Night Sky Landscape Photography in Rocky Mountain National Park

Participants in this 3-day course will learn about image composition, how to place subjects in the frame, and how to tell a story with their images. Instructor Stan Honda will teach participants how to take a naturalistic approach to their photography and how to use foreground objects, like trees or geological formations, to enhance compositions with stars in the background. Participants will also learn proper exposure for night photos, concentrating on producing single frames of the sky. Finally, Stan will instruct participants on image processing to bring out the best in each photo.

Who: Participants ages 16 and up.

Program level: Moderate – This program is appropriate for most people. The field sessions will take place at dusk and after dark. Expect to travel short distances off trail throughout the program and to be on your feet for several hours at a time. Participants should be comfortable navigating both maintained trails and unmaintained meadows or grassy areas in low light conditions. Prior experience hiking or walking above 8,000 feet is recommended.

This program has both classroom sessions and field sessions.

When:

• Friday, September 19, 2025 from 2:30pm to 11:30pm,
• Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 2:30pm to 11:30pm, AND
• Sunday, September 21 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Where: Meet at the Fall River Visitor Center, 3450 Fall River Road, Estes Park, CO 80517.

Transportation: There are two options for transportation into Rocky Mountain National Park for this course: Participants may ride with Rocky Mountain Conservancy staff in a Conservancy vehicle, OR participants may choose to drive themselves. Because parking is limited at many locations within the park, we encourage participants who wish to drive themselves to carpool with other participants as much as possible. At the start of the course, we will take a few minutes to chat as a group arrange transportation to the field sites for everyone. Rocky Mountain Conservancy will provide the driver of each vehicle with a “Fee Waiver Exemption Letter,” allowing self-driving participants to enter the park without paying additional fees. Entry fees are included in your course registration fee.

What to Bring:

• 10 Essentials for Field Institute Courses.
• Camera and equipment, including tripod – Digital cameras suitable for this course include DSLR and mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. All should have ISO of 3200 or higher. Standard wide-angle zoom kit lenses are fine, wide angle lenses are useful, especially with wide/fast f-stops. Telephoto zoom (70-200mm or 70-300mm) may be useful for moonsets. All cameras should function in the Manual (M) mode, and participants should be able to manually change ISO, shutter speed and aperture (f-stop). Several functions used for night sky photography are found in the camera’s menu. Be familiar with the general menu layout. Please bring your camera manual! A digital copy is fine.
• A sturdy tripod is required. It doesn’t have to be large, just big enough to hold your camera and lens steady.
• A laptop computer is optional for image processing
• Headlamp or flashlight with red light
• Camera bag or backpack – large enough to comfortably carry gear plus water, food, and extra layers
• Electronic shutter release, remote release
• Spare camera batteries AND at least two extra memory cards
• Waist pack – optional but useful for carrying small items needed in the field.

About Your Instructor: Stan Honda has more than 30 years of photojournalism experience in New York City and southern California. He has been a National Park Service artist-in-residence in five national parks, including Rocky Mountain and has presented talks and workshops at Rocky’s Night Sky Festival. Stan’s night sky landscapes have appeared on NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, CBS Morning News, Sky and Telescope magazine and Yahoo News.

Refund Policy:

Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the start of the course are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations made fewer than 30 days in advance are not eligible for a refund.

Our programs proceed rain or shine, and participants should be prepared for inclement weather. However, should we decide to cancel a program due to unsafe weather or emergency conditions, we will notify participants by email and automatically issue full refunds.

Conservancy members get 10% off individual registration when you use the discount code in your membership email! Limit 2 per membership.

Not a member of the Conservancy? Learn more and join here: Conservancy Membership

If you have questions about this course, please contact the Field Institute by email at education@RMConservancy.org or by phone at 970-586-3262.