Moab Utah Milky Way Workshop

Six Nights all-inclusive photography adventure • Launching from Salt Lake • A Turnkey, 12-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 landscape, nightscape and astrophotography adventure across the canyon and arch capital of the world, the Moab, Utah area. Under vast, Bortle 1 and 2 dark skies, we’ll chase epic Sunset, Twilight and Milky Way through sculpted canyons, arches, hoodoos, and ancient mesas... foregrounds built by geology to pair perfectly with the galactic core.

Why Moab Utah?

The Moab area is a night-photography playground. Utah is special, nowhere else gives you this mix of towering rock cathedrals, balanced boulders,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 Salt Lake City)

We begin and end in Salt Lake City for easy flights and travel. From the moment we depart SLC 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 vehicle, 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, not some hotel with a bunch of other people... a place where everyone has their own room, private bathroom, and all the amenites of a 5 star resort without the crowds and we can relax and spend 5 days surrounded by like minded people, plus the night before the workshop kicks off, we'll stay in Salt Lake, at a pre-workshop hotel, basically there's no worries about meeting up the first day and people don't stress about flights. 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 moderate elevation chnages, a few hundred feet at most, with a camera equipment, you’re set.

Who This Workshop Is For

This is designed for semi-experienced beginners or intermediate photographers, folks who’ve at least shot the Milky Way or have attended one of my workshops, or read my book, watched 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 and landscape foundation for someone without any experience! But, if you're ready to take the leap, we can always accomodate complete beginners on this workshop, we'll just have some homework for you to do in the months leading up to our experience during our pre-workshop zoom meetings. 

Workshop Highlights

• Master Night and Twilight/Sunset 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.
• Get the system, We'll teach you the way you can shave off years of pain and suffering with Night Photography in just a few days of insturction and weeks of pre and post production before and after the workship. 

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 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 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 Moab, Utah as well as Hotel in Salt Lake City for the beginning of the workshop
• Round-trip ground transportation between SLC and all shooting locations, including drop off at the Salt LakeAirport, Rental Car Facility or an airport 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 or just want to come along for teh adventure. We strongly suggest that spouses and couples consider renting a car just to allow your spouse flexiblity, but this is not required, just a suggestion. 
• Daytime outing: on certina days of the trip, we will offer optional outings.

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

May 30th - Pre-Workshop Day

Meet in Slat Lake City by 4 pm at the Host Hotel, which will be provided by Milky Way Workshops. 

Opening Adevnture in Salt Lake, transportation provided from the Hotel. 

May 31st - Day 1

Breakfast at Hotel 

Depart at 11am to travel to Moab, UT 

Arrive at 3pm, Staying at Private Retreat Lodge for 5 nights, no outside guests, our own oasis in the high desert. 

Adventure #1 

June 1th- Day 2

Adventure #2 

June 2nd - Day 3

Adventure #3

June 3rd - Day 4

Adventure #4 

June 4th - Day 5

Adventure #5 

June 5th  - Post Workshop Day 

We leave by 10am, and Return to Salt Lake around 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 Salt Lake to the time we return to SLC, 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, Moab, Utah since they like to drive in. The only suggestion we strongly make is not to go to Moab before the workshop, stay in teh area after if you wanted. There's a reason, and trust me, after doing this for years, it will be better. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

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 large single occupancy room with a large attached bathroom and the ability to add your spouse. Plus, we will be inclduing a prtivte room at a hotel near the salt lake city airport the frist night of the workshop. Some attendees in the past have choosen to meet us at our lodge destination in Moab, but that is up to the attendee, the room will always be available in Salt Lake if needed. At our workshop location in Moab,  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 in most cases!

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 just 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, 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...