Milky Way and Perseids Meteor Photography on Trail Ridge Road

Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 US-36, Estes Park, CO 80517

RL
Rock Light Photo
  • Email address verified
12 reviews
Aug 11 - 12, 2024
Group size: 3 - 10
Milky Way and Perseids Meteor Photography on Trail Ridge Road
Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 US-36, Estes Park, CO 80517

Rock Light Photo
  • Email address verified
12 reviews

Aug 11 - 12, 2024
Group size: 3 - 10

About this trip

Learn to capture the Milky Way and the Perseid meteor shower at 12,000'!


Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is a spectacular place to spend an evening - with several overlooks to choose from for often spectacular sunsets, and at 12,000' elevation it is also a fantastic spot for night and Milky Way photography.


The Perseid meteor shower peaks (in theory) on the night of Aug 11-12, and because the moon sets around 11:15pm, this will give us an excellent opportunity to photography the Milky Way, and watch and shoot the Perseids as well.  For this one night workshop, we will meet and 8:15pm at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center parking lot, and then head up Trail Ridge Road. Once we are up on Trail Ridge, we will go over camera settings and wait for the Milky Way to emerge, and watch for meteors!.

Workshop Details

We will spend at least 3-4 hours shooting the night sky (as long as it is clear), with instruction on how to capture the Milky Way, as well as the meteor shower. If you need to leave early, plan on driving your own vehicle, but still meet us at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center.


All skill levels welcome.  10 participants max.

 

Sun, Aug 11, 8:15 pm - 2 am (rain date Aug 12, same times)


Where to Meet: 

Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 US-36, Estes Park, CO 80517 

(NOT the Estes Park visitor center!) 

Looks for us near the kiosks in front of the Visitor Center and bathroom.


Reservation Fee: Only $195


Feel free to email me with questions: Colin@LightandPhoto.com


NOTE: This tour is usually very popular so book quickly if you are interested.


Gear required/suggested

 Gear List

  • A DSLR or mirrorless camera with a wide angle lens - ideally a prime lens or zoom between 14mm and 35mm full frame capable of f/2.8 or faster (f/3.5 or f/4 will do).
  • Tripod (this is a must for night photography).
  • Headlamp (with a red setting if possible)
  • Picnic dinner or snacks
  • Warm clothes! It gets cold at 12,000' almost every night. Bring lots of layers. Gloves and a warm hat just in case.
  • If you plan to observe, rather than commit photography, bring along a chair!

FAQ


  • We will carpool from the visitor center up to Trail Ridge Road (I will have 4 spaces in my Subaru). Contact me if you are coming from Longmont or Lyons.
  • Will I need to drive? Good question! If you plan to check out early (it does make for a late night), then perhaps plan to drive yourself.
  • Do I need to reserve one of the new timed entrance permits? NO, my CUA permit acts like an entrance permit for whomever is with me!
  • Do I need to pay an entry fee for the park? It depends on how late the Beaver Meadows entry station stays open, but if you have a park pass or American the Beautiful pass - please bring it just in case!
  • How do I find you on Trail Ridge Road? You don't! We will meet in the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center parking lot. Even if the visitor center is closed, we will meet near the kiosks outside (near the bathrooms, which should be open) I will confirm much of this the week before.
  • Is there a rain date? YES - Monday, Aug 12. If it looks like there will be a complete washout, and/or if we discover that there are storms on the road that make it dangerous to travel above tree line. If you do not hear from me, please assume the tour is still on!
  • What if I have never shot the Milky Way before? GREAT - I will help you! We will have plenty of time between when the sun goes down and when the stars come out for me to guide you step-by-step in how to capture the Milky Way on your digital camera (as long as you have the gear listed above)
  • What if I want to come along, but I am not a photographer? There is a special observer only rate of $75.
  • What is you cancellation policy? 100% refund if you cancel more than 2 weeks in advance. Less than 14 days, if you need to cancel I will apply 100% of your fee toward a future tour or workshop if I can fill all the slots on the workshop.

Available Packages

Registration Fee

Registration for a night of photography instruction and stargazing on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

$195
Observer

Fee for a non-photographer observer (or cell phone photographer) to just enjoy the night under the stars and meteors.

$75

Your Organizer


RL
Rock Light Photo
12 reviews
Professional photographer Colin D. Young offers 4-6 multi-day immersive photography workshops in various locations generally centered around U.S. National parks, with an emphasis on the national parks of Colorado and Utah. He is a certified and insured photo tour guide in Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Parks.

Reviews

I've attended a few photo workshops/tours and I rate this as one of the better ones I've attended. Colin took us to some great locations and was very engaged with us while on site to insure we were able to get the best vantage points for our photography. It's important that any workshop I attend include at least one classroom editing training session. We had two of these during this workshop and both where excellent. I learned a great deal about Lightroom to add to what I've already learned. I'll add that Colin was very good with his instruction and patient with anyone who repeated a question and it was clear there were no dumb questions. All in all I had an amazing time and hope to do another Rocklight photo tour at some point in the future.
By Randy G for Arches, Canyonlands and Beyond on Nov 18, 2024
Thanks, Randy! Hope to see you in another workshop soon!
By Rock Light Photo on Nov 18, 2024
RL
We had a great time. Host was amazing, accommodating, and responsive. The total package was great-photography lessons, guided visit/hikes, photo processing instruction. This experience is highly recommended for those wanting to experience location and really immerse in photography. Great people and places.
By tanvir b for Arches, Canyonlands and Beyond on Nov 17, 2024
Thanks, Tanvir! Hopefully I will see you on more workshops down the road!
By Rock Light Photo on Nov 18, 2024
RL
This trip was amazing. Colin was a wonderful host, seemed to know everything about the entire area and adapted our park visits and photos shoots to changing conditions nicely. We were able to have a perfect balance of relaxation, hiking and site seeing, photography instruction and collecting great shots. I would HIGHLY recommend a trip with Rock Light Photo to anyone.
By Amanda P for Arches, Canyonlands and Beyond on Nov 10, 2024
It was a good trip. Colin was very good at leading us to locations most apt to having the best color. I look forward to joining him on future photo tours.
By bill r for San Juans Fall Color Photo Workshop on Oct 17, 2024
I had a great workshop with Colin in the San Juan Mountains. He knows the area so well and is a great instructor for photographers of all levels.
By Marcus S for San Juans Fall Color Photo Workshop on Oct 09, 2024
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References

QD
I have been out with Collin for quiet a few times to capture the moments of nature with cameras. I enjoyed all of the trips. The beauty and grandeur of those places often captured my mind, as I was capturing their images. Photography is about capture the right light at right moments and right places. Colin is a career professional light expert, and has a keen sense and splendid knowledge about light. He helped almost every participant in his workshops to get high quality images. I have about 50 years of experience in photography, and I still learn something new in each Colin’s workshop. I plan to attend more Collin’s workshops.
By Quan D on 18 Dec, 2023
JB
I attended Colin's Arches and Canyonlands workshop in March of 2023 and it was a fantastic experience. Colin knew the area well and took us to all the best spots at the right times. He was friendly and personable and I would recommend him to anyone interested in landscape photography. Our group had photographers with greatly varying levels of skill and experience and Colin was excellent at meeting their often different needs. This was my first time doing a photography workshop but it definitely won't be my last.
By Jerry B on 04 Dec, 2023
My first workshop with Rock Light Photo hooked me! The trip was well-organized, well-planned, had good fellow guests, and solid leadership from Colin Young. There was a strong sense of camaraderie and fun, heightened by most of us staying in the same rental house. We visited a lot of sites in Bryce Canyon, and since I'd never been, it was really eye-opening and fun. Colin organized things well, but not too much, and was responsive to the group's varying skill levels and energy. I've done several more photo workshops with Rock Light Photo in different places and consistently enjoyed myself, learned a lot about many aspects of photography, and gotten great images. I'd strongly recommend Rock Light Photo for photographers with a range of experience - you'll also have fun, grow as an artist, and create great photos.
By D H on 02 Nov, 2023

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