12 Tasks for Ringing in a New Year for Night Photography

It’s a new year, and we’re feeling … good?

Well, we should be! The new year is full of new possibilities for everything—including night photography.

But first, we have to be ready for it. To help get you started, here are 12 things you can do to prepare for your best night photography in 2021.

1. Research and Plan for Astronomy Events

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Solar eclipse and Bailey’s beads. © 2017 Gabriel Biderman. Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujifilm 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. 1/15, f/22, ISO 800.

A lot happens in the sky over 365 nights, and a lot of that can be different from one year to the next. 2021 will feature several items of note:

• The Eta Aquarid, Perseid, Draconid and Gemenid meteor showers should be particularly good. (Download our Great Balls of Fire e-book for all you need to know about photographing a meteor shower.)

• In March, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and a crescent moon will all pose together for a stellar night shot.

• May will feature a total lunar eclipse around the Pacific Rim (including western North America).

• The far-northern latitudes will enjoy an annular solar eclipse (i.e., a “ring of fire”) in June.

• The Southern Ocean and anyone sailing in it will experience a total solar eclipse in December.

Of course, there’s even more in this year’s astronomy calendar. Check out resources such as Sea and Sky and National Geographic.

2. Test Your Camera for Night Work

Are you fully aware of how your camera behaves in low light, when shooting with long exposures and at high ISOs? Both situations introduce noise to images, but every camera has different thresholds, and every photographer has a different tolerance. All of that is important knowledge to have when photographing in dark conditions, yet so many of us just kinda guess.

Instead, be precise, take control. Read Matt’s blog posts “Testing Your Camera’s Tolerance For Long-Exposure Noise” and “How to Take an ISO Test with your Camera.” Test and learn your gear, and you’ll be a better night photographer in 2021.

3. Calibrate and Clean Your Display

Your monitor is the most critical piece of gear in the digital darkroom. We all know that keeping it calibrated is important so that you can ensure you’re seeing the best and most accurate color. But when’s the last time you actually did that? Get out that colorimeter (we love the X-Rite i1Display Pro) and hone that display!

While you’re at it, dust the screen, and consider cleaning it as well. Just be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Clean Your Tripod

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While we’re on the subject of cleaning, how’s your tripod holding up? Are the legs not quite as easy to open as they once were? Have you been shooting in the desert? Near the sea? Tripods don’t like sand and salt and other such things—they can get into crevices and joints, leading to eventual lockdown and corrosion.

At minimum, put your tripod in the shower and rinse it down, then towel-dry it with a soft cloth and allow it to completely air-dry overnight.

If you want to deep-clean (i.e., remove sand grains from leg locks, etc.), then you can take the tripod apart, thoroughly wash everything, and put it back together. This may also involve re-greasing the leg locks, which is super-easy. Again, check the manufacturer’s recommendations.

For some help, know that Really Right Stuff (RRS) has a great series of videos on cleaning tripods. RRS’s design is similar to Gitzo’s, so the how-to’s are largely cross-compatible. And even if you don’t own one of those two brands, much of the advice is still valid. It’s a great resource.

5. Vacuum & Organize Your Bag

During use, lots of dust, dirt and other particulates large and small can get into your camera bag. They hide in the seams, in the crevices, in the bottom of interior pockets, etc. And anything that’s in your bag will likely find its way onto and into your gear.

So empty your bag, then vacuum the inside with a nozzle attachment. Cram that nozzle into all the seams and corners, and suck out all that junk. Vacuum the outside too, with a brush attachment. Then wipe down the exterior with a damp cloth.

This gives you the added opportunity to reorganize your gear as you put it back in the bag. You might even find some items you forgot were in there. (If you find a film leader retriever, it’s probably been too long since you’ve cleaned your bag.) Anything you haven’t used in a long time can either go on a shelf in the closet, or you can commit to reintroducing that item into your workflow in the new year.

6. Clean & Calibrate Your Lenses

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One last cleaning task: Get some good lens cleaning fluid and lens tissues (we like the Zeiss kit, no matter what brand lenses need to be cleaned). First use the blower and soft brush to remove dust, then polish the rear and front elements of all your glass. Your photos will be sharper and you’ll get less flare when shooting into the moon.

Then, fire off some test photos with each lens in your kit. Are they looking crisp? If you have a camera that allows you to calibrate the autofocus internally, sharpen your setup with a focus calibration target (we like the Vello LENS-2020). If you have an Irix lens, did you know you can calibrate the infinity focus? Check out this video.

Finally, are you truly familiar with how your lenses behave at night, particularly in relation to coma? If not, take a little time to test them. See Matt’s blog post “Getting the Best Star Points for Astro Landscapes: How to Test Lenses for Coma.”

7. Organize Lightroom

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Pick a day and dedicate it to getting your catalog into the shape you’ve always wanted it to be in. You’ll be able to find your images faster, your workflow will be more efficient, your software will run faster. Need help? Read Tim’s blog post “Cleaning the Clutter: How to Get Your Lightroom Catalog in Tiptop Shape.” (Need more help, one-on-one? Book one of us for an online session and we’ll guide you through the process.)

8. Bone up on Leave No Trace

As folks who use the outdoors in our artistic endeavors, we are responsible for ensuring that we leave wild spaces as pristine as we find them. Do you remember everything you should be doing to keep nature natural? Give yourself a refresher by reading up on The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. Better yet, get certified in them.

9. Start a Personal Project

What better time to start a new project than the beginning of a new year? Find a theme. Find an idea. Find a subject you care about. Then make a plan and get out to start shooting it.

10. Make a Filter for Your Flashlight

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Do you light paint with an LED flashlight? Do you use it as-is, always shooting with an approximately daylight-balanced light? Well, what happens when you want to shoot with a non-daylight white balance, such as when shooting under moonlight, or photographing the Milky Way? Then the color temperature of your light painting will be out of whack.

Instead, prepare to keep it in whack. Download our Flashlight Filtration Guide, order the supplies, cut your gels, and control your color.

11. Make a Print of Your Favorite Photo from 2020

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Admittedly, last year probably wasn’t your most creative campaign. Obstacles abounded. Still, you probably shot some frames you like, and among those you likely have a favorite. Print it. Frame it. Put it on your wall. It will serve as an inspiration—a reminder that you’re good, a reminder that you want to get out and shoot more and get even better.

12. Learn More

No matter how good you are at night photography, you can be better. Find a way to level up:

• Read this blog post: “New Year’s Revolutions: Six Steps to Shaking Up Your Night Photography.”

• Read a new night photography book. Or two, or three. (You can find more than a hundred suggestions on our Bookshelf.)

• Get out and shoot more.

• Attend a night photography workshop.

• Attend an online night photography conference. (Hmm. Where could you find one of those?)

Your Turn

And there you go, 12 things to do to prepare for being a great night photographer in the new year.

Have anything you’d like to add? We’d love to hear your tips for kicking off the photography new year just right. Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

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

10 Silver Linings: Our Favorite Night Photographs of 2020

If you were to wrap up everything that was 2020 into a single long-exposure frame, I’m confident it would be overexposed. (Too soon?)

But that’s not how we do it around here. We take our time. We are choosy. We are deliberate. We expose for the shadows, yet retain critical details in the highlights. We exercise the right to turn our tripod around 180 degrees and shoot the other way. Why? Because the next best shot is somewhere near the infinite focal point of our lives: night photography. 

Now we embark on the hardest quest of the year: to each choose only two frames to represent our favorite creative photographs from of 2020. Please enjoy the highlights from each of our agonizing selection processes. Keep in mind, we (mostly) love all of our photos. But these rose to the top.

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Chris Nicholson

Comet Neowise, Monhegan Island

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Comet Neowise, Monhegan Island, Maine. Nikon D5 with a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. 5 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 25,600; 16 images stacked in Sequator.

One of the nice surprises of 2020 was Comet Neowise. It was a gift to anyone who had been longing to be outside under night skies again, especially photographers. It first appeared at night at the beginning of our July workshop in the Mid-Coast region of Maine, and it really started to shine during our subsequent workshop on Monhegan Island and in Acadia National Park.

It was on Monhegan that I made this image. Lance and I had been shooting on the island for two nights alone, then two nights with the group. On the last of those evenings, in the extra-late hours, I found myself alone on an extra-quiet trail along the rocky shore. I came upon this house and cottage, with the comet nestled quietly in between.

What I didn’t see through the dimly lit window was the perfectly framed head of someone sleeping on a pillow. That detail became apparent only when viewing the long exposure on my laptop display the next morning. Sometimes surprises make the image, and for me that was certainly the case here. Aesthetically I had liked the photograph before, but once I saw the sleeper, I loved it.

The open window and the sleeping would-be stargazer under the comet-adorned night sky all combine to tell the tale of what it felt like to be outside and at peace again.

Moon Over Mobius

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Moon over Mobius Arch, Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, California. Nikon D5 with an Irix 11mm f/4 lens, light painted with a Luxli Viola. 20 seconds, f/8, ISO 3200.

In October I was finally able to visit and photograph Alabama Hills—a place I’d seen many photographs of, as Lance, Tim and Gabe have shot there plenty.

Night photographers are of course drawn to rock formations, and Alabama Hills offers a nearly infinite supply of them. Perhaps the most famous, especially for photographers, is Mobius Arch. The day I photographed it was (and still is) the only day I’ve been there, but I was able to shoot it in amazing late-afternoon light, and later in serene moonlight. Yet those two opportunities were hours and hours apart.

I’d spent most of the evening helping workshop participants in other spots, ranging from right next to the cars in the parking lot (where folks were shooting star-panos of the mountain range that flanks the boulder-strewn landscape) to locations far and off the trail (where others were shooting star circles over that same landscape). Only at the end of the night did I return to Mobius, with the last two participants alongside. The three of us worked quietly together, each honed on our own ideas of how to interpret the scene.

I worked on this particular take for about 20 minutes. I already knew the exposure and the light painting approach from previous takes. The trick, though, was following the moon as it set behind Mobius, inching the tripod along the ground, keeping la luna framed right at the edge of the arch from one exposure to the next, until I finally captured what I was hoping for.

Gabriel Biderman

Utakleiv Beach, Lofoten

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Utakleiv Beach, Lofoten. Nikon Z 6 with a Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 lens at 17mm. 8 seconds, f/4, ISO 12,800.

I feel very blessed to have gone to such a special place as Norway prior to the world turning upside down.

Lofoten was an epic experience, but our nights were tricky. Clouds and snow were our constant companions. We kept an eye on the weather and the Kp index to try to predict our best chance at capturing the northern lights.

Finally we saw a good report. The forecast for the elusive aurora opening was going to be from 8 to 9 p.m.—a narrow window before the clouds would roll back in.

We knew the perfect place to go: Uttakleiv Beach. We had spent a day at Uttakleiv earlier in the trip, so we were familiar with the terrain. It has seaside mountains to give scale and water to reflect the night sky.

I’ve never seen a weather forecast be so on point. When we arrived, the overcast skies made the situation seem like a bust. But at 8:00 on the dot, the skies cleared and the magical green lights started their dance. For most of our group, this was the first time witnessing auroras, but to be honest, even for the experienced, this night was pretty special.

For one hour we danced with the northern lights, aiming our cameras as the auroras moved along the purple skies. It was truly magical. And it lasted, as predicted, for one hour. For all of us who shared a night under the northern lights, we’ll carry the experience forever.

Summit Bridge, Red Hook

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Summit Bridge, Red Hook. Mamiya 7 with a Mamiya 65mm f/4 lens. 30 seconds, f/8, ISO 100 (Fujifilm Acros II).

Upon returning from Norway, my “adventures” consisted of my apartment in Brooklyn and the surrounding areas. As frustrating as it was not to be under the stars of our national parks, I fell back in love with my “backyard” and film.

I live in Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn. It is a quaint neighborhood where everyone is proud of their front garden. I battled my stir craziness during the pandemic by taking night walks in the neighborhood. I dusted off one of my favorite film cameras—my medium format Mamiya 7—and got back to the basics of shooting film. Brighter urban lights make film exposures fairly easy to determine. 2020 also welcomed the return of Fujifilm’s Acros 100 (now II), which has the least reciprocity of any film on the market and makes long exposure film shots relatively easy.

My walks would often lead me to neighboring Red Hook, which features a mixture of industrial buildings, wharfs, cobblestone streets and old-school residential homes.

Summit Bridge, a small bridge that takes pedestrians up and over the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, unites our two neighborhoods. I’ve walked over it a thousand times, but this time all the elements of the scene clicked for me. I saw lines leading up to the beacon of light. Heck, there were lines galore! The lines of the steps connected with the lines of the rails, which intersected with the lines of the spear-headed fence, and the light reflecting on the brick building also leads the eye to the fence, which all leads back to the focal-point light.

I shot this just two weeks ago. The image is a perfect bookend for a year that started in a distant archipelago and ended very close to home.

Lance Keimig

Portland, Oregon

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Portland, Oregon. Nikon D780 with a PC-E Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 lens. 8 seconds, f/8, ISO 100.

Probably like most people, 2020 was not my most productive year, photographically or otherwise. All in all, I count myself lucky though. We managed to hold a few workshops, stay healthy, and fill most of our 2021 workshops and tours. The at-home stress test with my partner Katherine only brought us closer together, despite both of us dealing with ongoing family crises. I’m coming out of this horrible year in better shape than a lot of people, and am grateful for it. Creatively, the year is a write-off, and that’s OK, all things considered.

Katherine and I went to Portland, Oregan, to help celebrate a friend’s birthday in late February, just as the COVID-19 scare was beginning. While there we got together with another old friend who took us out night-shooting in an industrial area that just happened to be near a brewery that Gabe said Katherine and I had to visit. (We did.)

One of the things I came to realize in this truncated year was that I really miss urban night photography. It’s where I started, and I plan to get back to it in a big way when COVID subsides.

This image might not have a lot of appeal to most people, but I love the simplicity of it. The repeating shapes, the backlighting, the shadows, the minimal colors. It’s the kind of image I used to make all of the time, and want to make again. I guess that I also like it because it represents the last moments of freedom before we were all overwhelmed by the pandemic.

Acadia National Park

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Eagle Lake panorama, Acadia National Park, Maine. Nikon D750 with a Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens. Five stitched images shot at 15 seconds, f/2, ISO 6400.

Chris and I were joking that I’d be submitting Comet Neowise images as obvious favorites, because that’s pretty much the last time I took a night photograph. I do have a couple of decent comet photos, but it was this pano of Eagle Lake in Acadia National Park (made during the comet’s peak) that I chose to share here. Many of you know that Acadia is one of Chris’ favorite parks, and I was very happy to have been able to spend some time with him there this summer as part of the two back-to-back workshops we somehow managed to pull off in Maine in July.

I’m generally not a landscape photographer, nor a big Milky Way shooter, but this was such a gorgeous scene, and such a peaceful place to be in such a calamitous time, that the memories of being there that this image brings back make it my second pick for my favorite images of the year.

I’m thinking now how snapshots to the non-photographer serve mainly as memory triggers to take one back to a time and place from the past. I guess the same can be true for professional photographers too, as that’s what this image does for me. It’s a bookmark in time, in this case for a brief reprieve from the nonstop barrage of bad news that was 2020. But—this year is coming to an end, and if we are diligent, and a bit lucky, as we round the corner into 2021, things will start to brighten, and new opportunities will await. I’m ready for them.

Matt Hill

Lance on the Racetrack

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Lance Keimig on Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park. Nikon Z 6 with a Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D lens. 20 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 1600.

If I could sum up 2020 with one image, it would be this pensive portrait of Lance on Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park.

That workshop seemed to be foreshadowing the year ahead of us. We were plagued with adversities. From sand storms to power outages to a scarcity of fresh food, only tenacity on everyone’s part brought us to a successful end. This included our alumni, the workshop leaders and the surprise guests (Gabe and Tim).

My consideration of this image includes the crisp starry sky, the crusty playa and the soft memory of where Lance lingered, considering what occupied his attention at that moment. In the distance you can see other people forming their own relationship with the night sky. Plus, the sign of perhaps other strangers arriving or departing in the car trail on the far side.

2020 will hopefully fade into insubstantiality as this instance of Lance’s pondering did. But hopefully the tenacity and lessons we bring with us will have a more permanent home in our decision-making process.

It’s my wish that we will employ more empathy. Take a little more time to consider the perspective that distance from “normal” offers. And to take the hope one can find in this and apply it to making the things we find important thrive.

Molly Diptych

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Diptych of Molly on the Hudson River. Nikon Z 6 with a Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D lens, lit with a LumoPro LP180 speedlight and a Nanlite Pavotube II 6C. Left: 10 seconds, f/4, ISO 3200; right: 6 seconds, f/3.5, ISO 100.

If you could truly render your perception of another being into a descriptive portrait, how would you approach executing it? I ask myself this before many portrait shoots.

This particular diptych of night portraits was the culmination of something I hold very dear: the opportunity to collaborate with other creative people. Such as the subject of these portraits and the team around this shoot.

Molly, who posed for these, has layers upon layers of truths she finds crucial and things about the world she works tirelessly to improve. From social justice to art, her strength of character and determination were elements I wanted to preserve and to enhance.

Being a fellow artist and photographer, Molly was able to offer contributions that went beyond posing in front of the camera. Her willingness to collaborate, with clear ideas on how she wanted to pose, and her willingness to stand in the murky Hudson River on a warm July night all yielded a rich session with many images I love.

For a few years we were promising to make some art together. And this was really one of the first few chances. I’m happy. And I believe the diptych of Night Paper on the left and a light painting night portrait on the right speak to each other.

The best ideas really require getting other people involved to render the vision. The other people I want to thank are Kelly Mena for producing the video shoot preceding the Night Paper shoot, and my wife Mabel for being my stalwart creative support on the video and portrait shoots. And for that matter, practically everything else.

For me, 2020 will always be a time of exploring the realities and concepts behind isolation, safety and security. This portrait pair is one glimpse into a topic I want to explore even more.

Tim Cooper

Steam at Excelsior Geyser

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Steam at Excelsior Geyser, Yellowstone National Park. Nikon Z 6 with a Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens at 20mm. Two blended images shot at 6 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 1600 (foreground) and 15 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 6400 (background).

During our Yellowstone National Park workshop in September, Chris and I brought the group to one of the largest and best-known thermal features in the park: Grand Prismatic Springs. It’s known almost exclusively for the glowing oranges and yellows of the algae and bacteria mats that surround the deeper blues of the spring. But even there, there’s much more than just one shot. And sometimes that other take can be the hero image.

While walking the location, I noticed a car coming down the road backlighting the profuse steam generated by nearby Excelsior Geyser. The play of light and shadow through the steam was simply fantastic. I knew I had to somehow capture it by the end of the night.

By the time the group left, the shot was much more challenging to make. When I exposed for the steam and car lights, the sky rendered pitch black. On the other hand, exposing for the sky overexposed the steam. This situation called for two different exposures at different times.

For the image of the sky, I waited for a break in the steam and exposed to capture Jupiter and the stars. For the next image I had to wait for an oncoming car to backlight the steam—which by that time of night took awhile. After several attempts I finally made the images I would use to create the final composite.

The backlit moving steam and the tree and mountain silhouette came together to create an ethereal image that, for me, perfectly captured the mood of the scene.

Colorado Silky Way

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Silky Way over Last Dollar Road, Colorado. Nikon Z 6 with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. Two blended images shot at 2 minutes, f/2.8, ISO 320 (foreground) and 8 minutes, f/2.8 ISO 160 (background).

The San Juan Mountains of western Colorado is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve been running workshops there every year since 1995, and I never tire of the area or the scenery. When I am there, I am inspired.

I made this image during our workshop in October, at the end of our traverse over Last Dollar Road, one of the lower mountain passes in the area. Chris and I had chosen this location as a spot where we could photograph both the sunset and, later, the Milky Way. After an awe-inspiring drive, we arrived just in time to time to frame up some shots of the sunset and then plan our blue hour compositions. Once these were made, we left our cameras set up and waited for the end of astronomical twilight. The skies were perfectly clear and every participant made great images of the galactic core.

Upon arrival, I had envisioned my final shot as a tack-sharp image of the core, but after experimenting with shutter speeds, I decided on an 8-minute exposure instead. Eight minutes of exposure is generally too short to create desirable trails when using a wide angle lens, but with the longer focal length of 50mm the trails are perfect. The narrow view of this lens also compressed the foreground and magnified the core to create the look that some call the “Silky Way.”

Your Turn

So there you go—from Maine to California, and even to Norway, and from a plethora of places in between—our favorite photographs from 2020.

Now we’d like to see yours! Please share your favorite night image from the past year, either in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or on Instagram (tag @nationalparksatnight). And then let’s all march forward together into 2021, when we’ll find new nights and new inspiration.

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

Midwinter Musings: The Importance of the Solstice to the Night Photographer

Happy winter solstice to you!

Historically the winter solstice welcomes the beginning of winter, and it’s the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

It occurs when one of the earth’s poles is at its maximum tilt away from the sun. At and near the pole, there is continual darkness or twilight during the winter solstice—the exact opposite of summer solstice when inside the polar circles you can witness the midnight sun. In the Southern Hemisphere the winter solstice generally falls on June 20 or 21, and in the Northern Hemisphere on December 21 or 22. This year, it’s the 21st!

Winter Solstice Celebrations

The winter solstice (or, “midwinter”) has been celebrated and observed in many ways by humankind since as early as the end of the Stone Age (around 10,000 B.C.).

One of the most famous prehistoric monuments to the winter solstice is Newgrange in Ireland. Built in 3200 B.C., its opening perfectly aligns with the midwinter sunrise. For 17 minutes the sun shines directly down a long passage and illuminates the inner chamber to reveal carvings inside, including the most famous Irish megalithic symbol, the Tri-Spiral.

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Newgrange and the Tri-Spiral at sunrise of the winter solstice. Photo CC Ken Williams.

And of course one of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom is Stonehenge, constructed between 3000 and 2000 B.C. The monument is aligned to the movements of the sun—or, more precisely, to the winter and summer solstices.

Many other monuments and celebrations exist and have existed throughout history. Great feasts and rituals have long been held on the winter solstice all over the world. Fires and lights are universal symbols of these celebrations. Some examples:

• Dong Zhi, which means “winter arrives,” is the Chinese observance of the winter solstice, Like many solstice celebrations, it started as a harvest festival. Families continue to come together and feast, to share well-wishes, and to celebrate the increase of positive energy for the year to come.

• St. Lucia Day, celebrated in Scandinavian countries, is meant to bring hope and light during the darkest time of the year.

• During Toji in Japan, people create massive bonfires on Mount Fuji to encourage the sun’s return and to focus on healing and good health.

• Persians have celebrated Shab-e Yalda, the “rebirth of the sun,” for centuries. It marks the longest night and the return of longer daylight hours. Fires were built at sundown and were continually stoked to last until the first rays of the next day. The celebration included food and song, as well as tales of the great battle of the sun god Mithra triumphing over darkness. 

• The Hopi of northern Arizona have celebrated the kachina dance during the winter solstice for over a millennium. The Soyal ceremony begins on the shortest day of the year and can last for up to 16 days. Dancing and sacred rituals focus on a plan of life in the coming year and celebrate turning back the sun toward the summer path.

What About Night Photographers?

For a night photographer, the winter solstice and the winter months are natural to celebrate, because they make for great night-shooting opportunities. Earlier and longer nights mean that even those of us who live in middle latitudes can start photographing as early as 4 or 5 p.m. We can still log a productive night’s work and be home for a cup of tea by 10!

Of course, many photographers hibernate when the weather turns cold. The galactic core of the Milky Way is not visible for most of the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere. Colder temperatures don’t inspire us to venture outside as much. But we need to celebrate and seize these winter months! (I wrote about this a few years ago in a post titled “Be Out in the Cold: Why Winter is Great for Night Photography.”)

First, of course, snow happens in winter! That soft, white blanket on a scene can make for truly inspiriting astro-landscape photos.

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The mountain Skottinden looming over the snowy landscape of Ballstad, Norway. Hasselblad X1D II 50C with a Hassellblad 21mm f/4 XCD lens. 11 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 400.

Auroras happen year-round, but are much more visible during the darker months. (For more on photographing this dynamic feature of the night, see our previous blog posts “How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis” and “8 Illuminating Tips for Photographing Auroras.”)

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Aurora over abandoned boat in Djúpavík, Westfjords, Iceland. Nikon D750 with a Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens. 10 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 6400.

The moon can be our friend during the long winter months—you might be familiar with the lunar halo, or moon ring, which is caused by moonlight refracting, reflecting and dispersing as it passes through high-altitude ice particles and thin cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.

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Lunar Halo over the Owens Valley Radio Observatory in California. This can be a common appearance in the winter, and according to folklore is a precursor to impending stormy weather. Nikon Z 7 with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 lens at 14mm. 15 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 800.

When the air gets even colder, the natural phenomenon known as light pillars can be another magical experience to capture during winter months.

Wait, There’s More!

If all that isn’t enough, the 2020 winter solstice will be an especially momentous one for the night photographer. For the first time in almost 800 years, we will witness the “great conjunction,” when Jupiter and Saturn, as seen from Earth, move together to be separated by only 0.1 degree. This will be visible from around the globe (weather permitting) in the western twilight sky. Both planets are very bright to the naked eye on their own, but if they were to join, what an amazing beacon that would be!

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Composite of Saturn and Jupiter images. Both images courtesy of NASA.

Many of the news agencies are calling this the return of the “Star of Bethlehem” or “Christmas Star,” as history does show that in 7 B.C. a similar great conjunction happened three times in 8 months.

What will it look like for us? Will the planets form a superstar in the sky? It’s hard to say, as this phenomenon has never been photographed before. When asked about this, EarthSky’s lead sky writer Bruce McClure commented:

“I do not know for certain, but I doubt it. I’m guessing people with decent vision will view Jupiter and Saturn as two distinct points of light. Part of the fun is to wait and see. Remember that people with good vision can see Venus as a crescent with the eye alone when its angular diameter is one minute of arc or larger. At their closest, the angular separation between Jupiter and Saturn will be six times that distance: 6 minutes of arc.”

You might be getting a sense of the effect already, though, if you’ve had a clear twilight recently. Since December 16, the planets have been inching closer, and a lot of stargazers and photographers have been watching and shooting.

The 0.1-degree conjunction will happen on Monday, December 21—the winter solstice! It will last for about an hour after sunset—so get out there early and find a clear horizon to the west. Then, of course, stay out and continue to shoot!

The Solstice Shoot

As night photographers, let’s make sure we do two things:

First, remember that this is a special celestial event that the whole world can witness and share—let’s go out and celebrate this winter solstice! We’d love to see your interpretations of the great conjunction. You’ll definitely want to capture them as “star points,” but perhaps a superclose double star trail would be stellar too. Whatever you do—share your images and make sure to tag #nationalparksatnight.

Second, let’s continue this new night photography tradition of shooting during the winter solstice from now on. This is our longest night—let’s make sure to seize it!

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

How I Got the Shot: Milky Way and White Dome Geyser, Yellowstone

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Milky Way and White Dome Geyser, Yellowstone. Nikon D5 with an Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens, light painted with a Luxli Viola. 25 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 6400.

The Location

I love Yellowstone National Park’s White Dome Geyser. I’ve been photographing it since 2010.

I first targeted it as the solution to a self-challenge. While preparing for a 10-day shoot in Yellowstone, I’d had a sudden inspiration that I wanted to silhouette a geyser eruption in front of a sunrise or sunset. I started researching which of the park’s 500 geysers would give me good chances for a good photo. In my mind, three criteria were important:

1. The geyser had to erupt frequently. I didn’t want an hours-long window between eruptions, because I needed to be able to time it with a sunrise or sunset.

2. The geyser had to erupt predictably. That solves the same problem as above—if the estimated time of the predicted eruption was wrong by two hours, I wouldn’t be able to time the eruption with a sunrise or sunset.

3. The geyser had to have an aesthetic quality that could be silhouetted. A hole in the ground wouldn’t work—physical structure was important.

After a fair amount of pre-trip research, I settled on White Dome Geyser. Its eruption times can vary, but not nearly as widely as most other geysers (the average interval is about half an hour for White Dome, as opposed to hours, days, weeks, months or years for others); it’s relatively predictable, rarely varying by more than 30 minutes or so; its presence is visually notable, as it features a sinter cone that rises 12 feet from the ground.

The geyser didn’t disappoint. Once I arrived on location, it took me three tries (because of weather), but eventually I got my shot (Figure 1). Then over the years I fondly visited and photographed White Dome a few more times, during daylight and moonlight. I’ve come to know the spot well.

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Figure 1. White Dome Geyser erupting at sunset in 2010. Nikon D3 with a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 lens. 1/800, f/5.6, ISO 200.

So this past September, when Tim Cooper and I were leading a night photography workshop in Yellowstone and we had the idea of light painting an eruption with the Milky Way in the background, I had an inkling for a geyser that might work. White Dome would be a good target once again, for all the reasons mentioned above. We did a daytime scout with PhotoPills (Figure 2), which showed that the galactic core would be behind the geyser by about 10 p.m. Perfect!

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Figure 2. PhotoPills proved our hunch that we could photograph the Milky Way behind White Dome geyser that week, and told us what time we could expect that to happen.

The Shoot

We never have just one idea for a location—we come loaded with a few (including, in this case, star circles over a nearby hot spring), and of course we let workshop participants run with their own ideas as well. On the night we visited that location, most of the group shot by the hot spring, because that photo opportunity was immediate, while the White Dome idea wouldn’t work until a few hours into the evening, after the moon set.

With that being the case, the idea for the Milky Way behind the geyser was nearly forgotten. Folks did some twilight light painting, followed by Tim and I running a long demo to help participants set up for shooting star circles under moonlight, followed by an hour-plus of everyone chatting under the night sky while their cameras ripped a series of 2-minute exposures.

Except for James and me.

Earlier in the evening I’d set up a series of star-circle exposures over White Dome Geyser. I wanted to go back to stop the camera, and James, one of the workshop participants, decided he’d join me.

After breaking down that north-facing setup, I remembered the Milky Way idea and we circled the geyser to see how things were lining up. The answer? Perfectly! We decided we’d do a quick setup—not to wait for the geyser to erupt, but to just light paint the steam with the Milky Way in the background.

We set up our tripods, and worked out our compositions, focus and exposure. Then we added some light with a Luxli Viola. The approach was straight-forward. We didn’t have much choice for an angle to light from, because we could walk on only one side of the geyser (the side with the paved road)—so we just walked far enough to get a 90-degree angle at the steam. The only real question was how much light to add, and we figured that out with just three test shots (Figure 3).

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Figure 3. Testing the light painting. From left: a little too much, a little too little, almost perfect.

We were very happy with that third shot, enough to pack up and move back to the rest of the group. We came within seconds of breaking down our setups, when—swoosh! Water started gushing skyward!

We couldn’t have timed it better if we’d tried. We were already set up, composed, focused and dialed in with our exposure, and we knew exactly how much light to add and from where to add it. All we needed to do was execute everything again. So we did. And we got the two shots in Figure 4.

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Figure 4. The two photos that include the eruption.

The Reshoot

James and I were ecstatic about our … well, let’s not say at “luck,” but rather at the meeting of luck and preparation. On the way back to the group, we were pretty charged about the image we’d just made. We showed the rest of the participants, and they were excited too, enough so that four of them wanted to stay late to shoot a similar photo.

By the time we made it back to White Dome, an hour had passed. It was almost midnight, and the Milky Way had moved. Seven of us set up along the side of the road, and Tim and I set two Violas on the ground, pointed toward the geyser. We tested our exposures, and waited.

But this time, we weren’t as fortunate. We encountered a few problems.

First Reshoot

We didn’t have to wait terribly long for the next eruption. White Dome blew again at about 12:30. We were all excited and started shooting. But …

Unfortunately, someone had the Luxli Composer app open on their phone and accidentally touched a control. Instantly the light color changed from the nice warm temperature of 3200 K to bright blue (Figure 5). White Dome’s eruptions last about two minutes, but the maximum flow occurs for less than half of that. When you’re dealing with a 15- to 25-second exposure, that means you usually get one good shot—maybe two—per eruption. The color change happened during that narrow window, so … well, we missed the shot.

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Figure 5. First reshoot. Oops.

Still, we were enjoying the now-dark sky (the moon had set two hours earlier by that point) and the quiet surrounds of a beautiful national park—not to mention each other’s company. So we got over our disappointment and settled in for another try.

Second Reshoot

That opportunity came 50 minutes later—at 1:23 a.m. But …

At exactly 1:20 a.m—just three minutes before the next eruption, for the first time all night, the breeze shifted. All of us had set up compositions with the galactic core to the left of the geyser, and now the steam was blowing across—and obscuring—the Milky Way. Then, swoosh!, White Dome blew. Once again, we didn’t get the shot.

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Figure 6. Second reshoot. Dang wind!

We were deflated. We were disappointed. And we were exhausted. We were done. We decided we couldn’t and wouldn’t wait for another eruption.

Then a funny thing happened: We waited anyway. We didn’t break down. We didn’t pack up our gear. We didn’t leave. Instead, we stood there talking and laughing and, for some reason, not getting any more tired. I can attribute that only to something about the magic of nature at night.

Third Reshoot

Thus, when the geyser blew again at 2 a.m., we were ready. The Milky Way was tilting perfectly. The light was right. The breeze was blowing gently to the right. Everything was perfectly in place, and we all got the shot (Figure 7).

We felt good. In fact, we felt great! We hooted, we hollered, we high-fived. Then we packed the cars to head back to the hotel, hitting the road about 2:30 a.m. and the beds well after 3:00.

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Figure 7. Third reshoot. Yay!

Wrapping Up

All the takes on that night’s scene were straight-forward: just the right exposure with the right amount of added light. As such, the post-production didn’t require anything fancy or complex—just basic adjustments to tune the white balance and exposure, then to boost local contrast with Dehaze and Texture.

The biggest matter in post was choosing which frame I like the most. By the end of the night I’d had two cameras running—one vertical and one horizontal—and thus I had about 20 exposures with the geyser actually erupting (plus about 120 with just steam). Many of the images had merits, but I decided that my first take with James was my favorite. I just liked the way the water and steam were moving in the composition, mimicking the shape of the galactic core.

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Milky Way and White Dome Geyser, Yellowstone. Nikon D5 with an Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens, light painted with a Luxli Viola. 25 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 6400.

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

All That Glitters: Our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s again that time of year. The time for cheer. The time for gear. … Well, the time for a gear guide, anyway.

Below we present our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide. This guide is a yearlong endeavor. It’s true. We’ve been compiling ideas for it since last November—since literally the day after we released our 2019 gift guide. All through last December and in the 11 months since, we’ve kept our eyes on the prizes of the photography market, as well as on the world of the national parks. The result is this collection of over 40 products and services that we believe the photographer in your world will love. From cameras to lenses to software to books and more, these are gifts we believe in, gifts we would love to give.

Our gift to you is to help with your gifts to others. Your gift to us? You’ve already given it. This community is more than we could have wished for. So … thank you.

In addition to the blog post below, we’re also providing this gift guide as a free downloadable PDF e-book, so you can read it and reference it on any device, anytime, anywhere. Inside you’ll find products from major brands such as B&H Photo, BenQ, Bay Photo and Nikon, along with great little finds from smaller companies and startups.

In addition to the product information, the e-book version includes a lot more photos, as well as special discount codes and offers.

Download your copy today by clicking here:

Note: If you decide to purchase any of the items in this gift guide, please consider using the links included, as many generate a small commission that helps us improve the National Parks at Night workshop program.

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Acratech

GXP with Lever Clamp

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We absolutely love the Acratech series of ball heads and highly recommend the GXP as the workhorse to carry anything. It supports 50 pounds and will perfectly marry with any full-size tripod. For a travel tripod, choose the GP-ss with its smaller-diameter base. It has the same build and same reliability, and holds 25 pounds. For either, opt for the lever clamp over the knob for a super-secure connection.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Amber Share Design

Subpar Parks 8x10 Print

Subpar Parks took off this year, offering a humorous take at the naïve cynicism of travelers who gave national parks bad reviews online. Choose an 8x10 Print of a favorite park with a glorious quote of negative feedback. Perhaps Acadia’s “The Water is Cold,” or Arches’ “Looks Nothing Like the License Plate,” or Everglades’ “Miles and Miles of Nothing.”

B&H Photo

Gift Cards

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If you have a photographer in your life and are not quite sure what’s needed in their kit, it’s impossible to go wrong with a B&H Photo Gift Card. With over 600,000 items to choose from, you could be forgiven for not knowing what to get for that special someone. The gift card comes in both electronic and physical formats, and is available in denominations ranging from $25 to $250. They never expire, so if the recipient can’t decide what to get either, there’s no pressure to use it in a hurry. 

Babak Tafreshi

The World at Night

Babak Tafreshi, founder of the international organization The World at Night, has curated this collection of images of the night sky by more than 40 photographers from locations in 25 different countries. The World at Night is grouped according to six themes, including celestial phenomena and events, dark sky locations, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and astro-tourism destinations such as ancient astronomical monuments and modern observatories. There is also commentary on the science and astronomy involved in each of the photographs. The book will provide inspiration, as well as motivation to get out and explore The World at Night.

Bay Photo Lab

Xpozer Wall Display

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Photographers love celebrating their wonderful night (and day) images by printing and hanging them on the wall. And the bigger, the better! Bay Photo’s Xpozer prints allow you to print bigger at smaller prices than more traditional media. Moreover, the Xpozer’s patented hanging system allows for easily swapping in new prints, and rolling and storing those not currently on the wall.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

BenQ

SW2700PT Photographer IPS Monitor

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Using a good computer monitor is critical to making images look their best. It really is the most important piece of equipment on the desktop. Without it, a photographer has no idea what their images actually look like. In the not-so-distant past, monitors that met the needs of demanding photographers were very expensive. BenQ has changed that by creating extremely high-quality monitors at a moderate price. You deserve a monitor that was built just for you. The SW2700PT.

Books

NPAN bookshelf

Does the photographer in your life relish great photography books? In addition to the few specific tomes and monographs mentioned in this guide, the National Parks at Night Bookshelf webpage catalogs over 100 of our instructors’ favorite volumes. Explore titles related to instruction, travel, photography history, photography collections and more. You’re sure to find a book for anyone who loves the art.

Coast Portland

HX5R Flashlight

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The HX5R is a compact light with Coast’s patented focusing mechanism that transitions from an even, wide beam to a narrow spot beam with no halo. It has two brightness settings: 75 and 340 lumens. Unlike other Coast lights, the switch is on the barrel, and the USB charging port is under the tail cap. The dual power system allows the light to run on Coast’s rechargeable battery or with a standard CR123 battery. Comes with a lifetime warranty.

Constellation Catskill

Cosmic Discs

Among many wonderful things at his shop Constellation, artist Derek James Smith of Catskill, New York, offers handmade wall-hanging Cosmic Discs using the Japanese method of Shou Sugi Ban wood charring and preservation. Each is a unique expression of his connection to the universe. A concurrence of color, texture and astral bodies drawn forth from wood. Born of fire, friction and vision, each piece is an object for hours of contemplation at home.

Field Notes

National Parks Series Field Note Books

Working on a long set of long exposures—perhaps during a long, long overnight—can require making a copious amount of notes. Use these beautiful National Parks Series field-note books that celebrate some of America’s most beautiful spaces, from Yosemite to Acadia, from Arches to Mount Rainier and beyond. 48 pages of 3.5-by-5.5-inch graph paper with a soft cover that fits comfortably in a back pocket. Available in sets of three, or even as a subscription.

Four Point Puzzles

The Moon 1000-Piece Circular Puzzle

Who doesn’t like a challenging puzzle? And what better way to get to know the bright side of the moon than by putting it together, piece by piece? When assembled, The Moon measures 26.5 inches in diameter and shows stunning clarity of the tiniest craters on our nocturnal friend.

Gitzo

GIGT2545T Traveler Series 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod

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This lightweight option from the master tripod makers at Gitzo is perfect for the photographer who wants to keep the load down on a trip or who wants a smaller option for a second setup. The GIGT2545T Traveler Series 2 is made from strong, light, vibration-damping carbon fiber, and features reverse-folding legs that contribute to the tripod’s minimal 17.5-inch collapsed length. Extends to five feet high and can support up to 26 pounds, all without bogging down the backpack. Pairs perfectly with the Acratech GP-ss ball head.

Hello Ranger

Community App   

For a place of inspiration and information, look no further than Hello Ranger—a website, podcast and Community App created for and by national park and public land enthusiasts. Grounded in a wonderful diversity of voices and expertise, Hello Ranger has lined up a talented and knowledgeable group of ambassadors (including our friend National Park Patch Lady) to facilitate and encourage park lovers of all ages and abilities. Have questions about the best trails in northeastern national parks or car camping in the southwest? There’s an expert for that on Hello Ranger.

Irix

45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly Lens

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The newest lens from Irix is the gorgeous 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly. Fully weather-sealed, it contains aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements to minimize spherical aberration, distortion and chromatic aberration. The fast f/1.4 aperture has nine rounded blades for pleasing bokeh. Like all Irix lenses, the 45mm is fully manual focus with a focus confirmation and locking mechanism, as well as hyperfocal and depth of field scales. It’s available in Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts.

All Irix lenses are currently on sale at B&H Photo.

Ken Lee

Abandoned Southern California: The Slowing of Time

We’re big fans of Ken Lee’s photographs of abandoned sites in Southern California, and now Arcadia Publishing’s America Through Time imprint has published a monograph of the best of his work. The book is divided into sections according to subject, with accompanying text about the locations. Abandoned Southern California is available from Amazon, or directly from Ken’s website if you’d like a signed copy.

Lacie

2big Dock 2-Bay RAID Array

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Looking for a better way to organize and hold an ever-growing Lightroom Catalog? Lacie’s 2big Dock 2-Bay RAID Array offers storage solutions from 8 to 32 TB with the blazing fast Thunderbolt 3 connection. SD and CompactFlash cards can also be downloaded directly via the dock in the front. Have a PC computer? The 2big also is available in black with a USB 3.1 Type-C connection. Get the home catalog organized and ready to roll for 2021!

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Light Painting Brushes

Portrait Light

Looking for an easy way to make soft light for your night portraits? Light Painting Brushes’ new Portrait Light attachment is a thoughtfully designed directional light source that works with most flashlights. The attachment is also diffused, so making that softbox/window light look will be easy. It’s a perfect match with their Universal Connector (required!) and a Coast flashlight.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Luxli

Fiddle Pocket RGBAW LED Kit

We were thrilled to help launch the Luxli Fiddle at this year’s OPTIC All-Stars Conference! Luxli took the same technology from the slightly bigger Viola and packed it into an even more compact body, and combined it with a built-in battery that will last 1 to 3 nights in the field for lots of low-level light painting. The Fiddle Pocket Kit comes with a magnet mount and upgraded mini ball head to accurately point and/or feather the light.

Save $40 off the Fiddle & Fiddle kits at B&H Photo through December 31.

Manfrotto

MS0490C Carbon Fiber Nanopole Stand

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The Nanopole light stand is perfect for getting a Luxli Fiddle or other light elevated over the scene. But this taller and lighter stand offers even more versatility, because it can also be used as a boom arm! The carbon fiber center column simply clicks out to extend to 77 inches, allowing a photographer to extend their light more places. The carbon fiber version is lighter and has twist locks similar to most tripods; the aluminum version has standard light stand knob locks.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Move-Shoot-Move

2-in-1 Star Tracker Rotator

Star Trackers have long been an enticing idea, allowing for long star-point exposures at low ISOs by moving the camera in sync with the stars. But star trackers were also bulky and complex to set up. No more! The Move-Shoot-Move Rotator is lightweight (1 pound), small (1.7 by 3.2 by 3.9 inches) and easy to get working. Use for single, low-ISO exposures or for time lapse.

Nanlite

Nanlite PavoTube II 6C 10in 6w RGBWW LED Tube

Light painters and light writers will want to add the Nanlite Pavotube II 6C to their arsenal. With a USB-C-charged internal battery, 2700 to 7200 K CCT, full RGB and Fx modes, this diffused 10-inch light source solves tons of problems. Lots of accessory mounting options or even fabric grids for light control are also available. Plus, the tube’s got magnets! Stick it to the hood of a car, a signpost or other metal surface for effects in places light stands can’t go.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

National Park Geek

Neck Gaiter

Has your love of national parks blossomed into nerdom? Based on the wildly popular Instagram account, National Park Geek is the go-to resource for T-shirts, stickers, patches and other park collectibles. Wear your geeky pride with this fun Neck Gaiter, while staying warm and comfortable in cool conditions.

Exclusive discount: 10 percent off with promo code “STARS” through December 11.

National Park Playing Cards

National Park Playing Cards

Gin Rummy, Texas Hold’em or even solitaire is even better when you see your favorite old haunts or locations from your bucket list as you play with National Park Playing Cards. Each card in this beautifully designed, high-quality deck features a scene from a different national park—illustrations that capture the unique beauty of each park with a modern look and feel. 56 cards, created for card-lovers and nature-lovers alike. Designed in Los Gatos, California.

National Parks at Night

2021 Wall Calendar

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The annual National Parks at Night wall calendar is released for 2021! Explore 13 months’ worth of astronomy dates, such as full and new moons, eclipses and meteor shower peaks, as well as national park festivities and more. Includes 14 astro-landscape photographs from the National Parks at Night instructors.

25 percent off with discount code “BFGIFT25” through November 30.

Night Photography Adventure Workshop

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We simply love being outdoors, teaching and helping people get great pictures. Many of our Season 6 workshops are full, but we do have a few slots open on some. Our Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway workshops are back-to-back—either or both will be an epic adventure in the Appalachian Mountains. Charleston and Barcelona offer historic and urban night photography experiences. Or delve into Lightroom and Photoshop with our summer Post-Processing Intensive in Seattle.

Books

Looking for some national park and night photography inspiration and education that you can always have at your fingertips? Choose from one of four books written by members of the NPAN team!

• Photographing National Parks by Chris Nicholson is a portable and concise look at each of our national parks and how to best capture them. Includes best locations, times and great info on each park to help you plan your next adventure.

• Have someone new to the night? Gabriel Biderman and Tim Cooper’s book Night Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots (now in its third printing) is an introduction to nocturnal photography, and it inspires you to get out there and seize the night!

• Want an even deeper dive into the night? Lance Keimig’s book Night Photography and Light Painting: Finding Your Way in the Dark has long been the ultimate tome for those interested in immersing themselves in the genre. The latest edition has an amazing chapter on the history of light painting and does an excellent job of balancing theory, history and enthusiasm for taking your night visions to the next level.

• Light painting is the most creative expression in night photography, and Tim Cooper’s ebook The Magic of Light Painting is a detailed exploration of all the illuminating possibilities that can happen when we practice the craft.

e-Books

Help your photographer friend or loved one level up on knowledge with one of NPAN’s two e-books. Three Legs to Stand On is an all-encompassing guide to buying, outfitting and using tripods. Great Balls of Fire offers everything one needs to know about scouting, planning, executing and processing a meteor shower shoot. Best of all, you can name your own price!

Nikon

D780 Camera

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The Nikon D780 may be the last DSLR you ever buy. It might also be the last one you need. This long-awaited replacement for the venerable D750 does not disappoint, with outstanding ergonomics, weather sealing, overall build quality, improved image quality, better live view in low light, robust still and video features, and (finally!) extended shutter speeds down to 15 minutes plus Bulb. If you prefer the traditional DSLR form over mirrorless cameras, the D780 is our No. 1 pick.

Nomatic

McKinnon 35L Camera Backpack

There is a new bag company in town and their name is Nomatic. They have been making everyday bags for several years but early in 2020 teamed with Peter McKinnon to launch the ultimate 35L Backpack. Watch out for this one—you can pack the kitchen sink! It’s a 35L bag, but is expandable to 42L and has a host of organizational accessories to keep you in check. Our favorite accessory is the 21L Cube that expands to serve as an amazing lightweight daypack. This makes it easy to haul everything in the 35L with a versatile 2-in-1 bag combo!

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Official Exclusive

Photography Pins

Decorate a camera bag, vest, jacket, hat or whatever with these fun Photography Pins. Covering both modern and retro, show off a love of cameras, film, tripods, drones and just about any other photography-related gear. Nearly a couple hundred to choose from!

Palette Gear

Monogram Studio Console

Work more efficiently and more intuitively in Lightroom and Photoshop with a Monogram console of creative controls such as buttons, sliders and dials. The Studio Console package is designed for photo-editing workflows—five modules to help speed up processing, organizing and more.

Parks Project

National Park Pennants

All the hip kids are wearing Parks Project gear, and for good reason. The company’s passion to promote, protect and preserve public lands has garnered collaborations with National Geographic, Rumpl and others in its collections of home goods, gifts and clothing. They have a lot of great products, and we’re partial to the old-school National Park Pennant—available for teams Yosemite, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains and Joshua Tree. And if you need something to wrap any of this guide’s gifts, check out the Iconic Parks Wrapping Paper.

PHOTTIX

Aion Intervalometer

The one intervalometer to rule them all. The Aion is universal because it comes with all the cables you’ll need (Nikon, Canon or Sony) and can be used wired or wirelessly up to 200 feet away. Yes, you can set it to rip hours of meteor showers, but even nicer is that you can dial it down to one-tenth of a second for the ultimate in exposure accuracy, which is really important when using NPF-calculated shutter speeds for star points.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

PhotoPills

Photography Scouting App

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By far the best phone app for photography. Period. PhotoPills is an all-in-one scouting tool that helps photographers plan and execute their images in a wide variety of situations. Individual apps (pills) track, calculate and illustrate the paths of the sun, moon and Milky Way, as well as list the different twilights and magic hours. Just in case that’s not enough, PhotoPills can help determine star-point exposures and hyperfocal distances, and can compute parameters needed to collect sequences of images to create time lapse videos. A truly dense app, this amazing tool is indispensable for any type of photographer.

50 percent off through November 30, 2020.

Rumpl

National Parks Collection Blankets

As we cuddle on the couch this holiday season and dream of the places we will go, why not avoid the chill with a National Parks Collection Blanket? Snuggle up to the Valley in Yosemite, Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone, very soft Joshua Trees under a dusky sunset, the tangerine and red spectrum of the Grandest Canyon of them all, or a bighorn sheep overlooking an alpine valley in Rocky Mountain. Puffy and warm, with full graphics on one side and a complimentary solid color on the reverse.

Shackleton London

Frank Hurley Photographer’s Jacket

For those who are super-serious about photographing in extreme weather (down to -13 degrees F) comes the Frank Hurley Photographer’s Jacket, aptly named for the photographer from the famed Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, the first attempted land crossing of the most southern continent. Ergonomic construction enables free movement while maintaining warmth and dryness, keeping the wearer nestled in goose down surrounded by graphene lining. Ten internal-access pockets allow for storing small gear and accessories for secure but easy access. Not to mention—it’s stylin’!

Syrp

Genie Mini II Pan & Tilt Kit

If you want to take your time lapses from “cool” to “wow!” then check out this tripod topper. Offering three-axis motion control that can be programmed from a smartphone app, the Genie Mini II Pan & Tilt Kit will unlock Milky Way-chasing time lapse videos. It’s a motorized gimbal coupled with a motorized panning device small enough to pack in a camera bag.

On sale at B&H Photo.

Tenba

Roadie Hybrid Roller 21

Being on the go with gear can be a challenge, especially when you need to navigate through terrain as varied as airport terminals and boulder-strewn landscapes—on the same trip! Tenba is here to help, with one of the most versatile bags you could use to carry your cameras and lenses (and laptops, accessories and more). Roll the Roadie Hybrid Roller 21 on hard surfaces, and when that won’t do, pull out the fold-away straps to convert it to a backpack.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Tether Tools

ONsite USB Type-C 87W PD Battery Pack

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Keep gear and laptops powered with the new ONsite USB Type-C 87W PD Battery Pack. Match it to a Case Relay and have enough power to last for 2 to 3 nights of time lapses, or get two full charges into most laptops. The 26,800mAh battery has 1 USB Type-C port and 2 USB Type-A ports to keep multiple devices powered throughout many nights to come.

Free ONsite AC Wall Charger with purchase at B&H Photo.

Tim Cooper Photography

Photography Training Videos

Our very own Tim Cooper is one of the premier instructors in photography, and his passion and enthusiasm are available at home with his in-depth Training Videos. Brush up on your DSLR basics, understand the essentials of light or learn Lightroom efficiently with these must-have tutorials for every photographer. Enjoy learning at your own pace with Tim and maximize your image potential.

Universal Workshop

Zodiac Wavy Charts

See all the astronomical events of 2021 in one stunning graphical Zodiac Wavy Charts poster. Each month is depicted by a sine wave that follows the motion of the sun, moon and planets. At a glance, spot planet oppositions, eclipses and more, all while adding a unique and vibrant touch to decor.

Vallerret

Skadi Zipper Mitts

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The Skadi Zipper Mitt from Vallerret is a mitten-glove combination designed for deep winter conditions. A waterproof zipper opens to allow the mitten to be folded back and held in place with magnets, revealing the touch-sensitive inner glove which is made from Merino wool. Long jersey cuffs keep the cold off your wrists, and there is ample room for a hand warmer when needed. There’s even a small storage compartment and wrist straps so you can take them off without putting them down for delicate work.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Walkstool

Comfort 45 Large Folding Stool

We’ve been inspired by several of our astute workshop attendees who bring folding chairs to make their experience during long exposures under the stars a bit more comfortable. We’ve tested a bunch ourselves and found the Walkstool Comfort 45 Large to be the perfect balance to hold our weight yet be comfortable and collapse down into something incredibly lightweight and portable. Smartly designed in Sweden, the Walkstool 45 will hold up to 440 pounds through many star trails.

See PDF version of the gift guide for an exclusive offer.

Wander Club

Dated US National Park Tokens

When we visit national parks, we collect memories. We can also collect mementos—reminders of our time in beautiful places. The Wander Club can help with the latter part. Visit their website to create customized Dated US National Park Tokens with park names and years of visits, and collate them onto a necklace or keychain. A constant reminder of pursuing an outdoor passion.

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Note: Remember, this gift guide is also available as a free downloadable PDF, with lots more photos and a ton of discount codes. Download yours today!

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT