What we’re about
Welcome to SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group!
If you decide to join the Meetup group, please have a recognizable photo of yourself on your profile so we know who will attend our events. Thank you!
Beginners, amateurs, enthusiasts, semi-pros, and professionals are welcome to join this group for photography adventures to explore, learn, experiment, and enjoy photography. You have found the right group if you are serious about getting outdoors to capture photos of nature and the night sky. The group is based in Southern California and travels primarily around California for landscape, seascape, nature, Milky Way nightscape, and deep sky astrophotography. Meet new people, visit new locations, share photos and knowledge, and discuss camera equipment, software, editing workflow, and other photography topics.
REMINDER: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." – Wayne Gretzky
"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." – Denzel Washington.
So, get outdoors to explore, experience, and capture those memorable moments.
Fees
Event fees help to cover the Meetup costs and your hosts' expertise. This will ensure that you get to the best spots at the right time for the potential of great images. Much time and effort goes into planning and coordination that will improve the results. Fees must be paid 7 days before the first day of the event to lock in your RSVP. Some events may require additional planning and reservations that require payment earlier than 7 days. It will be specified on the event page.
Additional event fees, like group camping site reservations or cost sharing for off-road vehicle rental for some events, may exist. Additional costs NOT covered by event fees include but are not limited to entrance fees, transportation, sharing of gas costs when carpooling, and food.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
We understand that life happens. If you must cancel your RSVP, please change your RSVP to "No" as soon as possible to allow others on the waitlist to join. Unfortunately, the event fees are non-refundable as we seek members committed to getting outdoors and attending events.
Participant Responsibility
By joining this Meetup group, you agree to the Meetup Terms of Service and release SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group, the Organizer, Co-Organizers, Assistant Organizers, and Event Hosts from any liability related to incidents, accidents, injuries, or damages to your person, guests, property, or belongings at Meetup events. While we try to ensure the safety of all participants, all individuals are responsible for their own actions and judgment.
We reserve the right to accept or decline a participant for any reason allowable by law. We expect that all participants act in a polite and law-abiding manner. Any illegal activity, drunkenness, illegal drug use, poor treatment of other attendees or hosts, disrespectfulness, etc., will not be tolerated.
You agree that you have fully read the description/instructions on this group page and do the same for the individual events page when signing up and that you and your guests assume all risks for participating in any event.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Deep Sky Object (DSO) - Amboy CraterAmboy Crater Parking Lot and Trailhead, Amboy, CA
Let’s shoot DSO at the Amboy Crater (Bortle 2). June to July is the ideal time to shoot Rho Ophiuchi as it is near the Milky Way core and will be up around 10 PM - 2 AM.
The date is subject to change based on weather. We will check weather conditions during the week and up to the morning of the day and post here if we move the date or cancel.
PLEASE NOTE: By submitting a YES RSVP and participating in any SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group event, you agree to the Meetup Terms of Service and release SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group, the Organizer, Co-Organizers, Assistant Organizers, and Event Hosts from any liability related to incidents, accidents, injuries, or damages to your person, guests, property, or belongings at Meetup events. You agree that you have fully read the description/instructions on this event page when signing up and that you and your guests assume all risks for participating in any event.
Meet Up Location:
June 8, 2024 @ 6:00 PM – Amboy Crater Parking Lot and Trailhead- We will gather at the Amboy Crater Parking Lot and Trailhead and stay there all night. You can set up your equipment anywhere in the parking lot.
- Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/asyXUk829FaCDfCp6
- GPS: 34°33'25.1"N 115°46'52.0"W
- NOTE: There are 2 vault toilets.
Equipment Preparation:
You will shoot in Manual Mode and operate Live View for manual focusing for DSO. If your camera does not have an internal intervalometer, it is suggested that you purchase an external intervalometer as you will be taking many photos through the night for later stacking in post-processing. A star tracker or equatorial mount is preferred for DSO. This DSO photography process is much more technical than wide-field astrophotography. If you would like to try something more technical and challenging yet rewarding, join us.Travel Preparation:
Please ensure you have enough warm clothes, water, and fuel for your car. Bring food, snacks, and drinks. There may be no cell signal in certain areas. I highly recommend using Google Maps and its Offline Maps feature. You can set an area to download the map to your phone before entering any area with no cell signal.YouTube video of Google Maps Offline Feature: https://youtu.be/olOBiwyLefw
Another option is Organic Maps, which uses crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download offline maps: https://organicmaps.app/
Times:
Sunset: 7:55 PM
Nighttime: 9:40 PM
MW Core Visible: 9:40 PM
Moonset: 10:31 PM
Astronomical Twilight (Sunday): 3:45 AMRho Ophiuchi Altitude:
23° at 10:00 PM
29° at 11:52 PM
20° at 2:17 AM (Sunday)
10° at 3:30 PM (Sunday)Weather:
The weather around Amboy in March is typically 55-60F during the day and 40-45F at night. I will provide a forecast 1-2 days before the event.Recommended Items to Bring:
- Headlamp with red light (white light could disrupt other’s night vision)
- DSLR/mirrorless/astro camera
- 50mm or longer lens/telescope
- Tripod (required)
- Star tracker/equatorial mount
- Extra camera batteries/portable battery
- Extra memory cards
- Blower (remove dust)
- Intervalometer
- Water/snacks/food
- Extra clothing
- Trail shoes/hiking boots
- Camping chair
- Milky Way Cosplay - Borrego SpringsNeeds location$30.00
As an astrophotographer, have you ever considered doing something different to challenge yourself to be more creative with your photography journey in the dark? Now, here is your chance. We will use light paint with real human models (cosplay characters), metal sculptures in the background, and the Milky Way above. Sounds interesting? Then, join us for this unique experience. We only do this when we have models willing to come out in the dark to model for us. Only limited spaces are available, so sign up before all the spots are taken.
The date is subject to change based on weather. We will check weather conditions during the week and up to the morning of the day and post here if we move the date or cancel.
PLEASE NOTE: By submitting a YES RSVP and participating in any SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group event, you agree to the Meetup Terms of Service and release SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group, the Organizer, Co-Organizers, Assistant Organizers, and Event Hosts from any liability related to incidents, accidents, injuries, or damages to your person, guests, property, or belongings at Meetup events. You agree that you have fully read the description/instructions on this event page when signing up and that you and your guests assume all risks for participating in any event.
Payment:
To lock in your RSVP, the $30/person event fee must be paid within 14 days of signing up for the event. Your RSVP will be dropped if no payment is received. Please get in touch with Steven Wu for payment options. Due to the hiring of model(s), there are no refunds.Location:
We will provide you with the location once payment is made.Equipment:
We will provide a wireless trigger and a professional flash system, but you can bring your own flash and light painting tools.Travel Preparation:
Please ensure you have enough water and fuel for your car. Bring food, snacks, and drinks. There may be no cell signal in certain areas. I highly recommend using Google Maps and its Offline Maps feature. You can set an area to download the map to your phone before entering any area with no cell signal.
YouTube video of Google Maps Offline Feature: https://youtu.be/olOBiwyLefw
Another option is Organic Maps, which uses crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download offline maps: https://organicmaps.app/Times:
Sunset & Moonset: 7:43 PM
Blue Hour: 7:59 PM
Nighttime: 9:16 PM
Milky Way Core Visible: 9:16 PM
Milky Way Core Ends: 2:16 AM (Sunday)Weather:
The weather around Borrego Springs in August is typically 105-110F during the day and 75-80F at night. I will provide a forecast 1-2 days before the event. - Milky Way Nightscape/Camping – Eastern SierraHot Creek Geologic Site, Mammoth Lakes, CA$50.00
It’s prime Milky Way season. We plan to travel further than usual to get fantastic Milky Way nightscape photos. This will be a three-day event, so be prepared to move quickly and travel around because there are many places we want to cover in a short amount of time. We will be shooting daytime and nighttime photos.
The activity is subject to change based on weather. We will check weather conditions during the week and up to the morning of the day and post here if we move the date or cancel.
PLEASE NOTE: By submitting a YES RSVP and participating in any SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group event, you agree to the Meetup Terms of Service and release SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group, the Organizer, Co-Organizers, Assistant Organizers, and Event Hosts from any liability related to incidents, accidents, injuries, or damages to your person, guests, property, or belongings at Meetup events. You agree that you have fully read the description/instructions on this event page when signing up and that you and your guests assume all risks for participating in any event.
To lock in your RSVP, the $50/person fee to Steven Wu. This fee includes the group campsite reservation fee.
Meet Up Location:
- We will provide the meetup location and time after receipt of payment and provide full details at the meetup location.
- There are no refunds due to the cost of reserving the group campsites. Your $50 contribution also helps offset our Meetup organizer subscription costs to continue running this group and future planning. We appreciate all participants.
Equipment Preparation:
We can help you with photography-related questions, but you will be responsible for understanding your camera's functions. Since we are taking photos in a dark environment, you should know how to operate your camera and lens in the dark. I recommend you practice at home in the dark until you no longer need to turn on the light to use your camera and lens.
Quick YouTube video about photographing the Milky Way: https://youtu.be/2bVtg96J-wECamping:
We will be camping near a reservoir with views of the surrounding mountains. The campsite has potable water and vault toilets.Meals:
I have picked out a few places I have visited before, which is great while traveling. Depending on our location, our choices may be limited. Please bring snacks.Travel Preparation:
Please ensure you have enough warm clothes, water, and fuel for your car. Bring food, snacks, and drinks. There may be no cell signal in certain areas. I highly recommend using Google Maps and its Offline Maps feature. You can set an area to download the map to your phone before entering any area with no cell signal.
YouTube video of Google Maps Offline Feature: https://youtu.be/olOBiwyLefw
Another option is Organic Maps, which uses crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download offline maps: https://organicmaps.app/Weather:
The weather in the area in September is typically 70-80F during the day and 40-50F at night. I will provide a forecast 1-2 days before the event.Recommended Items to Bring:
- Headlamp with red light (white light could disrupt other’s night vision)
- DSLR/mirrorless camera
- Wide-angle lenses (14mm to 24mm) and fast prime lenses (f/2.8 or wider/faster) are better suited for low-light photography. Zoom lenses for versatility for daytime photography.
- Circular polarizer for daytime photography (optional)
- Low Level Lighting (LLL) panel for light painting the landscape
- Tripod (required)
- Extra camera batteries
- Extra memory cards
- Blower (remove dust)
- Intervalometer (optional)
- Water/snacks/food
- Extra clothing
- Trail shoes/hiking boots
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray if you are prone to insect bites
- Camping chair
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
