When: June 29, 2019 (7:00 pm) - June 30, 2019 (12:00 am)

Where: Mt St Helens National Monument

Tuition for this workshop is only $150

Safe and secure registration through Eventbrite

Included with your tuition:

• Hands-on photography instruction and assistance
• How to set up your camera in the challenging environment after dark
• Guidance and instruction on composition
• Guidance and instruction on long exposures, camera settings and focusing at night
• Photo critiques (post workshop)
• How to manage noise associated with long exposure/high ISO images
• Post processing help and suggestions (including noise reduction)
• Written and digital copies of all presented materials

Refund policy:

• Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the workshop date are eligible for a refund (less a $20 cancellation fee).
• Cancellations made 14 to 30 days prior to the workshop date are eligible for a 50% refund.
• Cancellations made less than 14 days prior to the workshop date are not eligible for a refund.
• If the workshop is cancelled the days leading up to the workshop due to weather conditions (cloud cover in the forecast the days leading up to to the workshop), you will receive a full refund.
• Once the workshop starts, refunds cannot be issued. I make every attempt to make sure weather conditions are ideal for Milky Way workshops (weather forecasts from several sources, astronomical sky forecasts, live web cams, etc). Conditions can change without warning and in an instant - especially in the mountains. If weather conditions change once we are at the shooting venue, I offer students credit towards future workshops.

7:00-7:15: Meet and Greet (Castle Rock, WA)

7:15-8:15: Travel to workshop venue

8:15-9:00: Sunset photography

9:00-9:30: Workshop orientation

9:30-10:30: Blue hour photography

10:30-12:00: Milky Way photography

If you would like to stay overnight in Castle Rock, here are some choices.

Mt St Helens Motel
1340 Mt St Helens Way NE
Castle Rock, WA 98611
(360) 274-7721

7 West Motel
864 Walsh Ave NE
Castle Rock, WA 98611
(360) 274-7526

The wonder and amazement of the Milky Way. Billions of stars stretching over the entire night sky. Throw in one of the world's great wonders to take your photography to the next level and amaze your friends and family.

Certain equipment is required for this workshop. See "What to Bring".

The date for this workshop was specifically chosen during a time when the Milky Way will be positioned over Mt. St. Helens. This only happens during a three month period from this location.

Due to the remote nature of this workshop, participants should bring water and food.

Photography instruction and assistance will be provided in the field and tailored to individual needs with an emphasis on the many challenges faced when shooting at night.

This workshop requires nearly cloud free skies. In the event that weather conditions aren't favorable, an alternate date will be available.

Physical requirements for this workshop is rated as VERY EASY. We will drive to the photography venue and we will be shooting only a few yards from our vehicles. It will be very dark so please be extra careful when walking to and from your vehicle.

In order to provide each student tailored and individual attention, the workshop will be limited to 6 participants. A waiting list will be available.

Click here for sample images from the area

The Pacific Northwest is blessed with many wonders. Mt. St. Helens is certainly one of them. In fact it is one of the wonders of the world and it's right in our back yard. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980 left a huge scar on the landscape that is still very visible today.

I am a passionate photographer with an extensive knowledge of landscape photography. I have been leading Milky Way workshops for the past 5 years. I have lived in the Northwest my entire life. My passion for photography goes back to the early 1980's. I am the Coordinator for the Portland/Vancouver Photography Meetup Group and has led several outings and workshops throughout the Northwest. I am also an instructor in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

I recently published my book (Photographing the Milky Way). It is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. Click here for more information.