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Join Leica Store Miami for a photographic journey through the red rock canyons of Moab, Utah, as we set out to capture the timeless beauty of this ancient desert landscape. We will visit the iconic rock formations of Arches National Park, and after sunset, we’ll show you how to capture the full majesty of the Milky Way. Leica experts Colin McKinley and Kirsten Vignes Martin from Leica Store Miami will be on hand to offer guidance and assistance as you capture the spectacular desert scenery.
While other cameras are certainly allowed on this trip, the focus is on Leica camera systems and learning how to use them to their full potential. Current owners as well as those wanting to try Leica gear out for a week of real shooting are encouraged to attend. We’ll share our favorite tips and tricks so you can get the most out of this exceptional gear.
Why this trip is different
At Leica Store Miami, we feel that real world shooting is the best way to discover the capabilities of your camera, grow as a photographer and enjoy the Leica experience. Our Leica-focused photo workshops offer you a one-of-a-kind opportunity to master your camera, try out the latest Leica gear and spend time with other Leica enthusiasts from all over the US and the world.
This workshop is an introduction to astrophotography and the goal is for you to come home from this trip with the confidence to photograph the night sky on your own. We’ll show you when and where to look for it, useful apps to assist your planning and how to set up your camera for the best possible results.
What to Expect
This is primarily a photography trip. We will be shooting some days from before sunrise until after sunset. Some nights, we may be out in the desert until after midnight photographing the stars. At each carefully chosen location, there will be plenty of time to set up your tripod, compose your shots and get in some quality photography. On most days, we will come back to the hotel mid-day to rest up and edit images.
The weather in Moab and the surrounding desert areas is relatively mild in September, with average highs in the 80’s and lows in the 50’s. However, at an elevation of 4,000-6,000ft above sea level, the sun can be very intense and dehydration can happen quickly. It is very important to drink lots of water, wear sunscreen, and limit sun exposure during the hottest parts of the day.
The adventure begins in the beautiful town of Moab, Utah. We’ll meet at 6:00pm in the lobby of the Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton for introductions, a workshop overview and dinner.
After breakfast, we’ll gather for an introduction to Astrophotography. In this classroom session, we will teach you the basic concepts necessary to plan and execute a successful Milky Way photoshoot. We will focus on single exposure, wide-field astrophotography (we won’t go into star trackers or deep field astrophotography). Some of the topics we will cover include:
A typical workshop day might look like this:
Since we’re often out late at night, our mornings are reserved for rest, breakfast, and free time to explore town on your own. The group will reconvene for lunch and go over our plans for the afternoon.
After lunch we’ll head out into the desert, exploring a few different photo locations from different angles. The goal here is to identify our shooting locations for the evening, and plan what time to be there using the PhotoPills app. We can also stop and see some fun features like dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs.
At the hottest point in the afternoon, we’ll return to the hotel for a quick siesta – we could be out late!
After dinner we’ll head out as the skies are getting dark. We’ll check out some new locations, as well as revisiting some of the locations we saw earlier in the daylight, and photograph the stars over the desert. If you haven’t been before, you won’t believe how amazing the skies are in this part of the country!
After breakfast, we’ll say our farewells. If you’re not extending your stay, you can schedule your departure at anytime.
