Let's head out to the picturesque Oregon Coast! The Oregon Coast has some of the most beautiful shorelines in the world, and we will spend our days and nights capturing its stunning landscapes.

I will be joining Aimee Danielson, tour guide and resident of the PNW for nearly 20 years, as the professional photography instructor on this incredible tour of the Oregon Coast.

The rugged coastline is an ideal setting to photograph unique seascapes, dramatic landscapes, and charming lighthouses that you won't find anywhere else. 

Tailored to beginner to intermediate photographers, our workshop offers professional photography guidance in these incredible locations. Marc will help you master your camera settings and shooting techniques, setting up creative compositions, and capturing stunning nightscapes with permitted access to some locations usually closed at night. If the conditions are right, we will also learn essential practices and settings for capturing the Milky Way. 

We will have dedicated time for formal classroom instruction on post-processing techniques in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop to ensure you can beautifully present the coast's splendor.

• Tailored to Beginner - Intermediate Photographers
• Lodging and transportation during the workshop is included. Transportation to Bandon, OR (start of the workshop) / from Seaside, OR (end of the workshop) may be available before and after the workshop - contact us for details.
• Variety of shooting locations available and scouted with flexibility to travel to nearby areas if weather requires us to be mobile.
• While nothing is guaranteed in nature, we will use the best scientific tools and data available, combined with local knowledge plus a willingness to chase clear skies to give us excellent chances of photographing stunning view of the night sky.
• Variety of landscapes.
• Chance to learn a number of landscape, sunrise / sunset, low-light and night sky shooting techniques across a variety of conditions.
• Small group post-processing instruction is included - you'll be able to develop your images from this workshop under expert instruction and 1-on-1 learning.
• Mid-season shooting means many late nights, but lower chances of cloud cover and the ability to photograph the Milky Way.
• Maximum of 6 participants means individual attention and stronger camaraderie and collaboration with fellow photographers.
• Red Cross First Aid / CPR Certified; we also travel with long-range radios and GPS emergency response beacons.
• Fully permitted and insured.

This landscape and astro photography workshop concentrates on the following teaching topics:

• Proper camera and exposure settings for a wide variety of conditions
• Understanding effective compositions
• Focus-stacking (Shooting and processing)
• Planning and shooting composite images for clear foreground and sky
• Post-processing workflows
• Image editing in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
• Understand the position of the Milky Way through the night and seasons
• Planning your shot in the field and through the use of technology
• Getting oriented under the stars and finding the galactic core
• Overview of various resources for finding dark skies and predicting the Milky Way position
• Overview and usage of basic to advanced equipment, including portable star trackers to extend exposure time without star trailing
• Calculating exposure time based on focal length and sensor size / resolution
• Creating star trail images
• Shooting multiple exposures for image noise reduction
• Timelapse editing in LRTimelapse

The visibility of the Milky Way is highly dependent on weather. Light to moderate cloud cover will not prohibit us from shooting the Milky Way. If we encounter dense cloud cover, we may adjust the shooting locations and/or focus on landscape shooting and lighting techniques.

• Sturdy tripod with ball head
• Digital SLR and/or mirrorless camera body with full manual control, preferably full-frame sensor (although cropped / APS-C will work)
• Wide angle lens(es) with fast aperture (f2.8 or better). Some great lenses for night sky photography include the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 (or 24mm), Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8
• If you have a telephoto (200mm+) and it’ll fit your travel plans, bring it along – you never know what we might find out in the field
• Polarizing filters if you have them
• Basic headlamp with red light option
• Remote shutter release or basic intervalometer
• Memory cards
• Extra batteries (at least 2 fully-charged batteries per night)
• Camera / lens cleaning supplies
• Laptop / Lightroom and Photoshop software + file transfer accessories if you’d like to follow along during post-processing sessions
• Hard drives and file backup accessories

If you don’t have everything you need, please contact me, I may be able to rent you the gear you need.

• Layered, warm clothing
• Waterproof shells / shoes / boots
• Warm layers, light gloves, hat, jacket, shirts, warm socks, and footwear suitable for hiking and relatively cold weather overnight. (**Avoid cotton in favor of wool fibers whenever possible)
• Water bottles / hydration packs

Schedule: Upon arrival in Bandon, OR we will get together for a meet-and-greet and required introductory session including workshop timeline overview, field safety, and shooting preparation. Following this session the group will have some personal time for rest, dinner, and gear prep before we head out for our first evening and night. Depending on the cloud forecast, overnight temperatures, and the group's ability to stay up all night, we may be out shooting until sunrise so please be prepared for some late nights.

Arriving in Bandon: 

This workshop will begin in Bandon, OR and end in Seaside, OR.  Transportation from Portland Airport (PDX) will be available - Please contact us ahead of the workshop if you'd like to arrange shared transportation to / from the airport.  The nearest airport to Bandon is Southwestern Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) in North Bend.  Major airports include Portland (PDX), Medford (MFR), and San Francisco (SFO). Portland, Oregon, is approximately 250 miles to the north, with a drive time of four to five hours. Medford, Oregon, is about 165 miles southeast of Bandon, with a drive time of approximately three hours. San Francisco, California, is roughly 450 miles south of Bandon, with a drive time of eight to nine hours.  Eugene Airport (EUG) in Eugene, Oregon, provides flights from various destinations through United, Delta, Alaska, and American Airlines. It is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Bandon, covering approximately 150 miles.

Transportation during the Workshop: We will be traveling to and from our lodging and shooting locations via a passenger van with plenty of room for us and all of our gear.

Weather: Weather can be variable and overnight temps may get as low as the high 40's.

Cancellation Policy: We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We highly recommend Travel Insurance to cover any non-refundable fees or medical coverage during the workshop.

Sunrise: 5:10 AM
Sunset: 9:11 PM
Moon: 0% New Moon
MW Core Visibility: 11:53 PM – 2:44 AM 

• Arrive to Bandon, OR to check in to Hotel 
• Group welcome dinner 
• Milky Way photography at night if weather permits 

Sunrise: 5:27 AM
Sunset: 9:11 PM
Moon: 3% Waxing Crescent
Moonrise: 6:25 AM
Moonset: 10:54 PM
MW Core Visibility: 11:52 PM – 2:45 AM 

• Early light in and around Samuel H. Boardman State Park  
• Photograph Sunset at Secret Beach  
• Photograph Milky Way at Secret Beach, weather permitting
• Sunset in Bandon – Lighthouse 
• Editing / Classroom Session + Rest Day 
• Sunrise at Thor’s Well  
• Visit Tillamook Creamery / Forest Center 
• Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area

Sunrise: 5:28 AM
Sunset: 9:10 PM
Moon: 14% Waxing Crescent
Moonrise: 9:02 AM
Moonset: 11:47 PM
MW Core Visibility: 11:51 PM – 2:47 AM

• Sunset at Hug Point State Recreation Area  
• Possible MW at Haystack or Shipwreck weather permitting
• Sunrise at Cannon Beach/ Haystack rock 
• Ecola State Park  
• Goonies House / Cape Disappointment 
• Possible Milky Way at Haystack Rock / Cape Disappointment / Shipwreck weather permitting
• Sunrise Cape Disappointment 
• Check out of Seaside hotel 
• Workshop Concludes 
• Drive Participants back to PDX