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April 4-7‚ 2027 - Coming Soon!

Workshop Dates

$2,995
$2,995
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Learn More and Sign Up

  • Experience Level

    Beginner to Advanced 

    This workshop is designed for photographers of all skill levels. You'll receive personalized guidance to build on your strengths and overcome weaknesses. Expect to be challenged and grow, regardless of your starting point.

  • Fitness Level

    Easy to Moderate

    Night excursions involve walking short distances (under 1 mile) on potentially uneven, sandy, or rocky terrain in darkness. Participants need adequate mobility, a headlamp, and appropriate gear for varied temperatures.

    More Info 

  • Creative Focus

    Field Sessions & Classroom Instruction

    Intense nighttime field sessions targeting the Milky Way and key desert locations. Classroom covers advanced capture (stacking, blending) and processing using the 'Rethink Nightscape' method, Photoshop techniques, and AI noise reduction.

  • Group Size

    Limited to 8 Guests

    We keep our group sizes small to ensure the individual attention you deserve.

  • Location

    Furnace Creek, California

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  • Fly To

    Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS)

    Check Flights 

Description

Experience the breathtaking spectacle of Death Valley National Park's night sky, renowned as one of the darkest locations in the United States. This workshop is designed to equip you with the techniques and processing skills needed to create compelling nightscape images under these pristine conditions.

Join David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick for an immersive journey into desert night photography. We'll guide you through capturing the celestial wonders, with a strong focus on the Milky Way during its prime visibility season. Learn essential field techniques for sharp stars, balanced exposures, and impactful compositions that join the dramatic landscape with the cosmos above. We'll cover methods for capturing clean foregrounds using long exposures or twilight blends, and techniques like stacking sky exposures to significantly reduce noise.

While we'll explore iconic Death Valley locations after dark, this workshop also features dedicated classroom time. You'll learn David's powerful "Rethink Nightscape" processing methodology – a step-by-step system in Lightroom. We'll also cover how to process stacked sky images, blend foregrounds and skies seamlessly in Photoshop, and effectively utilize AI noise reduction tools to achieve natural, detailed, and evocative results that bring your night images to life.

Meet Your Guides

  • David Kingham

    David is an accomplished professional photographer renowned for his evocative nature imagery. His work showcases intimate landscapes, stunning nightscapes, and masterful black-and-white photography. As the founder of Exploring Exposure, David is dedicated to mentoring aspiring photographers, helping them refine their skills and develop their artistic vision.

    View David's Portfolio 

  • Jennifer Renwick

    Jennifer is a professional photographer renowned for her captivating abstract and small scene imagery. With a keen eye for detail, she uncovers the hidden stories within grand landscapes. Jennifer is passionate about helping fellow photographers discover their unique style and guiding them to express their vision through meaningful projects.

    View Jennifer's Portfolio 

Visual Inspiration

  • Prime Night Photography: Shoot under exceptionally dark skies during peak Milky Way season.
  • Master Night Techniques: Learn field craft for sharp focus, optimal exposures, composition, capturing clean foregrounds (long exposure/twilight), and shooting sequences for sky stacking.
  • Advanced Processing Skills: Master the "Rethink Nightscape" Lightroom workflow, plus stacking sky images for noise reduction, blending exposures in Photoshop, and leveraging AI noise reduction.
  • Expert Guidance: Benefit from instruction by David Kingham & Jennifer Renwick in a small group (4:1 ratio).
  • Diverse Night Scenes: Practice techniques for Milky Way, star trails, and integrating landscapes under moonlight or starlight.
  • Personalized Learning: Max 8 participants ensures focused attention and feedback.

Itinerary

Preparation: Upon registration, a comprehensive itinerary will be sent to you, ensuring all the details are at your fingertips to help you plan your travel arrangements seamlessly.

  • Day 1: Arrive in Death Valley (Furnace Creek area). Afternoon meet & greet, intro presentation covering nightscape fundamentals. Evening/night field session practicing capture techniques.
  • Days 2-3: Balance of daytime rest/classroom sessions (covering "Rethink Nightscape" processing, stacking, blending, AI noise reduction, and critiques) and extended night field sessions targeting key locations and Milky Way alignment. Expect very late nights.
  • Day 4: Image critiques

(Note: Locations/timing adapt to conditions, astronomical events, and group needs.)

What's Included

  • Expert Instruction & Guidance: Field and classroom instruction from David Kingham & Jennifer Renwick (4:1 ratio).
  • Small Group Environment: Max 8 participants.
  • Image Development & Critique: Classroom sessions covering advanced nightscape processing and group critiques.

What's Not Included

  • Transportation: To/from Furnace Creek and during the workshop (carpooling encouraged). Standard vehicle usually sufficient.
  • Lodging: In Furnace Creek area (Group rate block available).
  • Meals: All meals.
  • Death Valley National Park Entrance Fee: Or valid park pass.
  • Travel Insurance: Strongly recommended.
  • Personal Items: Camera gear (DSLR/Mirrorless, wide fast lens e.g., f/2.8 or wider, sturdy tripod, intervalometer recommended for stacking), laptop with Adobe Lightroom Classic & Photoshop installed, warm layers, headlamp (red light mode), sturdy footwear, water bottle, etc.

Our Teaching Philosophy

At our workshops, we are dedicated to helping you discover and develop your unique creative style through personalized training tailored to your skill level and photographic interests. Our goal is to provide you with a rigorous learning experience, both in the field and the classroom, to elevate your photography to new heights.

Your growth and satisfaction are our top priorities. We put your interests first, focusing solely on your learning experience. Throughout the workshop, we will take photographs alongside you to demonstrate how we approach a scene, share techniques, and foster a sense of camaraderie within the group. However, we will never leave you to pursue our own photographic endeavors. Our attention will always remain on you and your progress.

We regularly check in with each participant to provide helpful feedback and advice on your work, without being overbearing. Our biggest goal is to see you succeed and learn, and we are committed to supporting you every step of the way.

We recognize that each participant joins our workshops at different stages of their photographic development. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced photographer, we are here to guide and assist you. We firmly believe that there is always room for growth and improvement in photography, and we are committed to helping you refine your skills and find your unique creative vision.

Above all, we strive to create a fun, engaging, and rewarding experience for you. Our small group sizes allow us to build strong connections with our clients, fostering a sense of community and belonging. We are driven by our love for photography and find immense joy in witnessing our participants' growth and artistic development.

Join us on this exciting journey of photographic discovery, and let us help you unlock your full creative potential.

Safety First

Your safety is our utmost priority, especially when exploring remote locations. As certified Wilderness First Responders, David and Jennifer are prepared to handle any situation, big or small. We also carry satellite communication devices to ensure we can request rescue assistance if needed in areas without cellular coverage.

Responsible

As proud members of Nature First Photography, we are committed to responsible nature photography practices. We abide by and promote the seven principles of this movement to our clients, encouraging them to join us in preserving the natural world we capture through our lenses.

Join Nature First

Legal Compliance

At Exploring Exposure, we operate with the highest level of integrity. We obtain all necessary permits, carry comprehensive liability insurance, and acquire any required certifications to ensure our workshops are conducted legally and ethically.

For this workshop Exploring Exposure operates under a Commercial Use Authorization through Death Valley National Park. We are also an equal opportunity service provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are spouses/partners welcome?

Our workshops are designed as immersive group learning experiences. Participation in all activities, including field excursions and instructional sessions, requires full registration and payment of the workshop fee. Therefore, spouses or partners who wish to join must register as participants.

Will I have cell service during the workshop?

In many remote areas we visit, cell service and Wi-Fi can be extremely limited or non-existent during field excursions. Expect potential periods of being offline. Service is typically available at our accommodation, but cannot be guaranteed everywhere. We carry a satellite communication device for emergency use.

Will weather cancel the workshop?

Dramatic weather can often lead to unique and powerful images in the desert landscape. Our primary goal is to photograph Death Valley's incredible night skies. However, early April weather can be variable.

If persistent cloud cover prevents effective night photography, we will adapt! We'll shift our focus to making the most of the conditions, concentrating on compelling landscape photography during sunrise, sunset, and daylight hours, exploring Death Valley's shapes, textures, and light.

Participant safety is always our top priority. While the workshop will proceed in most weather conditions, we may adjust locations or schedules if conditions pose a significant safety risk (e.g., hazardous roads, flash floods). We encourage adapting to the elements and finding creative opportunities regardless! Please note that no refunds or rescheduling are offered based on weather circumstances.

Do the instructors photograph during workshops?

Our commitment is first and foremost to your learning and creative exploration. While you might see us create some images during our time in the field, it's always with an educational purpose in mind. We might photograph to:

  • Walk you through how we evaluate and compose a scene, sharing the excitement and challenges together.
  • Demonstrate a specific technique (like focus stacking, long exposure, or ICM).
  • Make images during our field sessions that reflect the specific locations and conditions you're experiencing. This provides highly relevant examples for demonstrating the Rethink processing workflow, directly applicable to the images you're creating on the trip.

Engaging in the creative process alongside you can be instructive and helps foster a shared experience and connection within the group. However, this never takes precedence over providing personalized attention and ensuring you have the support you need to develop your vision. Our focus remains squarely on you.

Detailed Fitness Requirements & Terrain

Physical Activity Level & Terrain: Easy to Moderate

This workshop balances easily accessible roadside locations with short hikes required to reach unique photographic opportunities within Death Valley's diverse landscapes.

  • Mix of Activities: We will utilize a combination of shooting near parking areas and undertaking short hikes to access canyons and dunes.
  • Hiking Distances: Hikes will typically be short, generally 1 to 2 miles at a time.
  • Terrain: Be prepared for varied and often uneven terrain. We will be walking directly on canyon floors, which may consist of gravel, rocks, and uneven surfaces without established trails. Hikes towards sand dune areas primarily involve walking over mostly level ground, potentially including sections of rocky terrain requiring careful navigation. The final approach, perhaps the last 1/8 mile or so, will involve walking on the dunes themselves, which can be physically tiring despite the short distance on sand.
  • Fitness Expectation: Participants should be comfortable walking 1-2 miles at a time over uneven, potentially loose or rocky terrain, including canyon floors and the approach to dunes. Good balance is essential for navigating this ground safely while carrying gear. You should also be capable of carrying your camera equipment for several hours, including during hikes. Be prepared for the unique exertion of walking on sand for the final portion of the dune approach.

How to Get There

  • We recommend flying to Las Vegas, from there it is a 2.5 hour drive to Stovepipe Wells.
  • We recommend using Google Flights to find the best option for where you are coming from.

Cancellation Policy

We put a lot of care into planning intimate, high-quality workshop experiences. Because our group sizes are small and significant logistical planning begins well in advance, we must adhere to a firm cancellation policy. We strongly encourage you to purchase trip insurance to protect your investment should unforeseen circumstances arise.

  • Initial Payment: An initial payment is required to secure your spot in the workshop.
  • Cancellation More Than Days Out: If you need to cancel your registration more than days before the workshop start date, we will refund your initial payment, minus a $100 administration fee.
  • Cancellation Between and Days Out: If you cancel fewer than days but more than days before the workshop start date, your initial payment becomes non-refundable. However, should we successfully fill your spot from a waiting list or new registration, we will refund your initial payment, minus a 5% payment processing fee.
  • Automatic Final Balance Payment: The remaining balance for the workshop will be automatically charged to the card used for the initial payment days prior to the workshop start date. We will send a courtesy reminder email a few days before this charge occurs. It is your responsibility to ensure your payment information is up-to-date. If you need to use a different card for the final payment, please contact us well before the -day deadline.
  • Cancellation Within Days (After Automatic Final Payment): If you cancel fewer than days before the workshop start date, after the final balance has been automatically charged, all payments made (initial payment and final balance) are non-refundable. This is why we strongly recommend trip insurance. However, should we successfully fill your spot from a waiting list or new registration, we will refund your total payments, minus a 5% payment processing fee. We will make a reasonable effort to fill the spot but cannot guarantee it, especially close to the start date.
  • Process & Policy Understanding: All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via email or US mail. Please understand that this policy applies regardless of the reason for cancellation, including medical emergencies, travel disruptions, or other unforeseen circumstances. There are no exceptions.
  • Trip Insurance is Highly Recommended: Again, to safeguard against unexpected events (personal/family emergencies, illness, travel delays, etc.) that might prevent you from attending, we strongly recommend purchasing trip cancellation and interruption insurance. This can help cover your workshop fees and travel expenses should you need to cancel within the non-refundable period. These are just suggestions, and we have no affiliation with them, but you might consider providers like TravelGuard, World Nomads, or Allianz Travel. Please research plans carefully to ensure they meet your needs.
  • Workshop Cancellation by Exploring Exposure: We reserve the right to cancel a workshop if the minimum participant enrollment is not met or due to other unforeseen circumstances (e.g., leader illness, park closures). If we must cancel a workshop, you will be notified as soon as possible and offered the choice of transferring your registration and payments to a future workshop or receiving a full refund of all payments made directly to Exploring Exposure. Exploring Exposure is not liable for any other expenses you may have incurred, such as airfare, lodging, or rental cars. Trip insurance can often cover these associated costs in case of workshop cancellation by us, providing another reason for its purchase.

Have Questions?

Feel free to reach out, we are happy to help!

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