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Showing posts with label Milky Way NightScapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milky Way NightScapes. Show all posts

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Free Milky Way NightScapes Photography Lectures


 Free Milky Way NightScapes Photography Lectures for Camera Clubs and Local Photography Groups.


Next presentation at:

Sedona Camera Club

Christ Lutheran Church, 25 Chapel Road, Sedona, AZ 86336

Feb 23, 2026 • 6:00pm • In-person

(One-time visitor's fee of $5.00 if you're not a club member)


Although I've been paid handsomely to give dozens of presentations over the years at photography conferences throughout the world, I often "give back" to our photography community with free lectures to local photography groups and camera clubs.

A typical astro-landscape photography presentation, with PowerPoint slides, runs about 45 minutes to an hour, followed by up to 30 minutes of Questions and Answers from the audience. My only pay-back is that the hosting organization allow me a 2-minute advertisement about my Milky Way NightScapes eBook, which can be purchased online (often with a special discount code for members of the hosting organization).

Typical Presentation Methods to Your Group. Your Choice Between:

  • Zoom option 1: You provide the live Zoom connection. You are free to record the presentation and share it later to members who could not attend. Cost: No charge from me.
  • Zoom option 2: I provide the live Zoom connection. I will also record it and post it to YouTube, where your member can access it after the live Zoom meeting. Cost: No charge for my presentation; however, there is a fee of fifty dollars to help pay for Zoom and uploading costs.
  • In-person: I will come to your club or organization and make my presentation. Cost: No charge for my presentation; however, you must pay for my round trip transportation costs from Salt Lake City, UT USA; and lodging costs in your city.

Email to inquire about my available dates or to ask questions: orida70@gmail.com 


Here are a few recorded examples of presentations I've given:


Promoting Your Camera Club

Royce promoting a camera club lecture via a local TV show in Florida

When I come to your area, I often help promote your local organization or camera club. Here, I'm on a local TV program in Florida promoting a presentation I'm going to give that weekend at a local camera club. My lecture was free to camera club members. The club charged a nominal fee to the general public—helping to bring in money to support the club's future programs. I also use my domain name "NightScapeEvents.com" to link up to the club's website or any other local astrophotography event I'm trying to help promote (that domain name goes to this blog page when there is not a current event scheduled).

Royce promoting a local event in Seattle, WA via a KING5 TV interview



Image Critiques - Portfolio Reviews - Judging

When I do photography lectures I’m often asked to do image critiques as well. This is where each of the club or group members can submit a few digital images beforehand and have me critique the images in front of the whole group. The group usually benefits just as much as the photographers being critiqued.

More than nightscapes: In some gatherings I’m asked to do competition judging or portfolio reviews. In all cases, these images cover a wide variety of subjects and genres. That’s because I’ve not only had experience in nightscape photography, but I’ve spoken and judged multiple times for the Professional Photographers of America (and Canada), the PSA, and for the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP).

My professional photography career has spanned over three decades in magazine, commercial, industrial, portrait and fine art photography. Besides being a full-time photographer, over the years, I've also been the CEO of a stock photo agency, a fine art printing company and an art gallery.


Royce has been doing magazine and commercial photography for over three decades.


Here are some of the places where where I'm already scheduled to appear:

  • Mar 6 • 7:00pm • via Zoom
  • Albuquerque, NM USA
  • Enchanted Lens Camera Club
  • enchantedlens.org
  • Membership required


  • March 11 • 6:30pm MDT • via Zoom
  • Fort Collins, CO USA
  • Fort Collins Digital Camera Club
  • fcdcc.com
  • Membership required



  • March 27 • 6:30pm PDT • via Zoom
  • Los Angeles, CA USA
  • Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County
  • pplac.org
  • Membership required


  • April 8 • time to be announced • via Zoom
  • Paso Robles, CA USA
  • North Country Camera Club
  • Facebook group page
  • Membership required


  • May 6 • 7:00pm • In-person
  • West Jordan, UT USA
  • SL County Library - Viridian
  • thecountylibrary.org < register here
  • FREE to the public


  • June 4 • 7:00pm PDT • via Zoom
  • Scotts Valley, CA USA
  • Community of Digital Artists
  • CODAsantacruz.com
  • Membership required

  • August 11 • 7:00pm EDT • via Zoom
  • Statesville, NC USA
  • Iredell Photography Club
  • Facebook group page
  • Membership required

  • Feb 23, 2026 • 6:00pm MST • In-person
  • Sedona, AZ USA
  • Sedona Camera Club
  • sedonacamera.club
  • Non-members can enter with a $5 visitor's fee


What people are saying about my lectures:

"Wonderful presentation last night. I learned a lot of inside info that I haven't encountered before. Thank you! Could you please pass on the mini flashlight brand and model for that 1-lumen mini light you showed?" - TomM

"Thank you very much for your presentation last night. I and, I'm sure, the rest of the club members appreciated your in-depth information. I'm going to spend some serious time sorting thru my notes..." - Keith Hill












Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Sample Pages from my New eBook

 Here are six (6) random sample pages from my new Milky Way NightScapes Version 2.0 eBook:

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlage

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

MORE SAMPLE PAGES: Here are eight (8) more sample pages from the eBook (double-click on each PDF to view).

Update 2.0 covers the NEW ADVANCES in:

  • Astro-modification to Camera Sensors
  • Filters to increase nebulosity (giving that "deep space" look)
  • New Tracking options
  • Stacking for noise reduction & reduced star movement
  • Software for Noise Reduction
  • Deepscapes (a new nightscape genre)
  • Low Level Lighting techniques & equipment
  • Mixing Moonlight with the Milky Way
  • Twilight Blends vs. Starlight Blends
  • Obtaining High Quality Single Exposure NightScapes

TWO WAYS to GET my NEW eBOOK: You can do a one-time PURCHASE and download for $39.99 (act now for a limited-time $5 off), or you can become a supporting PATREON for as little as $3/month and get my eBook as one of your benefits of support.




 








Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Get my eBook for only $3


Limited Time Offer: Get my $19.99 Milky Way NightScapes eBook for only $3.00* by becoming a Patreon NightScaper Supporting Member!

The eBook that has taught thousands how to photograph Milky Way nightscapes. "Your eBook is the 'Bible' of NightScape photography!" - Ralf Rohner 

*Although this a monthly patron membership subscription, you can cancel at anytime. But, I don't think you'll want to because of these added patron BENEFITS:

  • "Finding Your Photo Vision" Video

    Access to the 49-minute "Finding Your Photo Vision" presentation I gave at the 2021 NightScaper Conference (the content in this video has helped to redirected and change many photographer's lives).
  • Access to the 29-minute "6 Ways to Improve Your Nightscapes" presentation (also from the conference).
  • Access to 2 other NightScaper Conference videos of YOUR choice (choose from 65 other video tutorials).
  • Exclusive chapter updates: Each week I reveal new pages to my NEW 2.0 eBook version, that is coming out the end of this year (2023). HERE's a SAMPLE of what those updates look like.
  • When the version 2.0 eBook is finished, my dedicated patron supporters will receive the edited and compiled edition for FREE.
  • Even if you already have my original (version 1.1) eBook, you can be a hero by gifting it to a friend, and retain the above benefits for yourself!
  • You'll be supporting my efforts to showcase the some of the world's best nightscape photographs and photographers on my 480,000 Instagram following, and our 97,000 member NightScaper Facebook group — both of which strive to teach good how-to techniques.


Become a NightScaper Supporting Patron Member

for only $3/month - JOIN NOW!

...and I'll send you a download for my eBook

and a link to the "Finding Your Photo Vision" video.

Receive a 16% discount from Patreon when you join for 1-year ($30.24 annual).

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$5.00 DISCOUNT. If you don't like subscription memberships (even with all the added benefits listed above), and you just want to pay a one-time $14.99 price for my eBook, then click the banner below and place your order for an immediate download of my eBook. Use the Promo Code TWAN at checkout to reduce your final cost from the regular $19.99 price to $14.99:









Monday, May 24, 2021

Solving the nightscape ''bathroom'' issue for women

 

An example of a "FUD" or Female Urination Device in use

Let me get right to the point. Women have a much harder time dealing with the outdoors than men do when it comes to "bathroom" issues.

I noticed a long time ago in my astro-landscape workshops that my women attendees were often nearing the end of our night sessions with more fatigue and headaches than the men. I discussed this with my wife one day and she explained that these women were probably dehydrating themselves — not drinking enough liquids because they didn't want to embarrass themselves with having to go to the "bathroom" in the outdoors or do it in foul-smelling, filthy, public restrooms.

From that day on, I've added two things to my workshops:

  1. More frequent restroom stops (hey, older men have issues, too)! This includes doing research to find more restroom locations.
  2. Giving out information on female urination devices prior to my workshops.

I've even given out, in emergencies, one of the most popular FUD's the Go Girl. These devices allow women to urinate standing up. It also allows them the freedom to avoid sitting on dirty toilet seats. If you've never used an FUD, do a search on Amazon.com, using the term "female urination device," and get better prepared for your next outdoor adventure.




Tuesday, April 13, 2021

2021 NightScaper Conference Schedule

Page 1 of 7 (click to view and download all 7)


View and Download our 7-page Conference Schedule PDF.  More information about the 2021 NightScaper Conference can be found on our conference website. This conference is slated to be the most comprehensive, diverse and knowledgeable group of nightscape speakers ever assembled for an event!

Virtual Attendees will be able to see live broadcasts from all 6 rooms: Ballrooms A, B,  & C, the Sage Room, the Ponderosa Room and the Virtual Track "room".

COVID-19 Adjustments: The Kanab Center is currently limited to 150 people (following social distancing and mask wearing guidelines) These tickets have already been sold. All new new ticket sales to the conference are for virtual attendance only. This will be a "hybrid" conference (in-person and virtual attendees).

Video Recordings of all conference programs and will be available in the "cloud" (for one year) to ALL conference ticket holders shortly after the conference. This will allow you to review speaker programs and see other programs that were scheduled during the same time slot.

Kanab Conference Center map (Sage, Juniper and Ponderosa rooms are for overflow):

Click to enlarge

Conference parking and location in Kanab, Utah:
Click to enlarge












Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Learn Milky Way NightScape photography

Milky Way 'nightscape' photography over
Palouse Falls ~ single exposure by Royce Bair.

Most of these starry nightscape photos,
by Royce Bair, are single exposures


Here are Four Ways to Learn Milky Way NightScape Photography...

“Two Rivers” ~ The Dark River (a.k.a.
The Great Rift in the Milky Way) rising
over Colorado River in Grand Canyon. 

1. Free: Follow this blog - Royce Bair's Into The Night Photography. There are hundreds of How-To articles here. Popular articles include: How to Shoot the Milky Way • Post Processing NightScapes • NightScapes in the Grand Canyon • Creating Natural NightScapes • Podcast interview with Royce • Overcoming Lens Coma • Video Hangout with my Friends.




Top 12 night photos featured last year on
Royce Bair's NightScaper Instagram account

2. Free: Follow Royce Bair's NightScaper Instagram account and his NightScaper Facebook group. Both of these galleries showcase some of the best Milky Way and night sky astro-landscape photographers in the world. Many of the images featured also give behind-the-scenes information on how the images were taken, including technique and EXIF. Royce's Instagram account has over 300,000 followers, and the NightScaper Facebook group has over 25,000 members.





3. Read Royce Bair's Milky Way NightScapes eBook. This book is considered the "Bible" for astro-landscape photography by thousands of photographers, world-wide! Get 25% off when you use discount code TWAN at checkout!





32 SPEAKERS 
4. Attend the NightScaper Conference. Over 32 top speakers from four countries will instruct you on dozens of nightscape photography techniques and skills (here's a sample presentation by one our 2020 speakers and a presentation from one of our 2019 conference speakers). You'll be able to network with 300 like-minded photographers for 3 days, and go out and shoot at night in one of the least light-polluted areas in the world, that is close to 3 national parks and 3 national monuments.

NOTE: See the new 2023 NightScaper Conference (May 18-21) details in the above link.









Wednesday, January 2, 2019

'Starry Night Quotes' 2019 Wall Calendar

Cover of "2019 Starry Night Quotes" calendar (click to enlarge)

Sample calendar month with spiritual quote (click to enlarge)

THREE CALENDAR OPTIONS:

1. FREE Download for your hand-held device - You can download a PDF version (6MB) of this calendar to view on your hand-held device.

2. FREE download for printing - You can download a higher quality PDF version (26MB) to your computer and print out the calendar on you own inkjet or laser printer (14 - 8.5" x 11" sheets).

3. Order a Pre-printed calendar from my Etsy website for only $15.99 - This spiral-bound, 26-page wall calendar is printed on beautiful glossy coated card stock. Folded, it is 11" x 8.5". Hanging on your wall it is 11" x 17". Shipping is only within the United States. Delivery is by First Class mail while supplies last.

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Friday, October 26, 2018

NightScaper Conference scheduled for May 1-3, 2019 in Moab, Utah




A Love Letter to the Night Sky from Ron Risman.
Many of these scenes were shot near Moab, Utah.



The first annual NightScaper Conference has been scheduled for May 1-3, 2019 in Moab, Utah - gateway to Arches and Canyonlands.

Network and socialize with
150 NightScape photographers
3 days of seminars
3 nights of shooting
$399.00
Optional field trips each night
Plus, optional workshops
before and after the conference

More information and online registration at our official


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Thursday, October 25, 2018

NightScaper Conference Schedule

Day and Night activities scheduled each day.

Conference Schedule:

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 - check into any Moab hotel, or stay at the Marriott Springhill Suites and Fairfield Inn Suites (right next to each other). These are our conference hotels and they are also closest hotels to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We've reserved a block of rooms for our conference guests at a special discounted rate. Book your room now, as these rooms will go fast (you have until March 15, 2019 to cancel, should your plans change). The average rate for national brand hotel rooms in Moab is about $249/night. Your special rate for these beautiful Marriott rooms are $199 and $189 per night, respectively (normal rates in May are $293 and $273 per night)!

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

  • 8:00 AM - Conference Room Opens - Receive Registration lanyard
  • 8:00 AM - Vendor tables/booths open
  • 9:30 AM - Christine Kenyon ~ Answers to Common Nightscape Questions
  • 10:30 AM - Clarence Spencer ~ Astro-Modified Cameras
  • 11:30 PM - Break for lunch
  • 12:00 PM - Free Luncheon ~ Sponsored by Pictureline
  • 1:30 PM - Conference Room Opens ~ Bring your Lanyard
  • 2:00 PM - Wayne Pinkston ~ Putting the Landscape Back in Landscape Astrophotography
  • 3:00 PM - Wayne Pinkston ~ Putting the Landscape Back in Landscape Astrophotography - Part II
  • 4:00 PM - Mike Shaw ~ Nightscape Composites and Blends – A How-To Guide
  • 5:00 PM - Photog Adventures - Brendon Porter & Aaron King ~ How to plan your next Milky Way adventure with PhotoPills
  • 6:00 PM - Break for dinner
  • 6:30 PM - Vendor Tables/Booths close
  • 7:00 PM - Eric Gail ~ Maximizing Your Return Using GaiaGPS and Global Positioning
  • 8:00 PM - Personal shooting on your own or optional Paid Field Trips


Thursday, May 2, 2019

  • Midnight - Personal shooting on your own or optional Paid Field Trips
  • 5:00 AM - Return to hotel for rest and personal time (breakfast & lunch on your own)*
  • 11:45 AM - Conference Room Opens ~ Bring your Lanyard
  • 12:00 PM - Vendor tables/booths open
  • 12:00 PM - Vince Warner ~ The Right Tripod for NightScape Photography
  • 1:00 PM - Eric Gail ~ Pre scouting any location “Day or Night” using Google Earth
  • 2:00 PM - Royce Bair ~ Six ways to improve the quality of your NightScapes images
  • 3:00 PM - Mike Berenson ~ Stacking, Tracking and Blending, Oh My!
  • 4:00 PM - Ron Risman ~ Tracking the Night Sky with Motion Control Gear for Timelapse
  • 5:00 PM - Photog Adventures - Brendon Porter & Aaron King ~ Five features in PhotoPills you are using wrong
  • 6:00 PM - Break for dinner
  • 6:30 PM - Vendor Tables/Booths close
  • 7:00 PM - Joyce Harman ~ Saving Dark Skies Locally
  • 8:00 PM - Personal shooting on your own or optional Paid Field Trips


Friday, May 3, 2019

  • Midnight - Personal shooting on your own or optional Paid Field Trips
  • 5:00 AM - Return to hotel for rest and personal time (breakfast & lunch on your own)*
  • 12:30 PM - Vendor tables/booths open
  • 12:30 PM - Conference Room Opens ~ Bring your Lanyard
  • 1:00 PM - Shreenivasan Manievannan ~ Into the Night with GoPro
  • 2:00 PM - Bettymaya Foott ~ Guest speaker from the International Dark-Sky Association
  • 3:00 PM - Eric Benedetti ~ Tracking Mount Based Nightscape Photography
  • 4:00 PM - David Swindler ~ Post-Processing Methods to Achieve the Highest Quality Night Photos
  • 5:00 PM - Ryan Smith ~ A picture is worth a thousand ……$$$ DOLLARS $$$
  • 6:00 PM - Break for dinner
  • 6:30 PM - Vendor Tables/Booths close
  • 8:00 PM - Personal shooting on your own or optional Paid Field Trips


Saturday, May 4, 2019

  • Midnight - Personal shooting on your own or optional Paid Field Trips
  • 5:00 AM - Return to hotel for rest and personal time - Conference ends*
  • 11:00 AM - Hotel checkout time, unless you wish to extend for private workshops


*The Milk Way core first appears each night at about 1:10 AM and remains visible until about 4:35 AM.

Learn more about the speakers and their programs

More information and online registration at our official


Poster design by Phill Monson / Entrada Outdoor Company.

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Saturday, April 8, 2017

Creating Natural NightScape Photographs


Creating Natural NightScape Photographs is a free 90-minute seminar I presented with the help of some of my friends, Ralf Rohner, Manish Mamtani, Eric Benedetti and Clarence Spencer. It was given on March 14, 2017 in the West Jordan, Utah Viridian Special Events Center before a group of 240 people. The tips in this tutorial will expand the knowledge you've gained from my Milky Way NightScapes eBook. For the best experience, go full screen and change the video settings to the highest quality. You can also share this YouTube video, using this link: youtu.be/2zRAFZr1pBg

Our thanks to Adobe Systems for their generous sponsorship for this free event.

5 Ways to Produce More Even Artificial Lighting was discussed, but the main presentation was about techniques to Reduce NightScape Noise, increase image resolution and quality.

One of five ways to produce more even and natural NightScape lighting is to increase the lighting distance in order to reduce light fall-off. Four other techniques are presented in the seminar.

Most of the seminar was about using these 6 techniques to decrease digital noise and increase NightScape image quality and resolution.

MULTIPLE IMAGE STITCHING: Instead of shooting ONE wide angle image (24mm on left), you can use a 50mm lens (with the camera in the vertical position) and shoot several overlapping images to create a simple panorama that can be cropped into an image that looks like the 24mm image, but now has about twice as many pixels, greater detail, and less noise.

Enlarged detail from the above two images. Even though the 24mm image was a stack of 8 exposures (which greatly reduced its noise), the 7-stitch image on the right has much more detail and resolution. See the next two images below to see how "exposure stacking" reduces noise. Click image to enlarge for detail.

EXPOSURE STACKING is another method of reducing digital noise and improving image quality. Instead of taking just one exposure of a night scene, you can increase your ISO by 33% to 100% and take many shorter exposures and then combine or "stack" these exposures together into one final image —using Photoshop or a variety of free or inexpensive stacking apps. Click image to enlarge for detail.

Exposure stacking not only reduces noise, but allows you to use shorter exposure times, producing sharper stars and revealing smaller stars that were obscured by noise! Click image to enlarge for detail.

Guest presenters, Eric Benedetti and Clarence Spencer finished the seminar with additional information about tracking and astro modification options for your camera's digital sensor.

Resources, Products and Software mentioned in this seminar presentation:

Star Stacking Resources:
Starry Landscape Stacker app (Mac) used by Royce & Manish Mamtani
Fitswork (Windows) app use by Ralf Rohner
Photoshop tutorial for stacking
Sequator is a new PC software (not mentioned in the video) that compares very favorably with Starry Landscape Stacker

Star Trackers:
Sky-Watcher Star Adventure used by Eric Benedetti
Vixon Polarie Star Tracker used by Royce
iOptron SkyTracker - most popular & least expense
Low Level Landscape Lighting organization
Astro camera modification by Spencer Camera

Royce's "Milky Way NightScapes" eBook
Photog Adventures - produced & edited the video of this presentation

Future Video Tutorials: This seminar is a spring-board for the future production of many short and highly concentrated video tutorials on specific topics, i.e. exposure stacking, tracking, multiple image panoramas and advanced lighting techniques. Each 10-minute video will move along quickly, with plenty of detailed and illustrated information on that topic. Your feedback and suggestions are appreciated in the comments below...