Southern Utah Milky Way Workshop

Six Nights all-inclusive photography adventure • Launching from Las Vegas • A Turnkey, 10-person small-group experience. 

Join Erik Kuna, award-winning landscape photographer, aerospace photojournalist, night-photography expert, and author of The Night Photography Book (Rocky Nook), for an immersive astrophotography adventure across the red-rock country of Southern Utah. Under vast, Bortle 1 and 2 dark skies, we’ll chase the Milky Way through sculpted sandstone, arches, hoodoos, and ancient mesas... foregrounds built by geology to pair perfectly with the galactic core.

Why Southern Utah?

Southern Utah is a landscape and night-photography playground. Nowhere else gives you this mix of towering rock cathedrals, balanced boulders, slot-canyon rims, and wide-open desert bowls, each an ideal “anchor” for your Milky Way compositions. These formations aren’t just pretty, they’re purpose-built foregrounds that make your images feel epic and intentional, connecting the extraterrestrial with the terrestrial in a single frame.

And the skies… high-desert air, reliable clarity, and miles from major light domes. When the core rises over those sandstone silhouettes, you’ll understand why I come back here again and again. It’s simply one of the best places in America to create portfolio-grade astro-landscapes.

A Turnkey Experience (Launching from Las Vegas)

We begin and end in Las Vegas for easy flights and travel. From the moment we depart Vegas until we roll back in, all ground transportation is covered—no car rentals, no convoy headaches, no waiting for lost people. Now, that doesn't mean you can't take your own vechile, many attendees do, but we want to make it an experience where you don't have to worry about getting yourself to the locations. We travel together as a group to our private dark-sky retreat, where everyone has their own room, private bathroom, and all the amenites of a 5 star resort without the crowds with a feel of a relaxed private retreat, plus the night before the workshop kicks off, we'll stay in Las Vegas, at our pre-workshop hotel, so there's no worries about meeting up the first day. Plus, we'll have a kick-off experience the pre-workshop night. You focus on making images; my team and I handle the logistics.

Expect sensible hiking at a relaxed pace, think a few football fields on uneven desert terrain (sand, rock, gentle inclines). No technical scrambles. If you can comfortably walk 100–1000 yards with a camera equipment, you’re set.

Who This Workshop Is For

This is designed for semi-experienced beginners or intermediate landscape annight photographers, folks who’ve at least shot the Milky Way before or have attended one of my workshops, read my book or watch my classes and want to level up (more refined compositions, cleaner files, smarter blends/stacking, and selective tracking).
New to the Milky Way? You’re welcome to start with my Milky Way Master Class Retreat in the Badlands of South Dakota, which is built specifically to establish your night-shooting foundation.

Workshop Highlights

• Master Night Photography: From sunset through blue hour to deep night—single exposures, clean high-ISO work, multi-exposure blends, stacking, selective tracking, and tasteful light painting.
• Hands-On Field Work Nightly: Real-time guidance on framing, focus, exposure discipline, and foreground selection.
• Daily Editing & Critique: Afternoon post-processing sessions, image reviews, and practical “do this, not that” retouching to keep your files natural and powerful.
• Astro Planning Made Simple: Weather/clear-sky reads, PhotoPills alignment, timing, backup plans, and safety.
• Comfort & Camaraderie: Small group, shared dinners, and a private retreat under the stars—quiet mornings, learning afternoons, star-filled nights.

The Flow

• Afternoons (after lunch) :Image reviews, critiques, and a focused daily lesson.
• Evenings: Group dinner, then head out to shoot from sundown to late night, at least midnight or later each night, weather permitting.
• Late-Night Option: Our retreat offers shooting right from the location for those who want to chase the core a little longer. Plus, we'll dive into some deep space astrophotography with equipment we will provide. 
• Mornings: Rest, recover, download—no crack-of-dawn alarms. Later breakfast, so you can sleep in. The schedule is action-packed without being overwhelming.

Special Southern Utah Add-Ons

• National Park Nights: We’ll time select locations inside the region’s marquee parks for when the light and skies line up.
• 4×4 Access: Guided off-road segments to reach dramatic, less-traveled compositions (no rough driving for you, we’ve got it handled).
• Unique Spots: We'll also add in bonuses classic light-painting, an unforgettable way to tie together your new night photography skills. Plus, we'll have optional outings during the day to places like Slot Canyons for those who want to adventure more. 

What You’ll Learn

• Techniques for sharp, clean Milky Way and night-sky images
• Exposure discipline, focusing at night, and field craft that actually sticks
• Multi-exposure blending, stacking, and selective tracking for detail and noise control
• Light-painting methods that look elegant—not flashy
• Post-processing to preserve a natural sky while maximizing impact
• Practical planning: weather, locations, timing, and contingencies

Accessibility & Pace

We keep hikes short and purposeful. Surfaces can be sandy or rocky with minor elevation changes. If you can walk 100–1000 yards on uneven ground while carrying your kit, you’ll be comfortable. We travel together, stay together, and look out for each other—safety, comfort, and community first.

Pre/Post Support

You’ll get three live Zoom sessions before the workshop (gear prep, settings, planning) and one after (final image reviews & next steps). I’ll also review your images by request to help you polish the portfolio pieces you’re proudest of. Plus, this year, every attendee will get access to Erik's new Night Photography Mastermind group for a year, a $1995 value just by itself. 

Registration Includes

• 6 nights of private rooms with King beds at our Dark-Sky Retreat in Southern Utah as well as Hotel in Vegas for the beginning of the workshop
• Round-trip ground transportation between Las Vegas and all shooting locations, including drop off at the Las Vegas Airport, Rental Car Facility or  a Vegas airport area hotel. 
  
• Small-group breakfast and dinner experiences with Erik and his crew each day
• Snacks, drinks and amenities. 
• All permits, fees, models, and specialized equipment
• Special location access & releases
• Daily critiques & image reviews
• Daily post-processing training sessions
• Milky Way Masterclass segments woven through the week
• Pre- and post-workshop Zoom sessions
• Access to Erik’s Night Photography mastermind group after the workshop

Upgrade

• Spouse/Companion Upgrade: Reduced rate includes transportation, meals, fees, and evening outings—excludes teaching fees and training. Perfect for partners who want the adventure and community.
• Daytime outing: on two days of the trip, we will offer optional outings to places such as the Slot Canyons or Caves in Southern Utah/Northern Arizona. 

Reserve Your Spot

Space is limited to keep the experience intimate and hands-on. If you’re ready to create portfolio-ready Milky Way images in one of the most inspiring landscapes on Earth... join us. This year’s Southern Utah edition is poised to be our most unforgettable Milky Way Workshop yet.

Schedule

August 26th - Pre-Workshop Day

Meet in Las Vegas by 4 pm at the Host Hotel near the airport with a Free Hotel Shuttle, which will be provided by Milky Way Workshops. 

Opening NIght Special Experience at 6pm, transportation provided from the Hotel. 

August 27th - Day 1

Breakfast at Hotel 

Depart at 11am to travel to Southern Utah near Kanab, UT and Page, Arizona

Staying at Private Retreat Lodge for 5 nights

Adventure #1 

August 28th- Day 2

Adventure #2 

August 29th - Day 3

Adventure #3

August 30th- Day 4

Adventure #4 

August 31st - Day 5

Adventure #5 

September 1st  - Post Workshop Day 

Leave Retret at 10am abd Return to Las Vegas by 2 p.m., stopping at the Airport, Rental Car Facility, or a Las Vegas Airport hotel of your choice. (We will schedule in advance after signup) 

***From the time you check into the hotel in Vegas to the time we return to Vegas, we will take care of all the experiences so you can focus on Photography. *** However, you have the flexiblity to modify the beginning and end. ~20-25% of attendees meet us directly at our destination in Kanab, Utah since they like to drive in. The only suggestion we strongly make is not to go to Kanab before the workshop, stay in the area after if you wanted. There's a reason, and trust me, after doing this for years, it will be better.

Q. What is Included in The Workshop?

A. The full workshop fee includes everything you need besides getting to and from the starting location of the workshop. All accommodations, daily transfers to/from shooting locations, any entry tickets or fees for access, breakfast each morning, and dinner each night, as well as snacks, water, and soft drinks, and the most important part, all the training and instruction before, during, and after the workshop, including Zoom sessions and access to Erik’s support community.

Q. What is The Activity Level?

A. We chose our locations because of shooting opportunities nearby, but we’ll also take transport for some of our shoots. We’re out shooting every night (starting at sunset and wrapping up around midnight), so workshop participants should be in decent health, wear comfortable shoes and clothing, be ready for some short hikes, most less than a few hundred yards, and, of course, lots of standing while we’re shooting. (or, like me, bring a collapsible stool!). With all that said, we've had an 86-year-old participant in good health have a blast at one of these Milky Way workshops. You know your limits best, but we plan these events so anyone in decent health should be OK with participating in every activity.

Q. What Is The Room Situation?

A. Your fee includes a single occupancy room and the ability to add your spouse. We'll also have a hotel room for every attendee the first night in Las Vegas. At our workshop locations you will be lodging with our group in a private retreat, not in a hotel so it's a very relaxed environment. You can even shoot the Milky Way right off the porch!

Q. What Level of Experience is Required?

A. All experience levels are welcome, but participants should be familiar with their camera gear and have some experience in either Lightroom or Photoshop or an equivalent product. (but I'll probably sell you on Lightroom and Photoshop by the end of the week) Avoid the urge to rush out and buy a new camera for the workshop because you’ll spend a lot of time learning to do what you already know how to do with your current camera. We'll discuss gear on our first Zoom meeting, and I'm always a proponent of renting gear for a workshop if we discover you might not have the ideal gear for a night photography workshop. Bottom line, don't worry, we're here to help!

Q. Are there other expenses I will need to cover?

A. Every day , lunch is on your own, but I doubt you'll need it. Seriously, the breakfast and dinners are so filling that you'll be too full for lunch, and we'll have great snacks to tie you over between meals, we juts won’t take time for an official lunch outing since I’ve found it eats into people’s nap time.. Outside of getting to the workshop meeting point, we don’t have any additional major costs. We handle all costs if there are fees or tickets for entrances, permits, or other location fees. Also, we cover local transportation to our shoots (A luxury suv, van or minivan and sometimes 4X4 jeeps), but if you do want to rent a car or meet us at the location, just let us know beforehand so we can coordinate with you.

Q. Can I Bring My Spouse?

A. Your spouse can join you if you add the spouse rate. The Spouse fee does not include the training session, zoom session, post-training, one-on-one instruction, and teaching. We have to limit that to the photography participants for logistical reasons.

We can't have spouses in the classroom because it messes with the group's chemistry. We've tried it, and it changes the group dynamic if they're not participating in the full workshop.

Q. What Is The Refund Policy?

A. If you have to cancel the workshop, and we can fill your spot 30 days before the workshop, the entire workshop fee is refundable, minus the non-refundable processing fees we are charged by our Merchant Services company, usually around 3%. If we cannot fill your spot, your workshop fee is non-refundable. No refunds will be available if you cancel within 30 days of the workshop.

Q. Do you offer payment plans?

A. No, we do not. We’ve found this is a layer of complexity that causes problems over the years. If you cannot afford the workshop fee, we offer other budget minded training opportunities with books, online training classes, seminars, one-on-one consultations, and online support that might fit better.

Q. What if I want a custom workshop or experience?

A. We do offer one-on-one and custom small group workshop experiences; contact us for more details.

Q. What If I Have Questions That Aren’t Answered Here?

Just contact us on the form below...