Workshop Prep Guide
Arrive ready for dark skies, changing weather, and better field decisions.
You do not need to be an expert before a workshop. You should know your basic camera operation well enough that Aaron can help you refine settings, composition, focus, panoramas, and field workflow instead of hunting through menus all night.
Quick Essentials Checklist
Camera with manual mode
Wide / fast lens
Sturdy tripod
Camera bag
Extra batteries
Memory cards
Reliable headlamp, white light is fine and often safer
Warm layers
Water and snacks
Laptop or software for reviewing images
Camera Skills to Know Before You Arrive
You do not need to be fast or perfect, but practice these basics before the trip:
- ✦manual mode
- ✦shutter speed
- ✦aperture
- ✦ISO
- ✦manual focus
- ✦Live View
- ✦focus magnify
- ✦self timer or remote release
- ✦white balance
- ✦RAW file format
- ✦your camera buttons and menus well enough to work in the dark
Don’t Skip This: Know Your Camera in the Dark
Before the workshop, practice changing your most important camera settings in the dark. Sit in a dark room, stand in your backyard at night, or go somewhere safe after sunset and run through the basics until they feel natural.
You do not need to be an expert, but you should be able to change aperture, ISO, shutter speed, focus mode, manual focus, Live View, and focus magnify without hunting through menus for ten minutes.
Some settings you may only change once during the trip. But focus, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, Live View, and focus magnify come up constantly. You will use Live View and focus magnify while looking through a Carson Lumiloupe or checking a star or planet on the back screen. The more second-nature this feels before you arrive, the more energy you can spend on composition, learning, and enjoying the night.
Practice in the dark:
- ⚠switch from autofocus to manual focus
- ⚠change aperture
- ⚠change ISO
- ⚠change shutter speed
- ⚠turn on Live View
- ⚠use focus magnify
- ⚠move the focus magnify box if your camera allows it
- ⚠manually focus on a star, planet, or distant light
- ⚠review an image and zoom in to check sharpness
Headlamp and White-Light Safety
Bring a reliable headlamp. I no longer push red-light mode as a requirement. When you are walking, hiking, stepping around rocks, sand, cliffs, water, or uneven terrain, use white light and see where you are going. Safety matters more than preserving night vision.
Once everyone is stopped and shooting, we can be courteous with light direction and brightness. While moving, though, make the safe choice and illuminate the ground clearly.
Lens Guidance
- Wide-angle and fast lenses are best; f/1.4 to f/2.8 is ideal.
- f/3.5 can work if that is what you have.
- Full frame: 35mm or wider. APS-C: 24mm or wider. Micro 4/3: 16mm or wider.
- 50mm and other fast lenses can still be useful for specific compositions and panoramas.
- Renting can be a good option if you want to try a faster astro lens without buying one.
Tripod and Stability
- A sturdy tripod is required; do not bring a flimsy tripod.
- Ball heads are common, while 3-way heads can be precise.
- Avoid bumping the tripod during exposures.
- Tripod stability matters for long nights, low-angle foregrounds, panoramas, and stacking.
Footwear
- Lightweight hiking boots often work well for Utah and desert workshops.
- Expect sand and uneven terrain in many locations.
- Oregon Coast outings may involve surf, wet feet, wet sand, and water socks.
- Death Valley sand dunes can be tiring even when mileage is modest.
- The Faroes may require waterproof hiking footwear.
Clothing and Layering
- • Lightweight layers often work in summer.
- • Wind can still make nights cold.
- • Long nights mean comfort matters.
- • Humidity and wind make it feel colder.
- • Bring wind protection.
- • Expect wet sand, surf, or water-sock conditions in some places.
- • February is cooler than Death Valley summer, but early-morning shooting can still feel cold.
- • Cold drains batteries faster.
- • Students may sleep during the day after early Milky Way mornings.
- • Expect wet, cool, windy, changing conditions.
- • Waterproof outer layers matter.
- • Serious footwear and weather protection are needed.
Think in layers: base layer, insulating layer, wind/rain shell, and a warm outer layer if needed.
Terrain Awareness
Most workshop locations are easy to moderate, but easy does not mean careless. We still work around cliffs, uneven paths, sand, washes, slickrock, water, and darkness. Use your headlamp. Move slowly. Ask for help. No photo is worth a bad step.
Optional Gear and Waiting Comfort
- Focusing aid or loupe
- Remote release or intervalometer
- Filters for landscape work
- PhotoPills or PlanIt
- Sunscreen and bug repellant
- Camp chair, snacks, warm layers, or something quiet to pass time
Workshop Logistics
- Lodging usually is not included unless noted.
- Do not book non-refundable lodging too early when a route depends on weather.
- Students usually drive themselves unless the workshop specifically says otherwise.
- Aaron will share more specific meet-up information closer to the workshop.
- Weather can change the order or location plan.
Learning Environment
- Expect a relaxed atmosphere, field instruction, and no pressure.
- Dark locations can feel disorienting at first.
- Aaron helps at the tripod with settings, focus, composition, and workflow.
- The goal is confidence, not competition.
Physical Requirements
- Most workshops are easy to moderate.
- Terrain can include sand, uneven ground, beaches, short hikes, washes, slickrock, or dunes.
- Each workshop page should describe its own specific requirements.
Weather Philosophy
Clear skies are the goal, but plans adapt. Partial clouds can sometimes help photos, and the route may change to use local conditions. Flexibility is a feature, not a failure.