THE OUTER BANKS - Night Sky Photography Workshop

FAWCETT PHOTOGRAPHY
…looking for a great way to start 2026 ? OBX is the place to be…
THE OUTER BANKS - Night Sky Photography Workshop
Workshop Details:
-Geared towards photographers looking to improve their night photography skills with a simple approach to avoid technical overload.
-Hands on "In Field" shooting with support for decision on camera settings, composition and varied capture techniques for each outing
-Hands on classroom post processing techniques tailored to optimize results from your captured images.
-Workflow will include the use of Adobe Cloud Products - Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and Adobe Camera Raw*
-Workshop will be limited to 6 participants. Small group for better Instruction (Instructor is a National Park permit holder, First Aid / CPR certified and Insured)
-We will operate between Nags Head, Pea Island, Frisco with plenty of beautiful scenes in between
-We will capture sunset, sunrise, nightscapes under the star filled sky.
-Apps will be used for planning to shoot under the best quality of light.
-Post processing will be a Classroom scenario to establish your own workflow on the image capture techniques taught within the course
-BYOL - Bring Your Own Laptop w/Lightroom Classic & Photoshop + external hard drive
-Location / Field / Classroom Photographic Instruction
-Full Frame camera is strongly suggested with a wide angle lens having an aperture of at least f/2.8 or wider
-Simplified philosophy and technique utilizing your camera manually on what photography is: ISO f/Stop (aperture) and Shutter.
-Utilizing the above to make confident decisions and control the outcome of your images and vision
-Guidance on the proper camera settings for your DSLR/Mirrorless for Night Sky / Milky Way capture, Filters, Long Exposures*, Exposure Stacking, Focus Stacking, Stacking for Noise Reduction and proper HDR capture.
*at least a 10 stop Neutral Density filter is recommended for this. A polarizing filter is also suggested
Workshop Cost
-Registration Deposit of $525 to secure your spot via EventBrite (non-refundable)
-Total Workshop Fee is $1,275
-Balance of Workshop Fee $750 due by 1/31/2026 a PayPal Invoice will be provided.
-Lodging, Transportation and Meals are not included.
-A Beach House will be secured as a hub for the Workshop. *Travel Insurance is highly recommended*
-Lodging options will be provided after Registration / Deposit
Terms & Conditions

The Outer Banks Of North Carolina provides many breathtaking foregrounds / backgrounds and Iconic Lighthouses for capturing the night sky on the East Coast of the United States today. Low coastal landscapes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean have the darkest possible skies to capture the Milky Way and star-filled skies. On this 5 day hands-on Photography Workshop we will spend our nights capturing beautiful star-filled skies. After a night of shooting an amazing sunrise awaits us at our oceanfront property, something not to be missed in the Outer Banks. We will learn to place ourselves in the best possible scenario to capture the best possible light, create some unique images that are off the beaten path, with expert instruction along the way to enhance your creativity and skill set. The goal of this workshop gives you the ability to capture and create on your own, your vision. These skills will translate well to our specific post processing techniques and bring your vision to life.

Additional information on Lodging will be provided upon registration. Lodging in this area is seasonal and off-season rates apply. Checking in a day early is suggested.

Day 1

March 16, 2026 - Meet & Greet / Camera settings, equipment, and setup for night sky

PLANNING INFO / PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY

Planning is essential for any type of photography so you are in position to capture the best possible light. Even though this Workshops focus is capturing the night sky our daily schedule is planned around all things celestial. Sunrise in this location is at 6:21 am and sets at 6:06pm. For our night shooting having a New Moon (no moonlight) is ideal so it does not influence our scene. For what we call nightscaping simply plan to operate as if you would be working a night shift.

Physical difficulty of this location is relatively easy but can be moderately strenuous walking in soft sand. It is important that participants be in good physical health and able to carry (equipment) what they bring. While many locations will be a short distance from a parking lot, there is a possibility for longer walks across soft sand and dunes.

ITINERARY

A few weeks prior to the Workshop we will have an online meeting to discuss and be prepared for the possibility of shooting on the first night. The Workshop officially kicks off at 2:00pm on March 16, 2026 and at that time we will review and prepare our equipment for night sky shooting.

We will have a daily schedule that serves as an outline or guide that will allow flexibility to outings we plan. The one constant that will be maintained will be our classroom / post processing sessions from 1:00pm to 3:00pm daily.

RECOMMENDED CAMERA GEAR and MORE

DSLR / Mirrorless Camera (full-frame sensor preferable)

Lenses for Night Sky: 14mm to 35mm with an aperture of f/2.8 or wider

Lenses for general purpose: for our daytime outings bring what you have from wide-angle to large telephoto zoom. There will be opportunities where a 300mm lens or longer will come in handy.

Very Sturdy Tripod (strong winds are common)

L-Bracket designed specifically for your camera (a worthy investment if you don't have one)

Remote Shutter Release (basic mechanical release that allows for simple operation of opening and closing the shutter)

Extra Batteries and Charger / Extra Memory Cards

Lens cloths, rocket blower, etc

Filters (Circular Polarizing Filter, Graduated ND Filters, 10-stop Solid ND filters for long exposures)

Rain Protection

Camera Manual (a PDF file you can download from the manufacturers web page)

Computer with an External Hard-Drive / Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop

Notebook & Pen

March is the time of year when Orion (Winter Milky Way) and the core of our universe, the Dark Horse Nebula (Summer Milky Way) can be captured.

March is the time of year when Orion (Winter Milky Way) and the core of our universe, the Dark Horse Nebula (Summer Milky Way) can be captured.

Also check out other Workshops in Nags Head, Photography events in Nags Head, Arts events in Nags Head.