Drifting Away to Summer Nights: 3 Events in 3 States

One of the reasons we love doing what we do is because we enjoy spreading the word about dark skies and night photography.

We get to do this a bunch of times per year on workshops in an intense, concentrated format with a small group of attendees, many of whom quickly become friends. But we also get to do this on a larger scale when we participate in conferences and events. Spending time as speakers and photo-walk leaders gives us a chance to meet thousands of new night photography aficionados of all levels.

In that spirit, we’re excited to announce a few upcoming major events that we’ll be participating in:

• OPTIC Imaging Conference

• Grand Canyon Star Party

• Smoky Mountain Foto Fest

For more information about these events—including how we’ll be helping out, as well as other useful info—keep on reading below! (And to always be kept abreast of places we’ll be speaking, be sure to sign up for our quarterly Events email announcement.)

OPTIC Imaging Conference

New York City, June 2-5, 2019

The f stops here. Hands down, one of our very favorite conferences. And we’ve been there from the beginning (this is their fifth anniversary!), with different combinations of us participating as speakers, leading photo walks, offering portfolio reviews, and so on.

The OPTIC Imaging Conference is run by B&H Photo and Lindblad Expeditions, both of which are the best at what they do in their niches. Together they put on one of the premier outdoor-photography events on the calendar. OPTIC features scores of top-notch speakers (including National Geographic photographers), a sunset cruise down the Hudson River, parties, photos walks, shooting stations and more.

Our role? We have a few:

• Tim will deliver a talk titled “The Grand Landscape: Creating Impact with Perspective, Proportion and Position” on Sunday at 10 a.m.

• The “Nikon Night Adventure.” Sponsored by one of our biggest partners, Chris, Gabe and Tim will lead a night-photo walk at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sunday night. Participants will be chauffeured from B&H to Brooklyn on complimentary double-decker tour buses.

• Chris and Tim will be working in the Portfolio Review room during parts of Sunday and Monday.

• Chris and Gabe will participate in livestreamed image reviews on Wednesday morning.

We’ll also have a table in the trade show area. Tim and I will be available to chat when we’re not engaged in the aforementioned activities. Also behind the table will be Sandra Ramos, the National Park Patch Lady, as well as Sherry Pincus, the backcountry instructor for our Shi Shi Beach workshop. If you’re at OPTIC, be sure to stop by and say hi!

For more information, visit the OPTIC Imaging Conference website.

Further Opportunities

If you can arrive for OPTIC a few days early, you can snag what’s perhaps the best celestial photo opportunity in New York City: Manhattanhenge. Twice per year, the setting sun lines up perfectly with the grid of Manhattan’s streets, and this year one of those two suns will set on May 29, just four days before the conference begins. To learn more, read Neil deGrasse Tyson’s article, brought to you by the American Museum of Natural History.

Grand Canyon Star Party

Arizona, June 22-29

Last year when we started prepping our 2019 workshop at Grand Canyon National Park, Gabe met with a couple of rangers to discuss permits and the like. Gabe’s a friendly guy. So fast-forward 24 hours when the second meeting ended with the rangers inviting us to run a night photography program at the 2019 Grand Canyon Star Party. Whoa. “Excited” doesn’t begin to describe how we felt about the opportunity.

This is one of the biggest night sky festivals in one of the grandest national parks. The party will be held at both the North and South rims, and will feature slide shows, presentations, constellation tours, telescopes, and so on and so on.

Photo courtesy NPS/Michael Quinn.

Our program will entail:

• On June 23, Chris and Gabe will present a talk titled “The Daydreamer’s Guide to Night in the National Parks,” which will document the many night-sky photo opportunities in the park system, as well as how photography can be used for helping to protect darkness.

• On June 23 and 24, Chris and Gabe will lead one-night photography workshops on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Also on June 23-24, Gabe and I will have a table at the Visitor Center where we can meet and greet current and aspiring night photographers. We’re looking forward to making lots of new friends!

For more information, visit the Grand Canyon Star Party website.

Further Opportunities

Three other national parks in the western U.S. are hosting night sky festivals around the same time: Petrified Forest (New Mexico, June 21), Bryce Canyon (Utah, June 26-29) and Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado, also June 26-29). You could make a whole road trip out of these events. Ya know, drive during the day, and enjoy millions of stars at night. (Stay tuned for more about these events, and others, in an upcoming blog post.)

Smoky Mountain Foto Fest

North Carolina, September 11-14

Based in Asheville, North Carolina, the Smoky Mountain Foto Fest features a packed schedule of lectures, field seminars, photo shoots, technique demos, portfolio reviews and more.

Our programs will include running a table in the trade show where we can meet-and-greet with fellow night enthusiasts, as well as helping with night-photo shoots and portfolio reviews.

In addition, we will be delivering five presentations:

• “10 Night Photography Challenges and How to Solve Them” (Chris and Lance)

• “When One Image Isn't Enough: Shooting Multiple Frames for Night Photography” (Chris and Lance)

• “Photographing National Parks” (Chris)

• “The Evolution of Night Photography” (Lance)

• “Light Painting Demo with Live Tethered Shoot” (Chris and Lance)

For more information, visit the Smoky Mountain Foto Fest website.

Further Opportunities

September is, quite simply, a spectacular time of year to spend in the southern Appalachian Mountains. If you come to Asheville for the conference, you’ll be right near two of our workshop locations from the past couple of years: Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It will be a little early for fall foliage, but the weather should be fantastic, with warm days and cool nights. And for some of the best grits ever, check out Cafe 64 on Haywood Street.

Note: To stay abreast of all our commitments at conferences, trade shows and other events, visit our Speaking Engagements page—or, better yet, sign up for our quarterly Events email.

Chris Nicholson is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night, and author of Photographing National Parks (Sidelight Books, 2015). Learn more about national parks as photography destinations, subscribe to Chris' free e-newsletter, and more at www.PhotographingNationalParks.com.

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Long Nights on Long Island: Wrapping our First Summit

On November 2 to 4, 2018, National Parks at Night hosted our very first Night Photography Summit. It was a remarkable success, and we are delighted.

Thank you to all the eager photographers who attended. Most were from Long Island and New York City. But not all! We had attendees com all the way from California and even Belgium!

We partnered with Rafael Pons, The Bard of PhotoPills. Rafael was on-hand during the entire event to coach people on how to use PhotoPills to plan for their shoots, and also how to use some of the incredibly versatile tools contained within that awesome little yellow app.

We also partnered with the Photographic Federation of Long Island, a federation of camera clubs spanning the region, to promote and host the event. PFLI generously helped us choose a proper venue, work with local authorities to obtain permissions for the night photography mini-workshops, and even shuttle students back and forth from the parking lots in the evenings. Best of all, they were shooting alongside us every night. :-)

Our lovely and generous sponsors were also on hand to support our passion for night photography education.

• B&H Photo brought all kinds of tempting gear (and some very special promotions during the event). And, of course, they also brought Zaza candies and supercool buttons and stickers. ;-)

• BenQ brought their line of photographic displays, as well as knowledgeable imaging experts to talk about how seeing your images at their best on a BenQ display is a final step for serious photographers around the world.

• Bay Photo Lab sent an envelope full of gift certificates for free prints to give away at the end of each day.

And then the education. ... Wow, what a full offering. We did our very best to fill up the attendees’ heads with useful tips and inspiration, and we answered every single question. Here was the conference schedule:

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Day 1

One of my favorite moments each day was Gabe’s early- morning group stretching sessions, with “seize the night” chants (below). It really put us in a mindset for success, right down to the last person. (Thanks, Gabe.)

The first day, we talked through some favorite images with Chris, Gabe, Lance and Matt:

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One of our cherished (and proven) mantras is that it’s possible to make a good night photograph under any conditions. To that end, Gabe and Lance inspired the crowd with a presentation titled “How to Nail a Night Photo—Anytime, Anywhere.”

Rafael then stepped onto stage, connected his phone to the projector and proved that PhotoPills is not only the right choice for the night photographer, but that there is “a pill for every pain you have.” His presentation, “PhotoPills: A World of Possibilities on your Hand” had something for everyone.

Then Chris and Matt took the stage to present, “10 Steps to Mastering Light Painting,” during which they walked the audience through, step by step, the successful ways you can apply light painting to tell your stories with photography at night.

Rounding out Day 1 was an enthusiastic Q&A session with all four NPAN instructors and Rafael. We had to save some questions for the next day!

That evening our first group of intrepid night photographers braved drizzle, clouds and fog to photograph the iconic Fire Island Lighthouse. Proving our point that bad weather makes for great night photography, Gabe made this image during a demonstration:

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Day 2

On Day 2, after our inspiring stretches and chants, Gabe and Matt opened up Lightroom and showed a live demo, “After the Shutter Closes: Processing the Night.” Each spent a good amount of time working through RAW images to bring out the very best in them.

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Rafael once again showed us the magic on his phone with “Planning Star Trails and the Milky Way with PhotoPills” (below), which was full of fantastic questions (and answers)—not to mention a whole lot of people using their phones and tablets during the presentation to see that magic happen under their own fingertips.

After lunch, Lance and Chris returned to present “Photographing Lighthouses, the Sentinels of the Seas” (below). Truly germane to the work later that evening, they presented how to go about photographing lighthouses, including many techniques for planning and success.

We had one more group Q&A to cover anything at all. And we did. Love that part. Excellent attendees.

Our second and final night out started with a huddle at the base of the lighthouse.

After a confab about the plan for the evening, we headed to the northern end of the beach to look south for a half-hour glimpse of the galactic core of the Milky Way creeping to the right of the lighthouse.

After this, we broke up into three groups and worked on Low-level Landscape Lighting (LLL), star stacking and long exposures. The night was clear, brisk and a little windy. But everyone walked away with images to be proud of!

Day 3

Our final day began with a deep exploration of some of our favorites places with Chris and Lance, in “A Daydreamer’s Guide to Night in the National Parks.” Covering 32 NPS locations, and rich with photographic examples, we saw many people wildly taking notes about their next dream destinations for night photography. (Hint, we have some spots open for 2019 workshops!)

Lastly, we spent a few hours on image review. We dipped into Lightroom and gave feedback and instruction to attending students on images shot during the conference and at other times. Always a good way to wrap up, with clear ideas on how to grow and improve.

With gladness in our hearts, and stars in our eyes, we called the Summit to a close. It was three days (and two nights) of sharing, learning and growing.

We’re so delighted that you like what we do. Thank you for supporting us as we share what we love with you. Our success is your success.

We can’t wait to do this all over again with the crew of photographers on Long Island and PFLI. #gratitude

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Note: Want to see us come to your area? We’re considering taking this show on the road. Do you run a regional camera club federation, or even a really strong, passionate group that wants to collaborate and host an experience like this near you? Drop us a line and let us know.

Matt Hill is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. See more about his photography, art, workshops and writing at MattHillArt.com. Follow Matt on Twitter Instagram Facebook.

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Our Students' Work, From the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream Waters

Happy Anniversary Biscayne and Redwood national parks! We were so very thrilled and honored to be part of your 50th-year celebrations.

We obviously love going to all the parks, but when we can work closely with the rangers and officials that help run these amazing places, it makes the experience even more worthwhile.  In 2018 we formed a very strong relationship with both the aforementioned parks. We were so excited to take our students there for workshops earlier in the year as well as keep the communications building to create a cross-country “From the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream Waters” celebration. It was absolutely wonderful to see the friends we made this year, in addition to meeting more creative lovers of the parks during the festivities.

A very big thank you goes out to Bay Photo Lab, which believed in our students’ work and printed a combined show of 42 night photographs, twice, so we that we could have the focal point of the celebrations be a gallery show at both parks.

Biscayne

Our opening weekend at Biscayne had a ton of activities. We kicked things off Friday night, when 30 people joined us for a scenic boat ride to Boca Chita. We disembarked and had time to scout and explore the many vantage points on the island. At the end of civil twilight we gathered our group, plus two law enforcement park rangers joined us and were excited to see what we were creating.

I had prepared a special “Birthday Wish” (below) on the Fotorgear Magilite, which is an LED light stick that you can program with an endless amount of colors, shapes and art and then “walk the image” into the scene.

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That is always a perfect example of how we can write anything with light. From there we broke into smaller groups and did night portraits and light painting—all in all, seizing the night!

Saturday was a full day at the park. We were very excited to see our dear friend, National Park Patch Lady (below), who led a sunrise photo shoot, scavenger hunt and Biscayne quiz. Lots of fun Biscayne and national park stickers were finding their way to knowledgeable park goers. There was also a variety of ranger talks spearheaded by Ranger Gary Bremen.

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That kept most people busy until we kicked off the gallery opening and official party. We had live music (below) and over 100 people came to enjoy our images and share stories about Biscayne as we sipped wine and (of course) gobbled up birthday cake. We were also honored to have in attendance Lloyd Miller, who was instrumental in saving and creating Biscayne National Park half a century ago.

That night we led another walk around Convoy Point (below) and the visitor center, and we were thrilled to be joined by a student from each of the Biscayne and Redwood workshops, in a truly wonderful weekend of celebration!

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Redwood

by Lance Keimig

That very same weekend we made a return visit to Redwood National and State Parks to help celebrate their 50th anniversary with an exhibit of student and instructor photographs from our June workshop, which will be on display at the Hiouchi Visitor Center in the park until January 2019.

The “From the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream Waters” exhibit opened on Friday, October 19, and was attended by the park staff, as well as members of the Save the Redwoods League, Redwood Parks Conservancy and the local community. About 50 people attended the opening during the course of the too-short evening. A highlight of the reception was ranger Michael Glore leading a singalong of Woodie Guthrie’s, “This Land is Your Land” (below), which alone was worth the trip to California.

In addition to the exhibit reception, and a gallery talk led by Chris and I the following day, we also taught a one-night mini-workshop for the local community on Saturday, October 20. We had a small group of eager students and a great night in the redwoods at Jedediah State Park, photographing along the banks of the Smith River.

We’d like to offer our thanks and congratulations to Michael, Chief Interpretive Ranger Candace Tinkler and Biscayne’s Ranger Gary for all of their hard work in putting together the events around the anniversary. It was a dream come true for National Parks at Night to collaborate with the parks in this way, and we hope to do more of these types of projects in the future.

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Prints for Parks

Bay Photo was more than just a sponsor—they made the events possible. The prints for both the Redwood exhibit and the concurrent one at Biscayne were made with Bay’s patented Xpozer system, our new favorite way to display our work.

All of the images from the exhibits are available for purchase at our online gallery, with all profits going to benefit both Redwood and Biscayne.

Bay is a great partner to work with and they have stepped up in a big way to support both the parks and National Parks at Night.

One final note is that under Candace’s leadership, Redwood National and State Parks is pursuing dark sky certification from the International Dark Sky Association, and plans to hold more dark sky events in the future. We look forward to seizing the night with them more in the years to come.

Reminder: The exhibits are up in both parks until January 13; check visitors hours to see when you can view the prints. Or, you can support the parks by purchasing one of the prints at our online gallery.

Gabriel Biderman is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. He is a Brooklyn-based fine art and travel photographer, and author of Night Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots (Peachpit, 2014). During the daytime hours you'll often find Gabe at one of many photo events around the world working for B&H Photo’s road marketing team. See his portfolio and workshop lineup at www.ruinism.com.

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT

Our First Night Photography Summit and More — We’re On the Road Again!

One of our favorite parts of what we do is getting out into the imaging community to talk about what we love: night photography and national parks. Either as a group or individually, we routinely speak at conferences, trade shows, national park celebrations, camera clubs and so on. We do this all year, but we always seem to be especially busy in the fall.

And so it goes again in 2018.

Over the next several weeks we will be presenting and leading night walks at some of the biggest and most exciting photography events in the U.S., from north to south and coast to coast. Plus … in conjunction with a couple of great partners, we will be hosting our very first night photography summit, a three-day celebration and discussion of all things night photography!

Read on for more information about where, when and how to join us on the road for some amazing night photography educational experiences.

New York Night Photography Summit

Babylon, New York
November 2-4

We’re going to break from chronological order for a moment to start with this one, because we’re too excited to delay announcing it any longer: We will be hosting our very first conference, the New York Night Photography Summit, just three weeks from now.

Moreover, we will be partnering on this event with two incredible ambassadors of the photography world:

• PhotoPills, the app that serves as the personal assistant and scouting solution for photographers around the world. The creator and bard of PhotoPills, Rafael Pons, will be joining us to teach about scouting and about how to use their powerful app, as well as helping us teach during mini-workshops in the field.

• Photographic Federation of Long Island (PFLI), the huge umbrella of camera clubs from two counties of New York and the five boroughs of New York City. PFLI knows the island better than anyone, and they’ve secured a venue for the presentations and vendors, as well as permits for our mini-workshops on Friday and Saturday nights at Fire Island National Seashore and the Fire Island Lighthouse.

The summit will take place over the long weekend of November 2-4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. There will be lectures and tutorials on night photography, plus access to vendors, book signings with authors, and more. On hand will be National Parks at Night instructors Gabriel Biderman, Lance Keimig, Matt Hill and myself. Presentation topics covered will include:

• ideal gear for night photography  

• how to photograph lighthouses at night

• planning Milky Way images with PhotoPills

• tips and tricks for post-processing 

• leveling up your creative night photography experience

• light painting

• Milky Ways and starry skies

Then, on Friday and Saturday night we’ll be leading night mini-workshops at the beautiful Fire Island locations. Rafael and four of the National Parks at Night instructors will be on hand to help with:

• photographing the Milky Way in November

• photographing star trails & star points

• light painting the rolling sand dunes and sweeping shoreline

BenQ, maker of the best photography-specific computer displays you can buy, has eagerly signed on as a sponsor for the event, and will be bringing some of their best monitors for attendees to check out. B&H Photo, the world’s premier photo retailer, is also sponsoring, as is our favorite photo printer, Bay Photo Lab.

To learn more about the New York Night Photography Summit, and to register for the event, visit npan.co/NYSummit.

OK, now onward with chronological order. …

Out of Moab Landscape Photography Conference

Moab, Utah
October 5-9

This one just ended—Out of Moab is the second national park-based landscape photography by the Out of Chicago group, and this time was in the amazing sunrise, sunset and night landscapes of Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. I was at the conference delivering a talk titled “6 Steps to Better Night Photography,” as well as leading night excursions to Landscape Arch, Windows Arch Loop, and Sand Dune and Broken Arch.

The conference sold out very shortly after it was announced, so if you’re interested in what this great organization is offering in the future (hint: Northwest coast), be sure to get on their mailing list. See OutOfChicago.com for more information.

Biscayne & Redwood National Parks

Homestead, Florida, and Hiouchi, California
October 19-20

This year Biscayne and Redwood national parks are celebrating their 50th anniversaries, and we’ll be there celebrating with them!

We ran workshops in both parks this year, and photographs from all the workshop students (as well as instructors) will be part of a pair of print exhibits held simultaneously in visitor centers at each park. The opening receptions will occur the weekend of October 19, and will include presentations, night photo walks and mini-workshops by Gabe, Tim, Lance and myself. The public is welcome.

The exhibits and the associated events are being sponsored by Bay Photo Lab. In addition to making the event possible, Bay will be providing all the prints for both locations, using their patented Xposer print format that comes with custom hanging hardware.

Moreover, many of the workshop attendees’ and instructors’ prints by Bay are available for purchase from our online gallery. All profits will be donated to the two parks.

For more information, see our previous announcement of this event.

PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo

New York City
October 25-27

We’re back at one of the largest photography conferences and trade shows, once again talking about the ways and arts of nocturnal imaging. This year we’ll be presenting “The Night Photography Toolbox: Gear and Skills to Level Up Your Nocturnal Images,” sponsored by Nikon. Here’s the official summary:

“Advancements in technology have made Milky Way and dark-sky photography more accessible, from cameras and lenses to software, GPS receivers, LED panels and much more. The members of National Parks at Night will share which gear helps them successfully scout, capture and create in a variety of night environments. They will also discuss productive processing, nocturnal photography techniques and other skills in their toolbox that will inspire you to ‘seize the night!’ ”

In a rare event, all five National Parks at Night instructors—Gabe, Lance, Matt, Tim and I—will be on stage presenting together.

For more information, visit the PhotoPlus website via this link, where you can register for the expo for free and get 15 percent off the price of a conference pass.

B&H Event Space

New York City
October 29-30

Immediately after PhotoPlus, a few of us will be spending a couple of days at the B&H Event Space delivering talks to the in-person audience and via livestream.

Lance and I will be discussing “Our Journeys into the Night: How We Found Ourselves in the Dark,” and Tim will present “Processing Your Night Photography: Lightroom through Photoshop.” Our good friends at BenQ, maker of the best photography-specific computer displays in the world, are sponsoring both talks.

Nature Visions Expo

Manassas, Virginia
November 2-4

Based in northern Virginia in the shade of the nation’s capital, Nature Visions features three days of seminars, lectures and workshops. Three of those will be led by Tim:

1. “Realistic HDR”

2. “Nightscapes: After the Magic Hour”

3. “Power of Photoshop for the Outdoor Photographer”

For more information, visit the Nature Visions website.

Sierra Club

New York City
November 15

Our friends at the New York City Sierra Club Photography group have invited us to return, this time with Matt leading a one-night workshop, “Central Park at Night.”

The public is welcome; tickets are $30. For more information, visit the club’s website.

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark

Birmingham, Alabama
November 18

Our final workshop of 2018 will conclude with Gabe and I presenting the student slideshow at the park’s visitor center, giving the public a chance to view the unique night work that we’ll do in this unique setting.

For more information, stayed tuned to our social media accounts and to the park webpage.

B&H Event Space

New York City
January 17, 2019

Let’s put this in the category of “sneak peak,” because while the event is confirmed, it’s yet to be officially listed. So, you heard it here first!

We will start the new year back the Event Space, as I join photographer and expert backpacker Sherry Pincus for “Backroads and Backpacks: Photography Off the Beaten Path.” (You may recognize Sherry as being the backpacking instructor for our first backcountry workshop at Shi Shi Beach in 2019.)

Sherry and I will talk about how to find the unique photos in popular national parks by driving the primitive roads and/or hiking into the wilderness, far away from the overlooks, the information signs and the tourists. Not only the how-to, but also the how-to-stay-safe.

Stay tuned to our social media and to the B&H Event Space calendar for the pending announcement. (The event will be free to attend live or via livestream.)

Conferences, Camera Clubs, et al.

Throughout the year all five National Parks at Night instructors lecture, present, and lead photo walks and workshops all around the country—at conferences, trade shows, camera stores, museums, galleries, photography clubs and more. In 2018 we’ve had the joy of participating at:

• OPTIC Imaging Conference (sponsored by B&H Photo)

• B&H Event Space (sponsored by BenQ)

• CreativeLive

• Photographic Federation of Long Island Spring Spectacular (sponsored by B&H Photo)

• Rocky Mountain School of Photography

• Maine Media Workshops + College

• Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center

• Connecticut Valley Camera Club

• Greater Lynn (Massachusetts) Photographic Association

• Long Island Camera Club

• Englewood (Florida) Camera Club

• New Haven Camera Club

• and more

Interested in having us join your party next year? We’ll happily add you to the schedule!

If you belong to a club or conference that might like to hear about night photography and/or national parks, etc., feel free to contact us. There are numerous topics we’re prepared to talk about. We’re also eager to speak and/or lead photo walks for podcasts, trade shows, outdoors groups, night sky festivals, arts councils, museums, educational institutions and … well, probably for anyone interested in participating in engaging discussion about the topics we are crazy-passionate about.

To keep updated about where and when we’ll be presenting at any given time, reference our Speaking Engagements webpage, or sign up for our event notification emails.

We look forward to meeting you all out in the photography community at some point soon. Until then, seize the night!

Chris Nicholson is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night, and author of Photographing National Parks (Sidelight Books, 2015). Learn more about national parks as photography destinations, subscribe to Chris' free e-newsletter, and more at www.PhotographingNationalParks.com.

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Our Art in the Parks: NPAN Student Exhibits to Open at Biscayne & Redwood

On the weekend of October 19, two coastal national parks separated by the entirety of the continental U.S.—Biscayne in Florida and Redwood in California—will both be officially celebrating their 50th anniversaries. And we will be there officially participating, partnering with both parks and with Bay Photo Lab for a dual-coast exhibit of our students’ work!

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The Story

Two years ago I walked into the visitor center at Biscayne National Park, a park that is 95 percent water and one of the lesser known in our system. I was welcomed by Gary, one of the most passionate rangers I have ever met. He started chatting me up about the park in between assisting people picking up their artwork that had just come down from a group show. I talked to him about our mission at National Parks at Night and the logistics of photographing this waterworld.

As we pored over the maps and I got a better understanding of the park, Gary started seeing a bigger picture. He mentioned that 2018 would be the 50th anniversary of both Biscayne and Redwood, and it was a dream of his to have a gallery show at both parks titled “From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream Waters.” We quickly concocted the idea of having night photography workshops at both locations and celebrating with a group show at both parks.

I won’t go into the incredible amount of logistics that went into making it happen, but I will say that it started with a dream that we kept pushing until it was realized!

It couldn’t have happened without the continual support from the teams at Biscayne National Park, Biscayne National Park Institute, Redwood National & State Parks, and the Redwood Parks Conservancy.

The Workshops and the Work

Both workshops were incredibly inspiring. In each park we could not have been happier with the experience or more impressed with the photographs our attendees worked so hard to create.

Below is a summary of the workshops, along with a sampling of the photography created. (To see all the images, visit the exhibits in person or online. More information below.)

Biscayne National Park

In Biscayne we were transported by boat each night to one of the many unique keys. We got a rare opportunity to photograph one of the historic houses in Stiltstville suspended above water one mile offshore from Miami, as well as Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Biscayne has very little night photography documentation and our students did an absolutely amazing job creating a variety of images under the January supermoon.

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© 2018 Klaus-Peter Statz

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© 2018 Ann Fulcher

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© 2018 Tim Cooper

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© 2018 Mary Uva

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© 2018 Chris Nicholson

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© 2018 Candace Shiveley

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© 2018 Gabriel Biderman

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© 2018 Hudson Road Photography

Redwood National & State Parks

The Redwood workshop challenged even the most experienced night photographers in the group. The dense canopy of the giant trees made it exceptionally dark in the forest, and their sheer size made them difficult to photograph. It was essential to find and plan images before darkness set in completely.

One of the best parts of the workshop was how the unique challenges of photographing enormous subject matter in total darkness brought everyone together. Collaboration was a big part of the experience, and many new friendships were formed in the forest. Redwood National & State Parks also boasts spectacular shoreline with numerous secluded beaches punctuated with sea stacks reminiscent of Olympic National Park, and we divided our time between those beaches and the forests.

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© 2018 Daniel Biediger

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© 2018 Donald Tredinnick

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© 2018 Chris Nicholson

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© 2018 Lance Keimig

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© 2018 Erika Biediger

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© 2018 Nancy Powell

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© 2018 Martin Pomphrey

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© 2018 Mary Uva

The Exhibits

So what are the details of our celebration? Will you be able to join us? We sure hope so!

Lance, Chris, Tim and I will be heading back to both parks for festivities that will include opening receptions, talks and night walks. Below is the “All You Need to Know.”

Biscayne

• Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery

• Friday, October 19: Night workshop (boat ride to Boca Chita), 5 to 11 p.m. ($70. Click here to register.)

• Saturday, October 20: Opening Reception, with a moonlight walk around Convoy Point, 5:30 to 8 p.m. (Free to attend.)

Redwood

• Hiouchi Visitor Center

• Friday, October 19: Opening Reception, 5:30 to 7 p.m. (Free to attend.)

• Saturday, October 20: Gallery talk with an explanation of the photographs, 1 to 2 p.m. (Free to attend.)

• Saturday, October 20: Mini-workshop, 5 to 11 p.m. (Email Lance to register.)

Bay Photo will be making all the prints for both exhibits, using their patented Xposer print format that comes with custom hanging hardware.

We’d love to share this celebration with you in person, but if you can’t make it to the opening, you can still visit the exhibits, as they will be up in both parks until January 13. To keep this information handy, download the PDF version of the event post card here.

Buy the Prints Online & Support the Parks

Can’t make it to either park during that time? You can see our online gallery of the show on SmugMug. Prints are available for purchase in a variety of sizes and materials from our good friends at Bay Photo Lab. They were thrilled at the opportunity to show our students’ and instructors’ work at both parks, so sponsored the exhibits and our involvement with both events.

We at National Parks at Night are big fans of getting your images off your computer and on your walls. It’s the ultimate respect for those 5-star photos. Bay Photo does an outstanding job, and we couldn’t be more proud that they support our programs. They offer a variety of print materials, from metal and wood to canvas and wraps and beyond! Just a reminder: First-time customers of Bay save 25 percent off their first order—click here to get that savings and create some precious prints!

Just to up the ante a little bit more: If you purchase a print from our online gallery, the proceeds will go to supporting both parks! The holidays are just around the corner …

With Gratitude …

Finally, we want to thank the 22 students who explored each of these parks with us. We literally couldn’t have done this without you!

Many of you have joined us in our pursuit to explore each one of our parks at night, and in each experience we all learn and grow. All our workshops end with a group slideshow where we revel in our week’s work. But to take it to the next level and share your visions on the walls of the place you photograph is truly special.

Seize the night!

Gabriel Biderman is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. He is a Brooklyn-based fine art and travel photographer, and author of Night Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots (Peachpit, 2014). During the daytime hours you'll often find Gabe at one of many photo events around the world working for B&H Photo’s road marketing team. See his portfolio and workshop lineup at www.ruinism.com.

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT