May on the North Shore marks the return of dark skies and early season views of the Milky Way’s galactic core. Snow has mostly vanished inland, the trees are still bare, and the bugs haven’t shown up yet. It’s a time of transition—cool nights, damp ground, and wide-open skies. And it’s a time when very few people are thinking about photographing the night.

This workshop is designed to help you capture the quiet beauty of spring skies in one of the darkest places in the lower 48. We’ll photograph the rising Milky Way from Lake Superior’s shoreline and from inland locations surrounded by undeveloped wilderness. In the stillness of early season nights, you’ll learn how to plan, shoot, and process nightscapes with intent and creativity.

Dates: May 13-17, 2026

Price: $899 ($450 nonrefundable deposit due on registration. Final payment is due 90 days before the workshop)

Location: Grand Marais, Minnesota

This event is in cooperation with and under a Special Use Permit from the U.S.  Forest Service, Gunflint Ranger District.

What You Will Learn

This workshop is built around early season night photography, with an emphasis on capturing the Milky Way’s return. You’ll come away with a solid foundation for photographing the night sky, plus a few creative techniques to help your work stand out.

You’ll learn how to:

• Plan for the Early Season Core: Understand how the Milky Way’s position and angle changes in spring, and how to work with the short windows of visibility.
• Use Planning Tools: Learn how to use apps and software to predict galactic core rise times, moon phases, and light pollution zones.
• Choose Foregrounds with Intention: Find early season compositions with bare trees, thawing lakes, or rugged shoreline to create dramatic contrasts with the sky.
• Dial in Camera Settings: Master exposure settings that balance stars and foreground without relying on high ISO noise.
• Nail Focus at Night: Consistently achieve sharp stars and clear foregrounds using repeatable focusing techniques.
• Shoot with Purpose: Learn when to use a single exposure vs. stacking, and how to compose for both wide angles and tighter crops. For stacking, we will use my two-shot process.
• Process with Precision: Use Lightroom Classic and your included copy of my Night Sky Presets to bring out the Milky Way’s glow and your foreground’s natural beauty.
• Embrace the Elements: Tips for photographing in chilly spring nights, from condensation control to camera handling in borderline temps.

This isn’t just a night photography class; it’s a creative reset before summer begins. It’s a chance to step into the quiet of the season and make images that few others attempt.

Itinerary

Note: The schedule is tentative and may change based on weather and sky conditions. Sunset is around 8:30 p.m. in early May. I’ll send out a final schedule two weeks before the workshop begins.

Some of the locations we’ll visit may overlap with my other night photography workshops, but this class will also explore fresh scenes that suit the early spring season—bare trees, thawed lakes, and rugged shoreline compositions that shine in the cooler light of May.

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Day 1 – Getting Set Up for Success

• 1:00–4:00 p.m. – Classroom: Introduction to early season Milky Way shooting, two-image blends, focusing techniques, and essential planning tools.
• 4:00–7:00 p.m. – Dinner break
• 7:00 p.m. to Late – Field Session: Photographing the rising Milky Way and practicing blending techniques in the field.

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Day 2 – Processing Foundations + Low-Level Lighting

• 1:00–4:00 p.m. – Classroom: Processing images from Night 1 using Lightroom and Photoshop. Topics include noise reduction, exposure matching, mask refinement, and low-level lighting setup.
• 8:00 p.m. to Late – Field Session: Shooting new compositions with low-level lighting added to foregrounds for depth and clarity.

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Day 3 – Review + Advanced Planning

• 1:00–2:30 p.m. – Image Review: Submit up to three JPEGs (1500px long edge) for constructive feedback.
• 3:00–5:00 p.m. – Classroom: Composition strategies for early-season scenes, choosing the right foreground, and how/when to stack exposures.
• 8:30 p.m. to Late – Field Session: Practicing multi-shot technique.

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Day 4 – Optional Processing or Sunset, Then Go Create

• 6:00–8:00 p.m. – Optional Classroom: Post-processing demo focused on stacked images OR head out to shoot sunset if skies cooperate.
• 8:00 p.m. to Late – Field Session: Choose your style—blending, or single shots

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Day 5 – Wrap-Up + One Last Night

3:00–5:00 p.m. – Final Image Review: Submit up to five JPEGs (1500px long edge) for discussion and feedback.

5:00–8:00 p.m. – Dinner break or optional sunset shoot.

8:30 p.m. to Midnight – Final Field Session: One more chance to create your favorite image of the week.

Additional Information

Workshop type: This is a Minnesota photography workshop. It has classroom time, outdoor field time, and an image review session during the workshop dates. Learn more about workshop types.

Maximum number of participants: 10

Level: This workshop is for all levels of photographers and works best for photographers using digital cameras.

Activity level: Most of the locations are near the parking lots, but expect some roundtrips of up to a mile in the dark over uneven terrain. You will be expected to navigate uneven terrain at night.

What’s included in the workshop fee: Quality small group and one-on-one instruction. Conference room for classroom time. Fun!

What’s not included in the workshop fee: Transportation to Grand Marais and photography locations. Carpooling is highly recommended. Lodging. Meals and drinks. Park permits.

Lodging partner: The lodging partner is within walking distance of downtown Grand Marais. After you register, you’ll receive information about booking your room in the room block. You’ll need to make your room registration separately from the workshop fee.

Workshop Dates: May 13-17, 2026

Check-in date: May 13

Checkout date: May 18

Getting to Grand Marais: Grand Marais, Minnesota is 110 miles north of Duluth, Minnesota on Highway 61. Duluth boasts a small international airport. It’s 260 miles north of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has an international airport that also acts as a regional hub. Grand Marais is 128 kilometers south of Thunder Bay, Ontario on Highway 61. Thunder Bay has a small airport. Car rentals are available at the airports.

Weather: The average temps are 38°F for lows and 56°F for highs.

Equipment list: After registration, you will receive a suggested equipment list and participant package. The package will discuss equipment options, photography techniques and more.

Registration and Cancellation Policies

Please, read the Registration and Cancellation Policies at the link. There are no exceptions to the policy.