Sandhills Milkyway workshop - Aug 26-28, 2022

The milky way from one of the most interesting dark places in the world, on a no moon weekend. Standing in the sand, composing photos of the ripples on the dunes with the galactic core of the milky way rising straight up from the horizon, shining just enough light across the dune to add a bit of detail to your foreground, and marvel at what shows over a 30-second photo on the back of your camera. Sit, marvel, be in awe of this place. Listen to the coyotes and the owls, hear tiny critters scurrying about in the cool night.

And then do it all again the next night, but changed, with new expectations, skills, and techniques to add to your photography toolbox.

This registration also includes a Milky Way photography primer night on July 28th, a $300 value, to get you comfortable with the techniques required for the best results photographing the Milky Way. 

Neil will guide you fully on how to make the sharpest and most detailed photos of the milky way, with tack-sharp stars, detailed foregrounds and awe-inspiring compositions. And you'll have a great time with a group of like-minded folks, all helping each other achieve their night photography goals.

We'll leave at 8:30am from Calgary and tour through the Southern middle part of Alberta, off the beaten path, arriving to check into our motel in Burstall, Sask. We'll settle in, have a nice supper, and then get our gear all prepared for out first Great Saskatchewan Sandhills outing. We'll return to the motel in the wee hours, sleep till noon then meet up after lunch (brunch) to review our last night. Once we have tweaked our plan for this next night, we'll then spend the afternoon and early evening exploring this incredible area of Saskatchewan. We head back to the motel in time for a late supper and then head back to the Sandhills to one-up our previous night, once again returning to the motel in the wee hours. We'll sleep in again and be ready for an 11am checkout, with a day of exploring back to Calgary.

Recommended equipment

• DSLR or Mirrorless camera capable of full manual control of ISO, Aperture, and Shutter speed
• A sturdy tripod that is capable of reaching your eye level with extending the center column.
  
• A cabled shutter release
• A wide, fast lens, ie. a 20mm, F1.4 lens. Or 16-35mm, F2.8. A lens with a maximum aperture of 3.5 or 4 is not fast enough for this workshop. Recommendations will be provided once we know what lenses and camera body you use now. Rentals are available through The Camera Store.
  
• Extra memory cards and batteries.
  

Included in your registration:

• Full night photography and Milky Way photography instruction
• Other tour photography opportunities along the way, with photo tips and techniques.
  
• Deluxe return van transportation from Calgary
• Private and shared accommodation options
• Bottled water and snacks throughout the trip.
  

Not Included

• Items of a personal nature
• meals
  
• guide gratuity
• drinks not noted above. 

You are expected to be able to manage the physical demands of this tour, including short hikes at photo stops, at the sandhills, while carrying all your own gear. You'll bring appropriate clothing and footwear for the conditions. A details preparation email will be sent at least 3 weeks prior to the trip. You will be 18 years or older to take part in this trip.

The fee is $1260 for a single accommodation room and $1200 for a shared accommodation room OR save $200 by booking both people in the same room, $2200 for both. In the event the weather makes the sandhills unusable for night skies, we will travel elsewhere to find clear skies. Deposits and Full payments are non-refundable but fully transferable and giftable.