Milky Way and Night Photography Workshop's

 

 

Gods ArchGods ArchThis was not the shot I went to shoot tonight, that will come later. This was a fun test shot to see how the full Milky Way Arch would look over the Lady of Sierra Vista Shrine. I will be going back to nail this shot down. I hope you enjoy it.
Shoot Date: March 20, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
28.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 3200
 

Overview

 

We are pleased to share that we have been named the official City of Wilcox Dark Sky Photographer. During our three day workshops, participants will learn to master Milky Way, Star-trail, Deep Sky and Night Photography in some of the most beautiful dark sky sites in the United States.

Our programs cover:

  • Advanced planning to select the best nights to shoot
  • Location and scene selection to create dramatic, stunning and unique photos
  • Camera settings to ensure your shots turn out beautifully
  • How to use a Star Tracker to achieve better Milky Way and Deep Sky shots
  • Post-processing in Lightroom, Photoshop and Stacking software to learn stacking and compositing to achieve stellar results.

We will also be shooting sunrises and sunsets. Each night will bring a new adventure and fantastic photos. 

Expect to capture old west windmills, ranches, barns and ghost towns from under the arch of a brilliant Milky Way. We will photograph iconic Saguaro, Barrel and Prickly Pear Cactus in perspectives only seen at night. We will also explore an ancient pictograph adorned cave and ridges of an otherworldly golden mountain range.  
 

 Traveling Back in LowellTraveling Back in LowellAt the end of time eternal, the path of angels leads to memories of an era now gone and a life more simple. In the small hamlet of Lowell, AZ there is a street that struggles against the modern age. In Lowell, vintage is the present, and the current does not exist.

Like so much of the Southern Arizona High Desert, it is unexpected in the most incredible way. On this night, like a magnet is drawn to its pole, the Milky Way found an earthbound brother, pointing any who would wander its path to this magical place.

The vision of His magnificent creation unfolds for me daily. Be it created through His children or His hand; it is all grand and awe-inspiring. I am blessed to share its witness. I humbly remain His scribe.
Shoot Date: March 6, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Manual 8.0 sec at f/5.6 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 100
__©RGallucci Photography
www.rgallucci.com
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Shoot Date: August 19, 2020
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV | 15mm | f/4.0 | 239.0 sec | ISO 1600

What to expect

Day / Night One:

We look forward to all participants arriving at the hotel by 2:00 pm. After checking in and getting settled we will meet for an introductory dinner and drinks at 4:30 PM at the hotel restaurant. We will discuss the basics of night photography and our shot plan for the evening. At that time we can answer questions about the upcoming weekend, locations, or anything else. 

Our first night will focus on composition, focusing at night and camera settings for single exposure night sky images. 

After dinner, we will proceed to our first shooting location and set up to take sunset and foreground images while we wait for the Milky Way to rise. After everyone has successfully captured the early night Milky Way we will hear to our second location. When that is complete, depending on the time and the desire of the group, we can shoot at a third location. 

Day / Night Two:

After lunch on the second day (we expect you will sleep late) we will process the previous night's images together to learn the basics of Milky Way editing. Later we will meet for dinner and discuss planning a night sky shoot. At the meal, we will discuss image stacking, the NPF and 500 rule, and teach how to use PhotoPills to get the perfect location and shot. 

After dinner, we will head to our second-night location. We will start by capturing foreground images. After the Milky Way rises we will continue to work on focusing at night, camera settings, the 500 and NPF rule to achieve pinpoint stars. 

Day / Night Three:

Sunday late morning we will gather at the hotel conference room for brunch and a class on processing stacked images, creating composites, and more advanced Milky Way edits. Lunch and dinner on your own. After dinner, we will head to the third-night shooting location and learn how to use a star-tracker. You can use your own or we can share ours. We will shoot both the Milky Way and a Deep Sky object on Sunday night. 

Day Four:

Monday morning we will have our last meal together in the conference room and practice our editing skills. We will also teach how to process the deep sky image we shot the night before. Before you leave we will present each participant will receive a Night Sky Photography manual (PDF), a Certificate of Completion for the workshop, and a link to the Lightroom Presets and Photoshop Actions. 

Night Four & Day Night Five (for those choosing an extended workshop):

For those that choose the extended workshop, we will provide an intense focus on your choice of areas you would like to shoot. This can include any combination of basic Milky Way shooting, stacking, tracking, or deep-sky photography.



 

About our Workshops

What's Included

What's Not Included
  • A friendly and professional guide
  • Lunch, Dinner and Alcoholic Beverages
  • Hands-on Photography
  • Transportation to and from your location to the workshop
  • Post Processing Clinic
  • Camera, Lens, Post Processing Software
  • Snacks and Bottled Water
  • Transportation to shoot location
  • Use of a Sky-Tracker

Required Equipment
  • Light Dinner First Night
  • DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
  • The experience of a lifetime
  • Sturdy Tripod
  • Lodging (3 Nights w/Breakfast)
  • Intervalometer
  • Post Processing guide, presets and actions
  • Optional: Star Tracker

 

 

 Bisbee NightBisbee NightBisbee, a small town at the edge of the border, is the eclectic melting pot of Cochise County. A once thriving mining town, it renewed itself as an artists community when the ore petered out. In a place where once the avarice of man hunted for material wealth people now search for the inspiration to create beauty. Bisbee is a place where one can spend a joyous and relaxing day wandering the winding streets, stopping on occasion to look inside the historic buildings no turned into galleries and cafes. Or, you can create an ad-hoc scavnger hunt to see who can find the most of the uniquely iconic Bisbee Art Cars.

I like Bisbee during the day. I love Bisbee during the late night. It is then, when most of the town has turned in, and the lights are low, that Bisbee appears as a shimmering crystal nestled amidst the Mule Mountains. The night is the perfect time to drive up to one of the many overlooks surrounding the city to gaze at the endless nighttime sky. The town takes on a different essence when viewed under the path of angels. It becomes younger and more vibrant when seen against the ancient clock of stars.

Bisbee, a town both old and new is much like my soul. They have both enjoyed a storied past that led to a renewing rejuvenation. It is a humble honor to be gifted with the blessing to share a view of this Southern Arizona High Desert town.

I remain His scribe.

Image inquiries gratefully appreciated.

Bisbee Night
©RGallucci Photography
Shoot Date: March 6, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
7.8 sec at f/2.8 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 6400
Orion NebulaOrion NebulaOrion Nebula
© 2019 RGallucci Photography

When, if ever, I tire of seeing the sky at night, I will know it is time for me to accompany the angels of illumination that have given me such happiness on this journey through the cosmos. Then I too shall become a one, of many, returning to the next starry wanderer all the beauty I have been blessed to see.

I had planned to shoot star-trails last night. Those plans were dashed by the combination of a late Sunday supper of homemade pasta, authentic bolognese sauce, and freshly baked bread, plus a need to finish the lesson plan for tonight's Lightroom and Photoshop Editing class, prevented me from joining my friends. Instead, I decided to practice shooting deep space objects. The Orion Nebula was my first subject.

The Orion Nebula is one of the most visible in the night sky. If fact, if you have a pair of decent binoculars, you will be able to see it. Just look down and to the right of the three stars in a row that make up Orion's belt.

To witness the cosmos is to see the breath of God. I remain His scribe.

Orion Nebula
©RGallucci Photography
www.rgallucci.com
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Made from 60 light frames by Starry Sky Stacker 1.3.1. Algorithm: Mean


Shoot Date: January 26, 2020
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
60.0 sec at f/8.0 Bias:0 EV
ISO: ISO 2000
Lens:EF300mm f/4L IS USM @ 300 mm

Choose your Dates

 

Dates Workshop

Lodging
March 12 - March 14 Southern Arizona High Desert Milky Way Adventure I Tombstone
April 9 - April 11 Southern Arizona High Desert Milky Way Adventure II Tombstone
May 7 - May 9 Wild Wilcox Night Sky Adventure I Wilcox
June 11 - June 13 Southern Arizona High Desert Milky Way Adventure III Tombstone
July 9 - July 11 Southern Arizona High Desert Milky Way Adventure IV Tombstone
August 6 - August 8 Wild Wilcox Night Sky Adventure II Wilcox
     
  • Both Tombstone and Wilcox are centrally located to our shooting destinations in the Chiricahua, Dragoon, Huachuca mountain ranges, ghost towns, ranches, Suarogo cactus fields, and Bisbee.

 

 
   
   

 

© RGallucci Photography
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