Trip Overview
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Experience the beautiful landscapes and night skies of Mt. Rainier National Park with myself as your guide, a former Mt. Rainier Astronomy Ranger and photographer of the Mt. Rainier National Park Service Forever Stamp!
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Capture breathtaking images of the Milky Way and alpine meadows around Mt. Rainier!
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Advance your photography skills in an exciting group class!
Information
What is included?
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Myself as your professional photography guide.
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Post-processing training in Photoshop and Lightroom.
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Lesson on navigating the night sky.
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Small group size of 8 students.
What should I bring?
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DSLR/mirrorless SLR digital camera.
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Wide angle lens such as 14-24mm. Also worth bringing are a 24-70mm and 70-200mm.
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Sturdy tripod and ball head.
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Multiple charged batteries, battery charger, and empty memory cards.
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Shutter release cable (intervalometer).
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Headlamp with a red light setting.
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Laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom installed.
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Warm clothing, thermals, and rain gear.
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* I recommend ordering a L-bracket for your camera body if you do not already have this accessory. L-brackets allow quickly swapping between landscape and portrait orientation while keeping portrait shots to remain centered over the tripod.
COVID-19 Information
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We will practice social distancing in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and we will wear masks to help limit airborne exposure.
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Students should book refundable airfare in the event the workshop has to be postponed due to COVID-19.
What is not included?
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Park entrance fee
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Airfare, lodging, or rental car
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Meals
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Travel insurance
Physical Fitness Requirement:
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Ability to hike up to 1 mile will be helpful for this workshop. Most photography locations are near the parking lots where we will be driving to and require only a few minutes hike.
Pricing:
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This workshop costs $1,495 with a $795 deposit required to reserve a spot. The remaining balance is due 3 months prior the workshop. 3 % card processing fee is added at checkout.
Permits and Certifications:
- I have submitted my application with the National Park Service for the required permit to conduct a workshop at this park. The workshop is pending acceptance of the permit with the NPS.
- In the event of an emergency, I am certified in CPR and First Aid.
- I am trained in the practice of Leave-no-Trace hiking and camping to protect the natural resources.
- Lastly, I served as an Astronomy Ranger at Mount Rainier National Park where we received Interpretive Ranger Training on how to best facilitate visitor experience and learning!
Itinerary
Day 1:
We will start our adventure by meeting as a group at the Paradise Inn next to the Jackson Visitor Center in Mt. Rainier National Park. Introductions will be made for students. After dinner, we will hike around the Paradise area capturing the beautiful dark night skies. Paradise offers a lot of great compositions, especially of the Tatoosh Range where fog can fill the valley at night.
Day 2:
Today we will meet at Whittaker's Bunkhouse in Ashford to review our images and cover post-processing techniques. Tonight we will shoot at Reflection Lakes to photograph the night sky. This is a perfect location for capturing star trails, or panoramas of the lake with Mount Rainier.