Meteors, Mountains and Milky Way
Dawn Wilson, author of the book 100 Things to Do in Estes Park Before You Die, is excited to announce an opportunity to photograph the night skies during the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower in Rocky Mountain National Park. This small photo workshop for one night only combines a classroom lecture at the Estes Park Memorial Observatory to talk about the night skies of the area and how to photograph them, and then a trip into Rocky Mountain National Park to apply the skills to photograph the stars and meteors at three locations — an overlook for the crescent moon, an alpine lake for the Milky Way and a mountain meadow for the meteor shower.
The Perseids is one of the most popular meteor showers because of its timing with the warm month of August. Sky watchers can head out in the comfort of the summer air (albeit still cool at Colorado's higher elevations) to watch about a meteor a minute dash across the sky. Named for the constellation Perseus, this year's shower coincides with a nearly new moon, providing dark skies for our evening.
A second bonus for this workshop is that the crescent moon will be visible in the sunset sky the night of the class. After photographing sunset, Dawn will work with participants to set up cameras for photographing the night sky, show how to focus in the darkness of night and how to compose a photograph.
The group will be able to photograph the Milky Way above Longs Peak at an alpine lake at the first location. The second location has been selected to photograph the meteors to the north.
Photography gear is not provided. To capture photos during this workshop, please bring:
- a DSLR or mirrorless camera that can handle high noise levels (cell phones can capture photos of the night sky but will not capture the type of photos taught in this course)
- a remote shutter release
- a fast, wide-angle lens (in the range of 14 to 35 mm with a 1.4 or 2.8 aperture is ideal)
- a headlamp
- a tripod
- warm clothes (jacket, hat, gloves, sturdy shoes — not sandals)
If you do not own this type of equipment, rental gear is available from online vendors (BorrowLenses.com or LensRental.com) or from local retailers (Mikes Camera — locations throughout the Front Range; their Boulder location is the closest to Estes Park). A newer cell phone, such as the Apple iPhone 17, can also make night images.
Schedule
- Classroom and Field Course: Saturday, August 15, 2026
- Itinerary: A classroom lecture will start at 6:00 p.m. at the observatory on Saturday. The first shoot will start at approximately 8 p.m. to photograph the crescent moon setting over the mountains. The second location will be at approximately 9:30 p.m. at Bear or Lily Lake and then about 11 p.m. the final location will start near Endovalley. We will finish about midnight.
Price: $75 per person per date; due at time of registration
Number of Participants: 12 per event
Please note that this is a rain or shine event. Although clear skies are a necessity for night photography, the weather cannot be controlled. Refunds will not be issued for weather that impedes the night photography field portion of this class. The classroom portions, however, will continue despite weather conditions.
Why go with Dawn?
Dawn Wilson is an award-winning, professional nature photographer and writer who has lived in northern Colorado for more than 20 years, including nine years of involvement in the Estes Park community, and was recognized as a top-ten female nature photographer by Wild Planet Photo Magazine. With more than 800 bylines credited to her in magazines, newspapers and calendars as well as writing about nature for the Estes Park Trail Gazette and Estes Park News, she has focused her work on a wide variety of aspects about Rocky Mountain National Park, including guiding in the park for more than ten years.
Dawn Wilson Photography LLC is permitted and insured to run photo tours in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Email Dawn with any questions.