$1699 base price / person (Western River Expeditions 4-Day trip cost)
Combine the adventure of Colorado River rafting with the Milky Way skies over the Grand Canyon, and you have the trip of a lifetime! Everything is provided for in this workshop: prepared meals, air transfers from Las Vegas to the river and back, camping equipment, entertainment, and great photo instruction by NightScape Photographer, Royce Bair.
Four experienced river guides and an assistant photo instructor will accompany us on this adventure. This trip and workshop will be very similar to our 2016 trip/workshop (https://www.meetup.com/NightScape-Photography/events/227515545/) (check out our 5-star rating and comments).
Don't delay making your reservations. Last year, this trip and workshop filled up less than two weeks after it was announced! These trips are very popular and only a limited number of people are allowed to go down the Grand Canyon each year. Some individuals have waited for up to 20 years to obtain a permit to float through the canyon.
Total Price: Photo workshop fee is $299. River rafting cost is $1699 ($1999 total). See "Cost" and "Other Expenses" below.
What to expect: This river trip is for all ages, 9 years to 99 years old. It’s still officially “Summer” on our September schedule, so it should be nice and warm. Although it rarely gets over 100 degrees at this time of the year, a quick dip in the water will cool you off. The large, motorized J-rig rafts are very safe and roomy (we will have 14 people on each boat compared to the normal 18). There are about 15 white water rapids on this 100-mile stretch of the Colorado. You have the option of staying fairly dry in the back of the raft, or getting wet in the front. All your meals are prepared for you (the food is amazing), and all your camping equipment is provided (cots, tents, sleeping bags, chairs and a water-resistant bag to place your camera and other personals). There is very little hiking involved. All transportation and transfers from Las Vegas to and from the river are provided.
The photography workshop portion covers general nature and landscape photography with emphasis on starry night photography, also known as wide-field astrophotography or NightScapes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ironrodart/albums/72157627607005290). Participants should already have some standard camera skills, i.e. how to take a correct exposures, and know how to make normal adjustments to their camera. A DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or mirrorless camera is suggested. One wide angle lens with an f/2.8 aperture (or faster) is also suggested for the NightScapes (additional suggestions will be given to those who register.)
Weather: Mid-September offers the perfect temperatures! May and Sept. are the best months to visit the bottom of the canyon. Day temps are usually 85º - 95º, with evening temps between 65º - 75º. April can be a little cold. June, July and August are often over 100º in the day. The canyon walls radiate stored heat into the evening, typically keeping the temperatures above 80º much of the night.
This is one of my few group workshops for 2017: most are private workshops (http://intothenightphoto.blogspot.com/2015/09/private-nightscape-photography.html) (with 2-4 people per workshop) going on next year. This Grand Canyon River Trip and Photo Workshop will have plenty of spaces available (27 spots on two boats) for my Meetup Group, past workshop alumni and their family/friends.
Extremely Dark Skies: This remote region has some of our Earth's darkest night skies. The Milky Way literally "pops"! For those who come to do night photography, you will be richly rewarded.
