We have our 2026 schedule confirmed with the Bodie Foundation! Welcome to Bodie, perhaps the biggest, baddest town in the Wild West. Steadily crumbling since its heyday late in the 19th century, the town is now a California state park, maintained in a state of “arrested decay.” We work both outside and inside the photogenic buildings in this magical place, tucked into high hills at an elevation of over 8,000 feet, in the desolate sagebrush of the eastern Sierra Nevadas.This is my twenty-second year of leading workshops to this amazing place.
On Saturday evening, October 10, we’ll do a Milky Way “practice session” at Paul Cockrell’s house (Paul is one of my assistants and is an expert Milky Way photographer) on the north shore of Mono Lake. We can take breaks from the photography to go inside a warm, well-lit house to look at camera settings.
Sunday, October 11, we’ll find some great local destinations to photograph. Destinations will be weather and fall-foliage dependent.
That evening, October 11, we’ll do a sunset and night photo session at Bodie. The Milky Way is amazing at this altitude. Add the old buildings for foreground and you have winning images. We’ve once again timed this year’s night workshop to be close to the phase of the new moon. Through the sunset and the evening we’ll have the town to ourselves; no other visitors will be there.
Monday, October 12. We’ll sleep in after our late night, then find more great local destinations.
On Tuesday, September 23, we get to Bodie before the sun is up, and photograph until noon, going inside the artifact-crammed buildings, maybe finding a photogenic sunrise. The workshop is limited to eight people because of space limitations inside the Bodie buildings. Be advised that the workshop fills quickly!
You’ll want to bring a tripod and a camera capable of manual settings (best if you have a newer model that will handle high ISO settings with minimal “noise”). Bring a cable release or remote if you have one. Bring lots of cards, extra batteries, and warm clothes (it can get well below freezing, occasionally into the single digits F, and wind is common). A week or so before the workshop starts, we’ll be sending a detailed instruction sheet about night photography as well as last-minute logistics.
October 10-13, 2026. Explore the ghost town of Bodie and visit hidden corners only accessible to a few people.
Night photography and rare access to dusty old interiors in this amazing Wild West ghost town.
