16 – 19 April 2021

$1290 (double occupancy)

$1490 (single occupancy)

Interested in astrophotography but you are hesitant to try? Milky Way shots and those mind-boggling deep sky photos in your bucket list but you don’t know where to start or what gear to use? Embark on an astrophotography-focused adventure with our highly-esteemed Global Elite Photographers and be captivated by the splendor of the night skies at Joshua Tree National Park!

We have teamed up with our world-class partners at Viking International Photo Tours and Global Elite Photographers to bring you a workshop like no other. Join Matt Dieterich, the PlaneWave Telescope Expert and former astronomy range of Mount Reinier National Park & Dr. Kah-Wai Lin, the director of Global Elite Photographers for this unique astronomy adventures to Joshua Tree!

For registration and sign-up, please e-mail me at:

kahwailin (AT) outlook (DOT) com

Our base for this photography tour will be a place called Disko Bay, which rests on Greenland’s west coast. There we’ll be well north of the Arctic Circle – something that will quickly become clear as we get to know some of the local wildlife. Luckily for us, the Disko Bay area is known for regular visits of humpback whales and seals, so we’ll always have one eye on the water! Out on the Icefjord, the water is calm and there are next to no waves, so spotting wildlife and capturing incredible reflections should be well within our grasp.

Disko Bay is a bay on the western coast of Greenland, where for the duration of the trip we will spend our nights at a 4-star hotel. This guarantees that the group will be well rested, properly fed, and within walking distance of plenty of Greenlandic culture. Ilulissat is known for its colourful houses, dog sledges, museums, fish markets, and hospitable locals. In short, there’s plenty to do while you’re waiting for your camera batteries to recharge!

The villages of Greenland aren’t really connected by highways or motorways. Here the sea is king, and the natural waterways offer the best routes to take. Because of this, we will charter a private boat for the entirety of our adventure. On our journey we will visit several Greenlandic settlements, including Qasigiannguit, Aasiaat, and Oqaatsut.

Much of our travelling and photography around Ilulissat’s Icefjord will be carried out at night, when the midnight sun offers the best light to work with and the conditions are unlike anything you will have experienced. More often than not we will begin our sessions late in the evening and continue through the night, chasing the best light and the most spectacular scenes. With the sun low on the horizon the light will become more saturated, with deep icy blues and a sky tinged with fiery reds. This magical light lasts between 2 to 4 hours, so we will try and make the most of it by cruising each evening..

This tour is suitable for all levels of experience and ability. We’ve got a savvy captain who’s used to working with photographers, knows the area well, and has an uncanny knack of sussing out great spots from behind the wheel. However, please note that the itinerary proposed is subject to the weather conditions. One thing we can promise is that we’ll take you to the best locations and help you walk away with a catalogue of inspiring photographs you’ll be proud of.

So what are you waiting for? Six days and five glorious nights in Greenland await…

Highlights

Camera and astronomy gear set-up
Learn how to capture sharp stars, proper exposure times and image balance
Creative compositions with the Milky Way
Star trails astrophotography
Use of external lighting to enhance your landscape astrophotography
Deep sky imaging using telephoto lens/small telescope and portable equatorial mount/tracker
Demo of advance deep sky astrophotography
Post-processing with Photoshop and PixInsight
1:4 guide to client ratio

Itinerary

We will start our day with optional sunrise photography in the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park.

After the breakfast in the hotel, we will having the class that cover the following subjects in astrophotography:

Introduction to astrophotography
Landscape and wide field astrophotography
Star trail astrophotography
How to use small equatorial mount, like Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, for wide field and deep sky astrophotography
Post-processing with Photoshop and PixInsight

In the evening, after the early dinner, we will be heading out to the field and setup the equipment for the astrophotography. If the weather permits, we will be staying all night for photographing various objects using techniques we learnt in the classes. We will be introducing and showing more advanced gears like using telescope and full size equatorial mount for those who are interested to explore the hobby further.

By the end of workshop, you will be able to master the basic of astrophotography and able to capture the beautiful night sky.

Keep in mind that you don’t need fancy and expensive equipment to start astrophotography! All you need is your camera, wide angle lens, telephoto lens, and a very low cost, portable equatorial mount like Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer. With these minimal setup, you may capture some of the most amazing astrophoto that you can ever imagine!

Safety & Medical

Joshua Tree conditions can be rugged and harsh. You will be expected to follow instructions to ensure you are kept safe and out of harm’s way.

You must also advise us in advance and in writing of any illness, injury or pre-existing medical conditions that might reasonably be expected to affect your attendance and participation during the workshop.

Itinerary

The itinerary for our workshop is subject to change at the discretion of our Photo Guides depending on the weather, which can be unpredictable. We will check the weather forecasts and road conditions and plan our day to optimize shooting conditions. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to visit all the locations on the itinerary.