Night Sky Photography Workshops, Tours, Talks
Other reviews: Iceland Aurora Tours, California Nightscapes, Astromaster La Palma
Peiyi Chen, Texas (August 2025) I was motivated to join this program because I am new to night photography and wanted to learn more techniques and explore the possibilities of astrophotography. I had no experience using a telescope and during the program I was instructed on various techniques related to night photography, instructed on how to use a telescope, how to post process photos and how to use a star tracker. The lessons were all excellent and very beneficial.
The knowledge of learning about night photography- telescope as well as meeting people who are likeminded was the most valuable part of the program to me. I would love to see a future workshop cover how to plan a solo night photography trip. I most enjoyed the knowledge and passions from all the speakers. The food and cabin accommodations were good but I wish there were more options for warmer beddings during those cold nights.
photos © Peiyi Chen
Dianne Paul, Massachusetts (August 2025) We chose to join this Retreat because we are new to astronomy as a hobby and even more recently started including astrophotography. We were really interested in learning more about it and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.
I do take shots of the night sky frequently with my cell phone when we are out with the telescope but haven’t taken it seriously but now want to do much more of it – but with a camera. I realized I just want to do more photography after participating in this program.
This program truly opened my eyes to how much more was out there in terms of photographing the night landscape and how much more I wanted to do beyond just the deep sky photography. While I want to do more deep sky photography, I am now looking forward to doing more astrophotography with our DSLR as well. So while I learned more than I ever expected, this broadening of my horizons really sticks out to me as one of the biggest takeaways from the experience.
You ask what I enjoyed most about this experience? A tough question to answer as there was so much. The guest speakers you chose were simply outstanding. And the fact that you had a diverse offering, including the wildlife presentations, kept it fresh and interesting. I loved meeting and talking to people that had similar interests. I am not a very outgoing person so having a group of people that included some that I could relate to really added to the experience. I don’t usually get that. And everyone was very helpful and knowledgeable. You seemed to really care about ensuring everyone got what assistance they needed. You made sure you talked to everyone and gave whatever guidance, support and assistance was needed. I have to say we had a phenomenal time. It was fun, engaging and extremely informative. You packed a lot in that one week. But one thing that stands out is to make a program like that must take an enormous amount of effort and coordination from a whole team of people. Yet the retreat itself felt very relaxed, stress free and easy for participants. That’s not easy to do.
A lot of events can feel it if it’s disorganized or stressful behind the scenes. That was not the case here, so everyone did an incredible job from my point of view – both those that we met and interacted with as well as all the behind-the-scenes players. And I do like that participants also have something to offer as well. It enhances the experience overall. I hope that next time we come, and we do plan on coming again, we will have more to offer other participants ourselves. We would love to be able to share more too and help others. But overall, we enjoyed everything about the workshop!
Jamie Schwartz, Florida (August 2025) I thought the workshop was amazing and loved all the sessions. The pace was just right. I joined this workshop because My partner is a passionate milky way landscape photographer and I have access to his equipment and insight. I was looking for trips and this looked fantastic. Before joining I had no telescope experience, and I was familiar with manual settings and some night photography techniques. I joined because I wanted to practice and learn fundamentals of night photography from Babak Tafreshi, observe planets, star clusters, nebulae or galaxies via telescope, and learn astrophotography/deep sky photography with a star tracker and telescope. I had a wonderful experience and thought the workshop was a fantastic experience. Babak, Bruce, Don and Russell and Rich were extremely generous in sharing their knowledge and offering amazing insights.
Lewis Fink, Florida (August 2025) I joined the program for a few reasons. I had hoped to do some astro landscape and practice with my new sky tracker and I wanted to enjoy dark skies & share experiences with others, as well as learn more about astronomy.
I thought the pace of the workshop was just right. I found the star tracker instruction met my needs. My biggest challenge was finding interesting foregrounds and having the ability to light paint without disturbing others.
I found instruction for camera settings, focusing my lens at night, using post processing software, mobile phone photography and telescope instruction to be slightly useful. The star tracker instruction met my needs.
I think it might be useful to have separate sessions for landscape and deep space; perhaps having separate workshops for each. In a future workshop I would like to see techniques such as stacking and star tracker use, and I would like to see more balance between shooting and lectures (difficult with cloudy skies). My favorite part of the workshop was the interesting speakers, I liked the accommodations, and the meals were good. I feel I received a good value for your investment in this workshop.
photo © Lewis Fink
Matt Higgins, Pennsylvania (August 2025) We were motivated to join this workshop to learn the fundamentals of shooting the night sky, especially after seeing Babak’s talk in Scranton, PA. I am new to practicing night photography and wanted to learn more techniques from Babak. The most valuable thing I learned was the basics of night photography and the fundamentals of the camera and how to set up for a shot and what settings to consider.
I found the instruction for camera settings and focusing my lens at night to be excellent and the mobile phone and star tracker instruction to be very useful,
As a beginner, we had a steep learning curve, but Bruce and Babak were helpful. I think following along with the software was probably the biggest challenge in terms of what changes were being made and how they were being made.
As far as suggestions for improvements: The program was fantastic, and we really enjoyed every bit of it. The variety of speakers, the in-depth topics of night photography were great as was the communal meals where we had the opportunity to meet and get to know the participants. We left with a whole new set of friends.
A few things that might have helped as a beginner would be maybe a handout or two with some of the key information, tables, graphs, etc. for the night photography. I tried to take notes but couldn’t get everything so a handout with the critical bits would be great. Also, this may be hard to pull off, but perhaps for the software discussions, one evening hold a live workshop in which the attendees are on their laptops working through the same processes so we can get a better feel of the steps. In other words, have the students adjust a photo (all work on the same one perhaps) and stack a set of photos, etc. to get a more hands-on learning experience. I feel this program was a good value for money and the quality of the on-site meals and dining experience, as well as the cabin accommodations was very good.
Theresa Park, Massachusetts (August 2024) I thoroughly enjoyed the Maine workshop – helpful instructors, interesting lectures/speakers, cooperative weather, opportunity to explore the area, great co-participants. I gained exposure to deep space through telescopes; greater appreciation of night time sky – the Milky Way was spectacular; good practice of camera settings for night photography. I loved the rustic camp setting. Rustic but met all the basic necessities. Only complements to the Retreat Center staff. The camp amenities (lake, fire pit, etc.) and accommodating staff made the stay highly enjoyable. I went kayaking on the lake. I do regret not taking a dip in the lake. Explored the area extensively, including eating lobsters every day. I 100% received good value for the investment I made in this workshop.
Mildred Kennedy-Stirling, New Hampshire. (August 2024) I attended with my sixteen year old daughter to encourage her astronomy passions. She learned to use the iPhone to create long exposures and observed my exposures taken with Nikon and Sony cameras. She loved meeting so many people with different perspectives on the importance of dark skies.
The long term project works of Brian Skerry and Tim and Russ Laman gave insights into the time and effort of their documentary work. Their talks continue to pop up in our conversations. These afternoon lectures provided a range of topics to development, context, better understanding and appreciation of how documentary work matters and affects social change. My sixteen year old gained an understanding of how long term projects affect policy.
The cabin accommodations were simple and fine. We did not visit the property’s lake for activities but we drove to the ocean most mornings to walk, enjoy museums, and eat ethnic food not available where we live. The town of Belfast offered used book stores, thrift shops, and an amazing farmer’s market. In Rockland we enjoyed the Farnsworth Museum, many galleries, and historical sites. This region is a treasure trove of excursions. I loved finding Liberty Graphics outlet store.
The schedule was perfect for relaxing and enjoyment of the retreat programming and the region. The providers’ kindness and patience to explain big ideas in relatable terms gave us lots to bring home. Thank you for this amazing opportunity.
photos ©Mildred Kennedy-Stirling
Donna Chilson, Virginia (August 2024) I joined this retreat to learn astrophotography/deep sky photography with a star tracker and a telescope. I had never used a telescope before. I used my star tracker a little bit, but definitely need more work with it. I learned that I still have a lot to learn.
A comment about the workshop topics: I would like to see topics addressed, then worked on that night as well as time to put them on the computer. i.e. timelapses and I would look at classes at the hilltop, hands on, and not so much classroom.
The cabins were good, and the staff were overly receptive to any needs you had. The food was amazing, loved the family style dining and that it was always a different meal. I did explore the lake area, not as much as I would have liked to, but did get a few night shots there. I liked the use of WhatsApp to talk with everyone and share photos there. I feel this program was a good value for money.
Susan Ogan, Massachusetts (August 2024) This workshop was one of the best that I have attended. While most of the material was new to me, it was exciting to be exposed to some of the most sophisticated and experienced thinking in the field. The workshop leaders *( Babak and Bruce) were generous, and non judging. There was always someone available to help. I learned to appreciate dark skies, I learned camera settings, and strategies for photographing the night skies. However, I found it a bit overwhelming to photograph in the dark, not sure how to improve this.
We stayed in a new cabin and it was very satisfactory and comfortable. I would have preferred better lighting on the pathways the improve nighttime safety. I loved the retreat center. Delicious and interesting food.
photo ©Susan Ogan
Lauren, Massachusetts (August 2024) There was something for everyone at this course. I wanted to learn about night photography from Babak Tafreshi and to learn about astronomy. I have always enjoyed nature and taking pictures of things around me- in order to share my experiences with others.
Prior to this workshop I had only used a mobile phone for night photography. I knew nothing about working with a camera other than my smart phone and was worried about the workshop being too much for me. I rented a camera and not only learned how to use it but had patient professional photographers helping me to capture the shots. I learned about the possibilities and techniques of general photography, night sky photography, and photo composition.
I thought the facilities were great, I loved the variety of lecture topics, but I recommend to pack hats and gloves! I went kayaking on the lake and went to the farmers market in town. I think this program was a good value for money.
Kathleen Murphy, South Carolina (August 2024) I had only used a mobile phone for night photography before joining this program. I got a general understanding of night photography and camera settings and I feel so much more comfortable with the terminology and skills.
All the speakers were generous with their skills, knowledge and shared experiences. Their sincere passion around their work was felt and appreciated.
I loved the simplicity and cleanliness of the cabins, and I enjoyed each of the locations for their uniqueness and functionality. The layout was terrific and helped to facilitate interaction with participants and associates as well. The lake was lovely and I enjoyed spending some time there, particularly at night.
I absolutely feel this program was worth every single penny. Genuine thank you to all organizers, participants and employees of the camp. Everyone was wonderful and I will remember our time together fondly.
photo ©Kathleen Murphy
Mitchell Schwartz, Florida (August 2024) I was familiar with camera manual settings, but had little night photography experience, and I never used a telescope before. I wanted to learn from Babak Tafreshi, enjoy the dark skies and learn more about astronomy.
I achieved my goals of learning how to compose and focus my shots as well as solve the mystery of how to get the best camera settings for night photography. Babak is extraordinarily patient and a wonderful instructor. The afternoon lecture topics were wonderful, especially the guest presenters.
The cabin accommodations were very rustic and I had no expectations. The nights were cold and the blankets they provided were inadequate. My suggestion is to bring a good sleeping bag. The food was an unexpected, a pleasant surprise. The facilities were nice for the presentations, but the chairs could be much more comfortable. The lake was too cold for swimming. A trip to the Maine coastline was great. I would suggest to organize more social events for the group to do together, like a half-day trip to the Maine coast.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the investment I made in this workshop.
photos ©Mitchell Schwartz
Therese Ebarb, New York (August 2024) I learned great knowledge of my camera, lenses, and star tracker as well the identification of objects in the sky, specifically the aurora. I especially enjoyed non-astronomy topics that related to the appreciation of nature and the natural world.
One reason we continue to return every year is the lake that features swimming, kayaking and canoeing. I was very pleased with the facilities, food and hilltop Pavilion. I feel this program is a good value for money…especially the non-astronomy topics presented and great fellowship with the other participants . I feel like I “come home” each summer I attend the program. I am very grateful for the individual instruction from Bruce, Rich and Babak.
Ellen C. Benya, Illinois (August 2024) I was familiar with camera manual settings, but had little night photography experience and I wanted to learn from Babak Tafreshi. I learned how to create star trails and composite pictures of the Milky Way. My skills and confidence about how to take night sky photos greatly improved.
I enjoyed the mix of astrophotography and wildlife talks from other National Geographic photographers. An Oyster farm and Farnsworth Museum were fun side excursions during the retreat. Improved Wi Fi is needed to work on your photo processing.
Pierre Fleurant, Massachusetts (August 2023) From beginner to professional nightscape or astro photographer, this retreat is for you. At this workshop, one can enjoy a quiet, peaceful, and dark sky area to hone one’s nightscape photography skills. It has a great family camp atmosphere with a dark sky site. My SQM measured 21.05. Prior to joining I had a lot of telescope and night photography experience but I wanted to learn more about astronomy and practice and learn better skills and technique from Babak. During the workshop I learned about ACR/Lightroom CC post processing and editing. There was much value in watching Babak edit nightscape images. He is a master.
The cabin was very comfortable, and the water was hot! The only suggestion I have is to replace those “touch” table lights with a switch, because at night one can accidentally touch it and it turns on. I love the new dining hall and the barn. It’s the sound system that needs to be fixed. I don’t know how it can be done; maybe more speakers strategically placed around the room? The food was great. Coffee could be a little stronger, though! I swam in the lake a few times!
As far as the workshop topics and guest speakers: I would like to see more topics on cell phone camera advancements and use of best App and/or settings for taking cellphone pictures. I wanted to mention that having Rich Nugent there with his 14 inch made it a lot of fun. He really knows the night sky and it is a joy to look through his telescope.
This workshop is a good value for money: the venue and the ability to tap into a National Geographic photographer’s expertise makes it all worthwhile.
Niloofar Toorchi, California, (August 2022) Prior to joining I had never used a telescope before, I joined to observe planets, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies via telescope and I wanted to learn astrophotography and deep sky photography using a star tracker. I learned close-up nebulae photography with a star tracker, as well as the post processing techniques. The lecture topics were comprehensive, the food was awesome and lodging was nice and clean. Got a little bit cold at nights. Wish cabins had a heater. It’s both learning and fun. I learned a lot on astronomy and astrophotography while it was also a great vacation. Besides Babak and Bruce, there are lots of experienced folks that can help you with your questions.
Mike D., Massachusetts, (August 2022) From the time you arrive at the retreat to the time you leave, you are provided 1:1 attention and a warm sense of being connected to likeminded people. I learned a ton of tips and strategies for night astro photography. Details like focus, preventing dew on lens, using an Astro tracker, and much more.
The lecture topics were great, but I would like to do a bit of hands on post processing. Maybe that’s more for an advanced class. I loved the camp, but small beds are challenging for a larger person. I made multiple trips down to the lake and it was a fun drive to see the tool store a few miles away. I had great interactions and time with knowledgeable people. Keep doing what you’re doing.. Fingers crossed for more dark skies.
Howard Ritter, Ohio, (August 2022) I am an amateur astronomer and avid telescope user. I had not done much nightscape photography, mostly astrophotography through telescopes, but I learned some valuable fundamentals from Babak. But learning about nightscape photography from an expert was just one of the many reasons for attending, which I plan to do again. The opportunity to observe and socialize with other experienced amateur astronomers and Astro imagers was wonderful and memorable.
The lectures were well done. I had high expectations as a result of having seen Babak’s images for the past many years in one or the other of our two great astronomy magazines, and I was not disappointed.
The lodging and food were both rustic and comfortable. The lack of TV in the cabins was “a feature, not a bug”, as it encouraged reflection and attention to the natural world.
My son and/or I visited both the lake and nearby Acadia National Park. And the MSPR locale is ideally situated for a few days spent on the coast of Maine before or after. Spending hour after hour for five consecutive nights under pristine Maine night skies was an experience unlike anything I’d ever had. Taking it all in provided a visceral reminder of the deep and enduring fascination that the stars have for man. Just sitting back in silence and gazing up at the Milky Way, the Summer Triangle, and Cygnus beating its course down the star fields towards the center of the Galaxy; turning to see Cassiopeia’s W and the Double Cluster below it rising in the northeast; appreciating the Andromeda Galaxy with eyes alone; watching the blue Pleiades emerge over the trees across the field chased by the red beacons of Mars and then Aldebaran; noting Saturn and Jupiter as they cruised across the southern sky; and seeing the Big Dipper dip to skim the northern horizon and then rise again as the night progresses, only reinforced my lifelong love affair with the night sky and deepened my sense of connectedness with the turning Earth and the wheels of the Universe. Doing this night after night and going about my business on the observing field with this awesome (not a word I use figuratively) spectacle wheeling hour by hour overhead, gave me some feeling for how our ancestors up until very recently saw the heavens as the nights and seasons progressed. I can only hope that others in the future will be similarly refreshed, some newly inspired, and others brought to marveling for the first time at a wonder that had been not only unexperienced, but wholly unsuspected – to go beneath a truly dark and starry sky.
One thing I would make clear to participants is that they should pack for the possibility of rather cool nights not only on the field, but in the cabins because they’re unheated – the two thin blankets provided weren’t enough for me, and I needed to go to Walmart to get winter jammies and an electric throw! (I don’t recall what the website for the MSPR might have said on this topic, but if it said anything, I missed it.) Photos Photo © Howard Ritter
photos ©Howard Ritter
Paul Gimler, Massachusetts (August 2022) Fantastic experience. I highly recommend joining the adventure. I attended in 2021 and I was a complete novice and a little nervous. Everyone was so supportive and willing to teach and share their extensive knowledge. The experience gave me the push to travel and take more photos. I am attending again to continue the journey and adventure with these great people.
Anuja Doshi, Maine (August 2021) Babak, Bruce and the entire team of MSPR were fantastic! I still don’t have the right words to describe how seeing the Milky Way for the first time made me feel, but the entire experience was everything I had hoped for and so much more. Babak’s passion for the night sky and photography was truly inspiring and it was such an honor to learn from him. I will certainly be signing up for one of his future workshops! Also, kudos to the kitchen staff and chef for preparing such wonderful meals all 4 days.
