Aurora Borealis
Night Photography Workshop
Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota
January 28-30, 2022
Sold Out - Join Waitlist HERE
Two Day / Two Night Workshop
$795
8 Participants Max
Highlights
Experience the magic of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in Minnesota!
Why travel all the way to Alaska, Canada, Norway, or Iceland when you can watch the dancing curtains of the Aurora Borealis from a comfortable viewing location within an hour’s drive of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota!
Now of course, no one can be assured of a display of the Aurora Borealis, or even a cloud-free sky. But even if the Aurora doesn’t make an appearance this time, this is the perfect opportunity to get fully prepared for the next time it does. And what we CAN guarantee is an intense, fun-filled weekend packed with learning all the secrets of predicting and photographing the Aurora Borealis with a small group of similarly-minded individuals!
You will also learn valuable tips and techniques for practicing your photography in the extreme cold. See how to keep your camera working and your lens clear as the thermometer plummets.
New to night photography? This is the perfect workshop for you! You’ll also learn everything you need to know to set up your camera and practice using it to capture stunning images of the Milky Way, stars, the Moon and much, much more.
Finally, you’ll see how to post process your Aurora Borealis images into trophies you’ll be excited to share with your family and friends.
Dr. Mike Shaw will be your workshop instructor and guide. He is the author of the highly-rated night photography books, “The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography,” and “Creative Nightscapes and Time-Lapses.” He hosts the annual Aurora Summit conference each year. He is also the co-creator of the video tutorials in the Planit Pro app. He is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, and is intimately familiar with all your workshop locations!
Workshop highlights include:
Two nights (Friday & Saturday) of guided access to stunning wilderness settings with dark skies (Bortle 3-4), all within an hour’s drive of the Twin Cities
Two days (Saturday & Sunday) of classroom sessions in our private workshop meeting room:
Forecasting the Aurora Borealis
Aurora Borealis image post-processing / review
Night photography fundamentals and techniques
Cold weather Aurora Borealis observing and photography tips to keep you and your camera safe, warm and functioning
Options for photographing the Aurora Borealis, the winter Milky Way, star trails, constellations, panoramas, time-lapses and deep-sky objects
Workshop Itinerary
Night 1 (Friday, Jan. 28): 6 pm - Workshop Commences. We meet and greet one another during our orientation meeting at the Roseville, Minnesota, Country Inn & Suites (map above). Mike will give a workshop overview and rough agenda. We’ll discuss your goals for the workshop, and the camera systems you’re using. We will also review best practices for keeping warm and comfortable.
Night 1 (Friday, Jan. 28): Following the Meet & Greet orientation, we will drive to a beautiful dark location within an hour or so of the Country Inn & Suites. Here, you will receive personal instruction on how to properly focus your camera in the dark, compose in the dark, and what are the best camera and exposure settings for night photography. You can also explore the effects of different lens focal lengths and lens filtersto the best composition and depth of field. After capturing a few trophy images we will return, arriving by 2 am (barring a major outbreak of the Aurora Borealis!). In the event of clouds or rain, we will do our night photography sessions in a scenic area in or near the Twin Cities.
Day 1 (Saturday, Jan. 29): You will spend time reviewing your images and learning a few post-processing secrets. You’ll also learn more about the basics of night photography, including a review of the fundamentals of astronomy. You will have ample time to have all your questions answered in a friendly, supportive environment. Your Welcome Packet includes a questionnaire for you to provide us with the subjects you are the most interested in learning about.
Night 2 (Saturday, Jan. 29): We will drive to a new location to take the best advantage of the weather and the interests of the group. You will continue to develop your newly acquired skills as you enjoy a wonderful evening under the night sky capturing breathtaking images. Perhaps the Aurora Borealis will even appear!
Day 2 (Sunday, Jan. 30): We return to the classroom to continue our image review and post-processing. You will also learn more about specific night photography topics of interest.
Day 2 (Sunday, Jan. 30): 5:00 pm - Workshop concludes. We pile in our vehicles, head home and sleep!
Workshop Structure
We’ll first meet at 6 pm on Friday, January 28, 2022 in the lobby of the Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota (See map below).
We will depart for your first session of night photography after this meeting.
You should arrive in your own vehicle for transportation throughout the workshop, or carpool with a friend. There are no significant hikes as part of this workshop, and you will have easy access to your vehicle.
Food is not included in this workshop. You are free to bring your own food, as well as visit any of the nearby restaurants or shops.
Be sure to bring warm clothes, warm boots or shoes, a raincoat, a warm hat and gloves. It can get surprisingly cold late at night! Hand warmers are often welcome.
Workshop Venue & Accommodations
Our workshop is based at the Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota (see map):
Address: 2740 E Snelling Service Dr, Roseville, MN 55113
Phone: (651) 628-3500 .
For your convenience, we are arranging for a block of rooms with either two queen beds or a single king bed at a special rate, if needed. Details will be provided when you register. You are free to stay at other nearby hotels; there are many choices. Please contact us if you require assistance with accommodations.
We will meet in our private meeting room at Country Inn and Suites in Roseville, Minnesota, during the day on Saturday & Sunday, January 29 & 30. Here, we will review and enhance your Aurora Borealis images, work on time-lapse videos and learn basic & advanced nightscape photography techniques.
Pricing
$795/Person
Workshop Includes:
Two nights (Friday & Saturday) of night photography sessions in dark sky locations within an hour or so of the Twin Cities
Two days (Saturday & Sunday) of classroom sessions in our private workshop meeting room
Photography guiding and instruction throughout the workshop
Post-processing / image editing sessions
Night photography sessions
Mike Shaw’s original Night Photography Plan, template, and instructions for using it to plan successful night photography sessions
Opportunities to try out filters, trackers, panorama heads and other night photography accessories
Welcome Packet with a complete gear list and other useful information
Workshop Does Not Include:
Hotel accommodations, if needed. You can select a room at the Country Inn & Suites from a block reserved for our workshop. There are also many other options nearby. Please contact us if you need assistance
Transportation to/from your home to the workshop meeting locations
Meals, beverages & snacks
As you complete your registration and payment process, you will be given the choice of either paying the full amount or a 50% deposit. If you pay the deposit, the balance payment is due no later than 90 days prior to arrival.
Recommended Gear Lists
(You will receive a detailed gear list in your Welcome Packet when you register)
Camera Gear - the Essentials:
DSLR or mirrorless camera with the ability to manually focus and manual set the exposure (ISO, f-stop & shutter speed)
Lens. An 18-55 mm kit lens works just fine. Also great are a wide-angle lens (in the 14 - 24 mm range) or a mid-range lens (in the 24 - 70 mm range)
Tripod / ballhead - the sturdier the better
Headlamp with a red bulb
Extra batteries
Extra memory cards
Lens/camera cleaning kit
Camera & other operating manuals
Camera Gear - Nice to Have:
Loupe for focusing
Cable release
Tiffen Double Fog 3 lens filter
External intervalometer
Extra flashlight
Personal Gear:
Snacks
Water
Portable chair
Hand warmers
Laptop for downloading & editing your images during the class sessions
Warm clothes in layers
Winter boots, hat & gloves
Winter jacket
Winter snow pants / snowsuit
