After a two-year hiatus, it was good to return to the Alabama Hills to teach a workshop. For three days we were able to explore the challenging and rewarding photographic opportunities presented by this iconic location in the Eastern Sierras.
One of the main attractions to this area besides the dramatic views of Mt. Whitney and the surrounding peaks are the many arches among the picturesque rock formations. There are hundreds of these arches scattered throughout the Alabama Hills. During the workshop we photographed some of the more accessible arches.
This workshop was planned during the new moon cycle to take advantage of dark skies and capture the first Milky Way photos of the season. The optimum time to photograph the Milky Way this time of year was between 4 and 5 AM requiring an early 3 AM start in the morning. In addition to learning how to photograph the Milky Way, light painting skills to capture the foreground were also demonstrated. Later in the afternoon after a good nap we met in the hotel lobby to learn how to process our Milky Way images in Adobe Lightroom.
Another night photography technique taught during the workshop was how to photograph star trail images and learning to stack star trails using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
A photographic trip to the Alabama Hills is always rewarding and this workshop was no exception. In addition to capturing some stunning night photos there was time to explore and photograph the many rock formations that comprise the fantastic landscape.
