Mike will take time to help each participant with their images as we progress through class time. Check out our Processing page for examples.
More specific information regarding meet up time & location and a PDF covering the essentials of night photography will be sent out to participants via email well before the workshop date. All participants will receive a hard copy of the PDF handout to go over during our meet-and-greet session.
Availability: This workshop is limited to 6 participants.
Physical Requirements: Boots or shoes with decent tread are necessary. We will be walking on sand and potentially some snow/ice due to the time of year. The shooting location is visible from the parking lot. Anyone who has balance issues should contact us before signing up.
Investment: $499 per participant. Alumni discount of 20% if you've taken a previous workshop with Taylor Photography. A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to reserve a spot or you may pay in full. The full balance is due 60 days before the scheduled workshop date or your reservation will be subject to cancellation.
If you have any hesitation about signing up, check out the Testimonials page where clients have shared their experiences.
Payment: Use the Paypal buttons below to pay the full amount, a 50% deposit or the remaining balance.