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Full Moon Photography and

PhotoPills Planning Workshop Details

The full moon is one of the most breathtaking sights in the sky, and yet capturing interesting photos of it is a surprisingly difficult challenge. In this fun and exciting landscape photography class you will learn how to overcome the major challenges of shooting the moon so that you can create truly stunning and one-of-a-kind photographs.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

This workshop is comprised of field excursions, classroom sessions, and processing sessions. In the classroom we will learn everything that goes into making beautiful moon photographs, including the required gear, using the PhotoPills App, artistic and technical approaches to shooting the moon, understanding the moon’s motion, planning the shot, problem solving, and best practices. We will work together as a group to plan our shots, then go into the field to bring them to life!

During the class we will have 4 opportunities to photograph the moon in alignment with the wonderful natural features of the area, such as Mono Lake, the Bristlecones, the Minarets, Split Mountain and more. Our shoots will take place around sunrise and sunset, allowing us fantastic opportunities for landscape photography in addition to shooting the moon. 

The classroom and post processing sessions for this class take place in Bishop, California at the Business Resource Center. Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ETeGjq9ZJZwNXQAQ6

SKILL LEVEL

This workshop is aimed at any photographer who wants to become confident creating beautiful photographs of the moon.

Learning Goals:

  • Insight into the 5 main challenges in photographing the full moon, as well as how to overcome them.
  • Understand the PeakFinder App and how to use it to plan moon shots.
  • PhotoPills, PhotoPills, PhotoPills! We will spend lots of time getting deep into this amazing app and how to use it to plan moon photographs.
  • Best practices for getting high quality moon photos with sharp details and low noise.
  • Post-processing techniques to bring out the best in your moon photos.
  • Instruction on photographing landscapes with a telephoto lens.
  • Field instruction and guidance on how to execute your planned moon photos.
  • Know how to quickly adjust your ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and white balance IN THE DARK . Even if you aren’t fully comfortable with understanding these settings, know how to change them, especially at night.
  • Be able to turn on your 2/5/10 sec timer, and change your shooting mode from single shot to timer and back.
  • Know how to set up your intervalometer for interval shooting.
  • Be able to turn exposure bracketing on and off.
  • Be able to quickly zoom to 100% in Live View and Playback.
  • Enable Back Button Focus.
  • Know how to change from autofocus to manual focus and back, be able to move your focus point, and turn off focus peaking.
  • View the Histogram in Live View and Playback.
  • Activate the Level in your Live View.
  • LENR – Know where to find Long Exposure Noise Reduction in your settings and how to turn it on and off.
  • Know how to change the brightness of your screen.
  • Know how to access your Menus, quickly scroll through, change and confirm settings.

Processing Prerequisites:

  • Know the basics of the Develop Module and Masking Panel in Lightroom / Adobe Camera Raw.
  • Understand the basics of layers and masking in Photoshop.
  • Have PhotoPills and PeakFinder apps installed on your phone.

This is a low physicality workshop, with 5-15 minute walks to reach our shooting locations, mostly over level ground.

That being said, there may be some short descents and climbs, the ground is soft and uneven in places, and there may be some rocks to walk over or step up onto. For some shoots we may be at elevations up to 11,000 feet (but with minimal walking).

Physical Requirements:

  • Carry your own equipment to and from the shooting locations.
  • Have good balance and be comfortable on uneven ground.
  • Be able to squat down and get back up unassisted.
  • Be able to walk over uneven terrain at night (with a headlamp).

Camera Equipment to Bring:

  • Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera
  • Lenses. It’s critical that you have telephoto lenses in order to photograph the moon. But bring all the following lenses (or equivalent) to take advantage of the wide variety of scenes you will experience:
    • Long telephoto, such as 100-400mm or 200-500mm (essential)
    • Short telephoto, 70-200mm (essential)
    • Midrange, 24-70mm (optional but useful for creating “String of Pearls” moon sequences with the landscape.
    • Ultra-wide lens, such as a 14-24mm or 16-35mm (optional but useful for traditional landscape photography)
  • A sturdy tripod and solid ball head, gimbal head, or geared head
  • Optional: a second tripod if you bring a second camera body
  • A headlamp
  • Comfortable camera backpack you can hike up to 1/4 mile with
  • Rocket blower and shammy cloth, lens/sensor cleaning fluid, lens wipes, sensor swabs
  • Extra batteries, charger, and memory cards

Computer Equipment to Bring:

  • Laptop with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop installed
  • PhotoPills App on your phone
  • PeakFinder App on your phone

Other Equipment to Bring:

  • Water bottle
  • Camp chair
  • Warm clothes

Weather in the Eastern Sierra is unpredictable. Expect pleasant days and cool mornings and evenings.

Due to variable conditions, I recommend bringing multiple layers of non-cotton clothing, like Merino wool, fleece, or synthetic fibers. Specifically you should bring: 

  • A jacket and pants
  • A windproof rain jacket
  • Lighter layers, like a sun hoodie or long-sleeved sun shirt
  • Shorts for warm days
  • A wide-brim hat and sunglasses
  • Wool or synthetic socks
  • Gloves and a warm hat depending on the temperature
  • Sturdy footwear that you don’t mind getting dirty. Lightweight hiking boots or hiking shoes are recommended for most outings. 
  • A large water bottle and sunscreen
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Trekking poles

Shooting Conditions

Although we hope for clear skies, clouds can appear at any moment. There is a reason the PhotoPills motto is “Plan and Pray.” Or, as I always say: keep your expectations low and your hopes high.

Itinerary*

Day 1

Arrive at our classroom at noon. The classroom and post processing sessions for this class take place in Bishop, California at the Business Resource Center. Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ETeGjq9ZJZwNXQAQ6

  • Early Afternoon: Classroom sessions on moon photography fundamentals, PeakFinder, and PhotoPills planning.
  • Mid afternoon: break.
  • Evening: sunset / moonrise photography excursion.

Day 2

  • Early morning: sunrise / moonset photography excursion.
  • Mid morning: break.
  • Late morning: moon post processing techniques.
  • Midday: break.
  • Early Afternoon: Deep dive into PhotoPills planning.
  • Mid afternoon: break.
  • Evening: sunset / moonrise photography excursion.

Day 3

  • Early morning: sunrise / moonset photography excursion.
  • Mid morning: break for breakfast.
  • Late morning: final review and post processing session.
  • Midday: class ends by noon.

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* times are approximate and will be formalized during the workshop

Getting to the class

This photography workshop meets in Bishop, California, 4.5 hours north of Los Angeles, 4.5 hours west of Las Vegas, or 3.5 hours south of Reno. The classroom location will be sent to you before the workshop.

Transportation during the class

You are responsible for your own transportation during this class, but we will organize carpools for the excursions. I recommend bringing an SUV if you have one as we will be driving on some dirt roads with a few bumps.

Lodging and Meals

Lodging and meals are up to you. Bishop has a wide array of dining and lodging options, from inexpensive to high end. There is lots of camping in the area. Please let us know if you need lodging suggestions.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Payments are fully refundable within 3 days of your registration. Past this, your tuition is only refundable if we fill your space, less any discounts given to the person filling your spot.

If we cancel this class due to unforeseen circumstances, we will refund your tuition or transfer it to another class.

Trip Insurance

We HIGHLY recommend you purchase trip insurance to cover your tuition in the event you need to cancel last minute. No refunds will be given for last minute cancellations unless we can fill your space.

Weather Policy

We make no guarantees regarding clouds, clear skies, rain, sun, or moon visibility. No refunds will be given in the event weather prevents us from photographing the moon.

Acknowledgement of Risks

Please download and sign this form, and bring it with you to the initial meeting. You can also email us a digital signed copy.

Image Use

During this workshop we may take behind the scenes photos and videos of the participants. These photos are used to share among the group, as well as for promotional purposes on our website or other marketing materials. If you would prefer to not have your image appear in these materials, please let us know.

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