Milky Way Cosplay - Borrego Springs

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.