Planning
Understand timing, sky position, moonlight, blue hour, and how to align a foreground with the Milky Way.
Milky Way • Dark skies • Desert landscapes
Astro Photography Workshop 2027
A four-day Astro Photography Workshop in Southern Utah, photographing the Milky Way above Capitol Reef, surreal sand dunes, colorful badlands, and remote desert landscapes.
Dates
June 29–July 2, 2027
Location
Utah: Capitol Reef Area
Tuition
$1,850
Group
Limited to 4 photographers
Availability
4 spots remaining
Last year’s participant review
“I have been on four or five workshops with Hunter and I am NEVER disappointed. I always come out with spectacular photos and very memorable adventures. His astro workshop in and around Torrey and Hanksville was exceptional. I have been on a couple of astro workshops with others, but this one, hands down, was the best. The images I got exceeded my wildest expectations. Hunter's explanations of his techniques involved for editing (Astro photography is technical to take and technical to edit, but he makes it easy) gave me confidence to do these things myself. If you want to understand how to do astro photography, walk away with exceptional images and compositions, have an adventure and have fun, then do this... Hunter's Astro Photography Workshop.”
Master Milky Way photography beneath Southern Utah’s dark skies.
This Southern Utah Astro Photography Workshop is designed for photographers who want to create stronger Milky Way photographs, learn to capture and blend luminous blue-hour foregrounds, and produce exceptionally clean images of the galactic core above the desert around Capitol Reef National Park. We work in remote locations where we are often the only people for miles, alone beneath the stars with a small group of like-minded photographers.
Overview
A Utah Astro Photography Workshop built around more than camera settings.
Based in Torrey near Capitol Reef National Park, this Astro Photography Workshop explores Southern Utah’s extremely dark skies, dramatic sandstone formations, sand dunes, colorful badlands, and the Bentonite Hills. High-desert clarity and minimal light pollution reveal remarkable detail within the Milky Way galaxy.
Milky Way photography instruction covers focusing in the dark, high-ISO exposure, blue-hour foregrounds, noise-reduction stacking, foreground design, and timing a composition to the rise of the galactic core.
The goal of this Utah night-photography workshop is not simply to photograph stars. It is to understand what makes a night scene feel powerful and build an image that carries the experience of standing beneath a truly dark desert sky.
Learning to see
The full circle of Milky Way photography.
During this Astro Photography Workshop, we often begin with a sunset shoot, working with the last light before transitioning into darkness. As the Utah landscape quiets and the stars appear, we shift from traditional landscape photography into building strong night images.
On more than one evening, we will focus on photographing the landscape during blue hour to capture its remarkable color, texture, height, and grandeur. I will explain how and why to build these foregrounds before darkness. Then, as the stars appear, we will photograph the Milky Way from the same position, allowing the galaxy to fall naturally into place above the landscape image we have already created.
Dark skies, surreal landscapes
Milky Way photography locations chosen for solitude and alignment.
Across the greater Capitol Reef region, we photograph colorful badlands, sandstone monoliths, and beautiful sand dunes under some of the clearest night skies anywhere in the country.
These places feel otherworldly after dark. We are typically alone, giving you time to work intentionally, refine compositions, and photograph without pressure or crowds.
I have spent years scouting these locations and narrowing them down to the best of the best in the region: places where the landscape aligns naturally with the Milky Way, where we can be the only people for miles, and where each photograph carries a true sense of place.
Guidance from capture to finish
Build a Milky Way photograph from field capture to final edit.
Transportation during the workshop is included, along with daily Astro Photography Workshop instruction focused on planning, camera settings, composition, foreground design, and capturing clean files in challenging desert conditions.
For a few hours one morning, we will sit down together and work through the complete post-processing process. We will cover image stacking for greater detail, blending blue-hour foregrounds with Milky Way sky exposures, revealing the natural color and detail of the galactic core, and bringing every element together into a clean, pristine final image.
The entire session will be recorded and sent to you after the workshop, giving you a clear workflow you can revisit while processing your own night-sky photographs.
Workshop at a glance
Create with more time, attention, and guidance.
A four-day Astro Photography Workshop in Southern Utah, photographing the Milky Way above Capitol Reef, surreal sand dunes, colorful badlands, and remote desert landscapes.
Astro photography skills
Core skills for photographing the Milky Way.
Exposure
Focus in darkness and choose practical aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and stacking settings for clean files.
Composition
Build night photographs with strong foregrounds, clear visual flow, balance, and a purposeful relationship to the sky.
Processing
Blend blue-hour foregrounds, reduce noise, refine color, and complete the image in Lightroom and Photoshop.
A flexible itinerary
Four days of Astro Photography beneath Utah’s desert sky.
Weather and field conditions determine the exact rhythm, but this outline gives a clear sense of the experience.
01 · Day 1
Meet at 6:00pm in Torrey for introductions, a workshop overview, and a discussion of your experience and goals. We then travel into Capitol Reef National Park to study compositions in the remaining daylight, photograph a carefully aligned blue-hour foreground, and transition into our first Milky Way session. Instruction covers focusing in darkness, exposure, sky position, and building a complete night photograph. Plan to photograph until roughly 1:30am.
02 · Day 2
After time to rest, we travel to the Bentonite Hills and begin while the landscape still holds color and detail. We work through compositions before dark, photograph the blue-hour foreground, and discuss how the Milky Way will align with the landforms. After a dinner break, we return to those same positions to photograph the galaxy above this surreal, Mars-like landscape, with hands-on guidance throughout the night.
03 · Day 3
Our final field evening takes us to a rarely visited combination of sand dunes, juniper trees, and distant mountains. We slow down and refine the relationship between the foreground and sky, creating landscape files during the best evening light before returning to the compositions after dark. Beneath exceptionally clear skies and far from crowds, we finish with another focused Milky Way session and time to explore variations.
04 · Day 4
We meet for a focused morning of post-processing in Lightroom and Photoshop. Together, we work through image stacking for detail, blue-hour foreground blending, natural Milky Way color, galactic-core detail, and the decisions that bring every file into a clean final photograph. The session is recorded for you to revisit after the workshop, and we conclude before the 11:00am checkout.
Milky Way photography from Southern Utah
Utah Astro Photography Workshop Image Studies.
What is covered
What the Utah Astro Photography Workshop includes.
Ground transportation during the workshop, field instruction near Capitol Reef, composition guidance, and Milky Way post-processing are covered. A discounted lodging block is reserved in Torrey, while participants pay the hotel directly.
Included
- All ground transportation during the workshop
- Daily in-field instruction and critique
- Post-processing instruction
- Composition and foreground guidance
- Discounted lodging block reserved in Torrey
Not included
- Airfare or airport transportation
- Vehicle rental to reach Torrey
- Food or beverages
- Medical or travel insurance
- Lodging cost
Workshop details
Plan your Utah Astro Photography Workshop.
This small-group Utah Astro Photography Workshop includes personal night-photography instruction, remote dark-sky locations near Capitol Reef, image review, editing, and transportation during the workshop.
Complete learning curriculum
+
- Photograph in full manual
- Histogram and light-meter mastery
- Focusing accurately in darkness
- Ideal astro settings for each location
- Milky Way composition and foreground design
- Blue-hour foreground capture
- Noise-reduction stacking
- Image blending in Lightroom and Photoshop
- Advanced night-image processing
Recommended gear and packing list
+
Camera gear
- — Sturdy tripod and shutter-release cable
- — Wide-angle lens with a bright aperture
- — Mid-range and telephoto lenses for sunset
- — Extra batteries and memory cards
- — Laptop for post-processing sessions
Personal gear
- — Warm layers for long desert nights
- — Sturdy hiking footwear
- — Headlamp and flashlight
- — Water bottle and night snacks
- — Personal medication and sun protection
Travel, lodging, meals, and transportation
+
Discounted rooms are blocked for participants at the Skyview Hotel in Torrey, Utah. Lodging is not included; book and pay the hotel directly and mention the Hunter Page workshop room block.
Ground transportation during the workshop is included. Airfare, airport transportation, the rental vehicle used to reach Torrey, food, beverages, lodging, and medical or travel insurance are not included.
Physical requirements and night schedule
+
Expect short walks and hikes over variable desert terrain while carrying your camera gear. Overall, the workshop is easy to moderate in physical difficulty.
The evening sessions are long. Plan to photograph from around sunset until roughly 2:00am, with drives between Torrey and remote dark-sky locations.
Deposit and balance schedule
+
A $500 deposit reserves your place and applies toward the $1,850 workshop price.
The remaining balance of $1,350 is due March 29, 2027. Reservations made after the deposit deadline require payment in full.
Frequently asked questions
+
What experience level is required? Every level is welcome, from complete beginners to seasoned photographers. Instruction covers the entire process from field capture through editing.
Where should I fly into? Salt Lake City International Airport is recommended. From there, it is roughly a three-hour drive to Torrey.
When and where does the workshop begin? The group meets at 6:00pm at the Skyview Hotel in Torrey before the first blue-hour and night session.
Cancellation policy
+
Life happens. The policies below outline what happens in the case of a cancellation.
More than 90 days before the workshop: Your deposit will be refunded minus $300.
90 to 31 days before the workshop: The deposit is retained. If the space fills, you will receive a refund minus $300.
Within 30 days of the workshop: No refund is issued unless the space fills; any refund is minus $300.
Reserve your place
Book the Astro Photography Workshop 2027.
June 29–July 2, 2027
Utah: Capitol Reef Area
Payment option
Deposit
$750
The $750 deposit applies toward the $1,850 workshop price. The remaining balance is $1,100, due March 29, 2027.
Choose a payment option, then complete your registration securely here.
FAQ
Astro Photography Workshop 2027
Quick answers before booking.
What is the Southern Utah Astro Photography Workshop?+
It is a four-day night photography workshop near Capitol Reef focused on photographing the Milky Way, dark skies, desert landscapes, and distinctive Southern Utah locations.
What experience level is allowed?+
Every level of photographer is welcome, from complete beginners to seasoned shooters.
How late will we be out photographing?+
Plan on photographing from sunset until roughly 2:00am, depending on conditions, locations, and the Milky Way schedule.
Where should I fly into?+
Salt Lake City International Airport is recommended. The Capitol Reef area is roughly a three-hour drive from the airport.
What camera gear do I need?+
A wide-angle lens with a bright aperture, a sturdy tripod, shutter-release cable, camera backpack, and the lenses you are comfortable using are recommended.
Get in touch
Questions about the workshop?
Send me a quick note and I will respond within a few hours. Ask about availability, experience level, equipment, or travel.