Milky Way Photography Experience for Beginners – Borrego Springs

Learn how to capture the night sky in one of California’s best dark sky locations

Friday, August 15 & Saturday, August 16th starting at 5:30PM

DESCRIPTION

Join us under the desert stars for a two-night Milky Way photography experience in beautiful Borrego Springs—one of Southern California’s designated Dark Sky Communities. Designed specifically for beginners, this immersive outing will guide you step-by-step through the fundamentals of capturing the night sky, from camera settings and focusing in the dark, to composition and post-processing tips.

You can join us for one night or stay for both to build your skills and explore multiple locations under different conditions. We’ll take advantage of the new moon and minimal light pollution for the best views of the Milky Way core as it arcs across the sky.

Stay both nights & save!

Limited to 10 students

SCHEDULE

5:30 PM – 7:00PM 

•Meet & greet

•Gear check: tripods, wide-angle lenses, headlamps, etc

•Overview: settings, Milky Way composition tips, and safety.

Discuss:

•Focusing in the dark

•High ISO vs long exposure trade-offs

•Noise reduction techniques

7:30PM – 8:00 PM | Sunset & Blue Hour Warm-up

•Practice compositions using silhouettes against the colorful sky

•Bracket exposures and discuss blending techniques

•Use the blue hour to test-focus and fine-tune foreground exposure

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Twilight Setup & Milky Way Rise

•Milky Way begins to rise in the southeast (visible arch form in spring, vertical core in summer)

•Core Photography & Creative Techniques

•Capture the galactic core over dynamic desert features

•Creative techniques:

•Light painting foregrounds

•Panorama stitches

•Stacking for noise reduction

MATERIALS REQUIRED

• DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual mode
• Wide-angle lens (14–24mm, f/2.8 or faster recommended)
• Tripod
• Remote shutter
• Extra batteries and memory cards
• Red-light headlamp
• Snacks/water

EXCLUDED

• Lodging  - we recommend checking out Borrego Springs Resort
• Meals
• Transportation (we will carpool to locations once there)

QUALIFICATIONS

• Beginner-Advanced

INSTRUCTOR

John Livingston