2-night buy-in
$700
Choose 2 specific nights at registration from the 8-night workshop window.
8-Night FlexStarts at: $700
August 9–16, 2026 · Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast Vertical Milky Way
Buy in for 2 nights, choose your expected nights at registration, and add nights on-site if weather and space allow.
Why this workshop exists
A Milky Way adventure that has landscape photography every day.
This Oregon Coast workshop is not just us sitting around all day waiting for it to get dark. That would be a waste out here. The coastline is ridiculous from sunrise to sunset: sea stacks, beaches, cliffs, tide pools, reflections, fog, waves, and that constantly changing coastal light that makes you keep grabbing your camera even when you thought you were done.
The real magic is that we get all of that landscape photography energy during the day, then we chase the Milky Way at night when the coast gives us clear skies. As a group, we will do some sunrises, most sunsets, and the Milky Way nights. I am not trying to run everyone ragged from sunrise until the stars come out every single day.
You will usually have 3–6 hours each day to drive to the next destination, explore on your own, rest, scout, or photograph whatever catches your attention along the coast. We do not tour all day as a workshop group because people need the chance to get to their next hotel and recover. Despite the go-go-go culture that can happen on photography trips, working with your camera in the dark is demanding. I find that everyone does their best photography when they are rested enough to think clearly and ready when the night sky is finally awesome.
America's 250th Celebration Sale
Oregon Coast Vertical Milky Way
Get 2 Nights for $500
Lock in this workshop now, then Aaron will help you choose the best shooting nights after purchase.
Reserve This Workshop for $500
8 students max per night. Reserve before the sale ends.
Reserve this page's workshop
Oregon Coast · August 9–16, 2026
Availability
Now booking
16 total spots available. 8 students max per night.
8 students max per night
Quick facts
Choose your nights
8-Night Flex Calendar
Workshop nights Not selectable
Highlighted dates are the available shooting nights for August 9–16, 2026. Non-workshop dates are muted so the whole two-row week view stays easy to scan.
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Pricing and flexibility
How the 8-Night Flex Works
- ✦Aaron is on location for 8 straight nights.
- ✦A $700 buy-in gets you 2 shooting nights, chosen at registration from the 8-night window.
- ✦A $1,000 upfront payment gets 4 total nights, also chosen at registration. The discount rewards committing early to more nights, not holding unlimited flexibility.
- ✦The most flexible part is adding extra nights on-site for $250/night when weather, space, and your schedule make sense.
- ✦Each night caps at 8 students, with up to 16 total workshop spots sold.
- ✦Weather-forced changes can be managed during the week, but nightly group size still matters.
Pricing options
4-night upfront option
$1,000
Choose 4 specific nights at registration. The discount is for committing to more nights early.
Add nights on-site
$250/night
Available during the workshop if weather, space, and your schedule make sense.
Availability
Now booking
16 total spots available. 8 students max per night.
8 students max per night
America's 250th Celebration Sale
Oregon Coast Vertical Milky Way
Get 2 Nights for $500
Lock in this workshop now, then Aaron will help you choose the best shooting nights after purchase.
Reserve This Workshop for $500
8 students max per night. Reserve before the sale ends.
Reserve this page's workshop
Oregon Coast · August 9–16, 2026
Weather-aware route
Example Oregon Coast Itinerary
This is the ideal version of the route when the weather cooperates. Oregon Coast plans are always adjusted day by day based on clouds, marine layer, tides, driving conditions, and wherever the best sky gives us the best chance. But if the coast gives us a clean run, this is the kind of adventure we are chasing.
Night 1
Secret Beach near Brookings
- ✦Start near Brookings with a short drive from town and a short downhill hike that can have slippery spots.
- ✦If conditions look good, we explore sunset compositions first, then regroup for Milky Way once it gets dark.
- ✦Secret Beach is one of Aaron’s favorite beaches in the world and offers a strong mix of landscape photography and Milky Way potential.
Night 2
Bandon / Face Rock / Guardians of the Wizard
- ✦Bandon gives us both sunset and Milky Way opportunities when the tide and sky cooperate.
- ✦Face Rock and the “Guardians of the Wizard” sea stacks are classic Oregon Coast compositions.
- ✦Depending on tide, waterproof socks or footwear that can get wet may help; shallow-water compositions can be excellent, but safer and drier options exist too.
Night 3
Thor’s Well by day + Cape Kiwanda at night
- ✦This is the longest driving and adventure day, with an optional daytime stop around Thor’s Well if timing and group energy allow.
- ✦From there, we continue north toward Pacific City and Cape Kiwanda, where sand, uneven terrain, and a little more effort may be part of the night.
- ✦If conditions are unsafe or weather is poor, we adjust to a safer viewpoint or beach-level option. The drive is long, but the Oregon Coast views make it worth it.
Night 4
Cannon Beach / Haystack Rock
- ✦Cannon Beach has easier beach access, and sunset plus Milky Way can happen from the same general area.
- ✦Bring Milky Way gear with you when walking down to the beach so we can stay ready if the sky opens.
- ✦Because nearby hills block less light here, Cannon Beach can also be excellent for sunrise. If conditions line up, we may finish with a final sunrise and breakfast together before everyone heads home.
Perfect-weather example, not a promise: locations and order can change based on clouds, marine layer, tides, road conditions, and safety. Aaron adapts the route day by day so the group chases the strongest sky without overcrowding any one night.
Typical workshop rhythm
What to Expect Typically Each Day
Every Oregon Coast workshop has a rhythm, but the exact route changes with weather. The goal is to keep you rested enough to think clearly at night while still giving you a ton of freedom to enjoy the coast during the day.
First night
- ✦We typically meet as a group for dinner on the first night. That gives us a chance to get to know each other, talk through expectations, discuss what everyone hopes to learn, and walk through what I am hoping to teach.
- ✦After dinner, we roll into our first sunset shoot, then transition into the Milky Way plan for the night once the sky is ready.
Morning rhythm
- ✦After the Milky Way, we sleep as much as possible. Depending on the location, we may or may not do sunrise together.
- ✦On the Oregon Coast, we usually meet for breakfast most mornings because weather and route decisions matter so much. Breakfast is where we look at the forecast, confirm whether the next location is changing, and talk through the next night’s plan.
Midday is yours
- ✦After breakfast, the rest of the day is usually yours until dinner. Use that time to drive to the next location, check into your hotel, rest, or stop along the coast to photograph whatever catches your eye.
- ✦You will often have roughly 3–6 hours to explore, rest, drive, scout, or photograph on your own. We do not try to force a full daytime tour as a workshop group because people need the freedom to recover.
Dinner, sunset, rest, Milky Way
- ✦Most evenings, we meet back up for dinner, then go shoot sunset. When there is a gap between sunset and the Milky Way, we usually do not just sit around getting tired.
- ✦In places like Bandon and Cannon Beach, we often go back to our hotels, rest, and meet back up later for Milky Way. That rhythm helps everyone stay sharp when it matters most.
Sunrises
- ✦Expect breakfast most mornings and sunrise some mornings. Bandon and Cannon Beach are the most common sunrise locations, while Secret Beach and Pacific City usually are not sunrise mornings for us.
- ✦Cannon Beach is often the final morning, so we usually shoot sunrise, go to breakfast together, and say goodbye from there. If the route ends in Brookings or Secret Beach instead, we may say goodbye at the end of the night rather than meeting again for breakfast.
Pacific City / Cape Kiwanda note
- ✦Pacific City and Cape Kiwanda often have a different rhythm. Depending on the season and timing, we may photograph there first and eat afterward instead of following the normal dinner-then-sunset pattern.
- ✦The plan adapts to light, tides, weather, and Milky Way timing.
What you’ll photograph
- ✦Sea stacks
- ✦Beach foregrounds
- ✦Sunset light
- ✦Vertical Milky Way compositions
Designed around late-summer vertical Milky Way timing when coastal conditions cooperate.
Practical expectations
Terrain, lodging, and transportation
Expect beach walking, uneven sand, tide-aware movement, and late nights.
Lodging is not included. Participants book their own hotel or rental near the working area.
Self-driving workshop unless otherwise arranged. Carpooling may be coordinated informally.
After the workshop
After the workshop, you’ll also get a 1-hour Zoom processing help session. I’ll send out scheduling options after the trip, and there is no expiration date. You can use it right away or wait until you are ready to work through your images.
Before you arrive
Review the Workshop Prep Guide
Use the prep guide for camera skills, lenses, clothing, footwear, and field expectations before any workshop.
Open the Prep GuideWorkshop scenes
Oregon Coast workshop gallery
America's 250th Celebration Sale
Oregon Coast Vertical Milky Way
Get 2 Nights for $500
Lock in this workshop now, then Aaron will help you choose the best shooting nights after purchase.
Reserve This Workshop for $500
8 students max per night. Reserve before the sale ends.
Reserve this page's workshop
Oregon Coast · August 9–16, 2026
Ready to talk details?
Ask Aaron whether this workshop fits your goals.
Now booking
16 total spots available. 8 students max per night.