LODGING:
You will need to arrange lodging for this workshop. You can book at any hotel of your choosing in each town, but I will have recommendations if you would like to look into those. Here is where to book on what dates:
Night #1 - Springdale, Utah (La Quinta, Desert Pearl, Flanigans, Hampton Inn, Marriott)
Night #2 - Bryce Canyon, Utah (Ruby's Inn)
Night #3 - Kanab, Utah (Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn)
GEAR:
Everyone has heard the saying about the gear not making a great photograph, but rather the photographer. Well, in night photography that is not exactly the case. Higher end gear produces types of night images that are amazing, and older setups simply can not compete. They are 100% different worlds. So for this workshop I’m asking those without the gear below to rent something for the workshop. It is important that all participants have capable gear so we can shoot using the same methods. If I were to recommend a rental package, it would be the Nikon D850 along with renting the Sigma 14mm f1.8 art lens. Borrowlenses.com is a great resource for rentals.
What to bring:
Full-frame camera (the more modern the better. Here are some examples of “modern full frame cameras:
Nikon D850, z6, z7
Canon 5DMark 4, R5
Sony a7rIV
Wide angle lens (14 or 16mm on a full-frame) with an aperture of f2.8 or wider
Mid-range lens (i.e. 24-70 focal lengths) - This will be used for sunset shooting mostly
Telephoto lens - This will be used for sunset shooting
Polarizing filter for mid-range lens
Neutral density filters (not necessary, but bring them if you have them)
Sturdy tripod
Extra batteries
Battery charger
Headlamp that has the ability to use a red light
Memory cards
Laptop for post processing on last day
Rain cover for backpack (just in case)
CLOTHING: You will be visiting this region during it’s hottest months of the year. With that being said, the desert can be unpredictable so we’ll want to be prepared. Specifically, Bryce is at an elevation of 8,000 feet which is typically 20 degrees cooler than Zion.
Shorts
Long pants (hiking pants are best)
Long sleeve light cotton shirt (the coolest option for hot sunny days in the desert)
T-shirts
Fleece top
Rain pants and rain jacket (just in case)
Large shade casting hat
Sunglasses
Sun screen
Sneakers or hiking shoes (boots not necessary)
Physical requirements: The most physical event of the trip is hiking down into Bryce canyon. We will hike approximately 1 mile downhill, and return out of the canyon on the same trail for a total of approximately 2 to 2.5 miles total. Elevation gain for the hike out of the canyon is 623 feet. Beyond this hike, all of our other shooting locations are very short approaches on flat level ground.
Day 1 -
5:45 PM - Meet at Zion Adventures (36 Lion Blvd, Springdale, UT). We will meet the everyone involved in our 4-day outing. This is a great time to talk about local secret spots, recommendations for solo-time shooting in Bryce and Zion, logistics of your trip, gear, etc. And then onto sunset shooting in Zion! We'll chase whatever is looking the best with the current conditions in the park and will shoot through sunset.
Post-sunset: Break for food. People can travel to their restaurant of choosing. We have recommendations.
9 PM - Oh yeah! Onto the good stuff. We will be shooting in Zion National Park this night. By this time, the sky is going to be DARK and one of the very best nights for milky way photography of the entire year! Expect around 4 hours of shooting. We will photograph 3 to 4 different areas. On this evening we learn how to expose perfectly for the night sky, and photograph some of Zion's dramatic cliffs.
Day 2 -
7:30PM - Rather than go out for sunset, we will meet up to do some post processing on our images from our night in Zion. Bryce is actually not optimal with sunset light due to the positioning of the canyon with the setting sun. Taking time to process will help you understand what your final images will turn out looking like so you can have that in mind as we shoot in Bryce this night, and in White Pocket the next night.
Bryce has a reputation of being one of the darkest skies in the lower 48. So dark that we have seen events similar to the aurora borealis! Combined with the bizarre, and beautifully colored rock, along with a perfectly positioned Milky Way, we’re going to get some great images here. Again, we will likely be out for around 4 hours or so.
Day 3 -
3:30 PM - We will meet in the town of Kanab, Utah. From here we will load up into my 4x4 vehicle for a pretty good sized trek out to White Pocket, AZ. This is one of the most fascinating landscapes in the desert Southwest, and it is off the beaten path. This piece of earth is bizarre and glorious. We will shoot sunset, blue hour, and Milky Way out here. White Pocket is in the same area as “The Wave” and in my opinion it is equal in its beauty. You’re going to love it.
Day 4 -
11 AM - Another leisurely wake up and meeting after a late night of shooting. For those interested in post-processing techniques, we will sit down together in Kanab, where we have stayed the night before to learn some helpful tips on processing your images using Lightroom. We will process for about 2 hours.
