Chasing the Stars
Join us on an unforgettable journey under the stars to explore the otherworldly landscapes of Alabama Hills and Trona Pinnacles. By night, we’ll immerse ourselves in an alien-like terrain as towering pinnacles reach for the sky, making you feel as if you’ve landed on Mars. Light Painting expert Susan will guide you in illuminating this stunning scenery while teaching techniques to capture the Milky Way, star trails, and unique light painting creations.
We’ll experiment with drone light painting, low-level lighting, and light writing to push your creative boundaries. Additionally, we’ll venture to Alabama Hills to photograph its iconic rock formations and arches, creating perfect compositions with the stars as a backdrop. If you’re ready to elevate your night photography skills, this is an experience you won’t want to miss!
The Itinerary
Night 1
Meet for an Orientation at the hotel at 4pm followed by dinner. 7pm and head to Trona Pinnacles (30min drive). Trona is a rugged terrain with no cell service but with dark skies. We will train you on how to find your way around in the dark if you get separated from the group. Depending on the conditions we will be shooting a mixture of star trails, milkyway or light painting
Night 2
We will have optional afternoon image review and editing before heading out our last night under the stars in Trona Pinnacles.
Night 3
So we will check out of our hotel at 11am and head to Lone Pine (1.5 hrs), We will caravan to the location stoping at scenic spots and for lunch. When we arrive we can use the meeting space at the hotel to review images and work on editing.
Then head out to shoot sunset into stars in the Alabama Hills. We will be shooting form 7pm- 2am every night but you are welcomed to leave early or stay later. Depending on the conditions we will be shooting a mixture of star trails, milkyway or light painting.
Night 4
We meet for dinner and head to the Alabama Hills for Milkyway, Trails and or Light Painting. We will be refining our skills and shooting different landscape features. Our goal is to give you the skill set so you can feel comfortable setting up your own shot on your own by the end of the course.
Day 4
We will have optional afternoon image review and editing before heading out our last night under the stars in Trona Pinnacles.
Night 4
Tonight we will celebrate all that you have learned under the stars. We will refine our skills and practice with the other worldly pinnacles as foreground features in your night scapes. We will also collaborate to create light painting portraits.
Book your flight
- Los Angeles (LAX) — 3 hours
- Las Vegas (LAS) — 4 hours
Hotels
May 18-20
- Heritage Inn & Suites Ridgecrest
- 1050 N Norman St. Ridgecrest, CA
May 20-22
- Best Western Plus Frontier Motel
- Address: 1008 S Main St, Lone Pine, CA 93545
Transportation
Since we will be traveling to two different locations we recommend you rent your own car. Trona Pinnacles is also a dirt road so we do recommend having 4 wheel drive but its not mandatory. We are happy to help organize if students are arriving at the same time to car share.
Meals
We recommend stopping at the local grocery store outside the airport and picking up some sandwiches and some snacks. We will be eating an early dinner together so we recommend picking up your favorite snacks and drinks for those late night munchies. There are supermarkets in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Here are some grocery store options that are near the airport:
- Smith’s: 8108 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas
- Whole Foods: 6689 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas
- Trader Joes: 8645 Sepulveda Blvd, Westchester, CA 90045
Gear Guide
- Digital Camera Body (DSLR or mirrorless is fine, (smartphones are welcome too)
- Fast wide angle (12-24, 16-35 etc with an aperture of f/2.8 or smaller f number) - great for wide sweeping landscapes and nightscapes
- Medium telephoto (24-70, 24-105) - great for all around photography landscape to portrait to moderate close up and detail shots
- Telephoto - (70mm and beyond) - great for compressing the landscape and tighter compositions - (Not as important for this photo workshop)
- Sturdy tripod with ballhead & tripod plate
- Extra batteries
- Memory cards
- Intervalometer
For Light Painting
- A Headlamp
- Flashlights
- A Drone if you want to learn
- Light painting tools (optional)
- Will send out a DIY tool kit list upon sign up
Additional Items
Image Editing
- A Laptop with Adobe Lightroom CLASSIC. You can download a free trial for 30 days Click here.
- Starry Landscape Stacker (Mac) or Sequator (free software for PC)
- Starstax (free software for PC)
- External Hard drive or enough space on your laptop for images taken on the trip
- A small extension cord for your laptop
Clothing
- Base layers/long underwear
- Hat & gloves
- Hand warmers
Payment
Deposit of 1/2 the amount is due upon signing up and final payment is due March 1st.
Fee is $2550
What this includes:
- Professional Photographer Guidance
- In the field instruction on mastering night photography skills
- Light Painting tools to try out
- Classroom session including Lightroom & Photoshop techniques and image critiques
- Special discount codes for some photography gear if needed
What is not included
- Airfare to/from Las Vegas
- Transportation
- Hotel accommodation
- Meals
Cancellation Policy
- All cancellation requests must be received by email sent to Susan@photouradventures.com.
- Workshop content may change based on weather and access to locations or other unforeseen circumstances and attendees will be notify whenever possible. We reserve the right to cancel any program that does not meet the minimum participants required. In case of cancellation by our workshops will be fully refunded. There are no exception to the due dates as per the workshop description due to the logistics to prepare for the workshops and fees that might have been incurred by our workshop.
- 60+ Days Before: Full refund minus a $100 fee.
- 30–59 Days Before: 50% refund or credit for a future workshop.
- Less Than 30 Days: No refund, but credit may be offered if your spot is filled.
Questions?
We're here to help answer any questions you may have and ensure you have an amazing experience. Feel free to reach out to either of us anytime you wish.
Susan Magnano
Susan Magnano is a photographer, an explorer and an educator who loves capturing the beauty of the people and places around her.
She is as an award-winning photographer with over 25 years of experience, Susan is a respected educator in the industry and now shares her innovative techniques on her Photo Adventures.
Photour Adventures was created out of Susan’s desire to share her passion for photography and travel through workshops and photowalks. She loves chasing the best light from sunrise to sunset through red rock canyons, lush forests and iconic city streets. Once the sun sets, Susan typically springs into action, teaching her favorite subject, light painting and shooting the stars till the wee hours of the morning.
www.Photouradventures.com