March 4-11, 2024 | Fairbanks, Alaska
Northern Lights Photo Tour with Joe Garza & Nick Selway
One of the most phenomenal displays in nature is the Northern Lights. It's mesmerizing and awe inspiring to watch the lights come down from the heavens and dance overhead. It's a bucket list adventure that will provide you an incredible experience and unforgettable memories. Join us as we set out each evening in search of clear skies to watch and photograph these astounding light shows.
Although predicting the northern lights can be finicky, February and March are considered to be the best months for viewing these breathtaking natural wonders. We will make sure you are in the right place at the right time - from when the action starts in the night until the early morning hours to see the Northern Lights. If your ready for an epic adventure check out more information below and come join us. This workshop will fill up quickly!
Video review provided by Kevin O'Donnell. Be sure to watch his episode of Alaska Behind the Door with Kevin O'Donnell as he recounts the first part of the Alaska Northern Lights Workshop in 2023!
Workshop Information
Dates: March 4-11, 2024
Group Size: Limited to 8 people
Cost: $4,200.00 for Double Occupancy; $5,000 for Single Occupancy
Deposit: 50% deposit due at the time of registration which can be completed at the bottom of this page.
Included: Lodging, Permits, Guiding/Transportation; 1hr Dog Sledding Adventure, Chena Hot Springs, Visiting The World Ice Art Carving Championship in Fairbanks, hotel breakfast each morning; As much laughter as possible and our wealth of photo knowledge making sure we put everyone in the best possible locations for light and compositions to capture their own stunning images.
Not Included: Airfare, meals, gratuities for instructors and/or guides.
Booking: The workshop will need to be paid in full 90 days prior to the day the workshop begins. Refunds are not available after the 90 day mark unless we can find another person to fill your spot.
Workshop Instructors | Northern Lights Photography Tour
Led by Joe Garza and Nick Selway, this incredible Light Chasing Photo Tours Workshop is one you don't want to miss. Both Joe and Nick are professional landscape and nature photographers with years of experience leading workshops and helping individuals at all levels enhance their photography skills. (See bios below)
Joe and Nick create a relaxed, fun environment where you feel comfortable asking questions about your camera gear, settings, techniques, and composition so you can bring your photography skills to the next level. Workshops are a great opportunity to learn as the guided photography tour will bring you right to the best locations and sites so you can focus on your photography and taking in the breathtaking views that will surround you. We hope you'll sign up so we can hit the ground with you in one of our upcoming workshops! Feel free to contact Joe directly with any questions.
Alaska Northern Lights Photo Tour Locations
These Alaskan mountains covered in snow with Aurora Borealis striking down from the heavens is a site to see! This night was cold hovering around -30 degrees couldn't shake the beauty that surrounded us.
On this bucket list adventure our stops will include these stunning locations for you to capture amazing images:
- Northern Lights
- The famous Dalton Highway (Ice Road Truckers)
- Castner Ice Cave
- Dog Sledding Adventure
- Denali National Park
- Wildlife that may include caribou, moose, and lynx
- A visit to North Pole, Alaska
- An evening relaxing at Chena Hot Springs
- Visiting The World Ice Art Carving Championship in Fairbanks
Workshop Schedule
We will meet in the lobby of The Westmark Hotel, Fairbanks, AK at 5pm on March 4 to kick off our workshop. Well take time to introduce ourselves to everyone and answer any questions. Then we'll head out for our first night of chasing the Northern Lights!
Prepare to arrive and check in at The Westmark Hotel, Fairbanks, AK sometime between 3pm and 4:30pm on March 4th. From there we will be heading to our rooms to get camera gear ready and then meet in the lobby at 5pm to kick off the workshop.
Depending on the weather each night we could drive up to 200 miles one way to find clear skies just to put everyone in the right spot to capture the aurora. Each night we could possibly be out until sunrise the next morning shooting. Prepare for very long nights, little sleep and extremely cold temperatures ranging for -40F to 30 F.
Most importantly we'll create a relaxed, fun and enjoyable atmosphere for a incredible experience. You will gain confidence in taking your photography skills to the next level. Our workshop will end on the last morning of our workshop, March 11th, and checkout of the hotel is at 11am.
Lodging, Travel & Transportation | Alaska Northern Lights Photo Tour
Lodging at the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks Alaska is included with either double or single occupancy. You do not need to make a hotel reservation. We have secured rooms with standard double occupancy or single occupancy and will assign single or double occupancy rooms based on your selection when you register for the workshop. We will reserve your room for you and send you a reservation number for your room prior to the workshop.
Amenities include 2 restaurants in the hotel, Free Parking, Free WiFi.
Note that our rooms are only booked and scheduled from March 4 through the 11th. If you plan to arrive in Fairbanks the day before, please be sure to set up your own hotel accommodations.
Travel: Plan to arrive in Fairbanks and be ready to check in at 3pm on March 4th. The Westmark Hotel is 4.5 miles away from the airport so you would need to take a cab or Uber to and from.
Transportation: We will be renting a very comfortable sprinter van to take everyone from the hotel to our shooting locations each night. You only need to book transportation to and from the airport.
Dog Sledding Adventure | Light Chasing Photo Tours
We will be going on a 30-45 minute dog sled ride with the company "Paws for Adventure". The cost of this adventure is included with the workshop.
Your dream of Dog Sledding Alaska comes true where we will join an experienced dog musher and a team of eager huskies. The trail swoops and winds down forested winter trails in the heart of interior Alaska’s Chena River Valley.
While mushing a team of huskies on the trail, it’s not uncommon to see ptarmigan, spruce hens, moose and snowshoe hare tracks, maybe even a cow moose and her calf. (Moose are sighted weekly in our field adjacent to the dog yard). Ravens often swoop down and fly along the trail ahead of us. A perfect dog sled tour for a taste of dog sledding and just the right length for a dog sled ride when it’s exceptionally chilly.
Difficulty of Workshop and Recommended Gear
Some areas will require short hikes thru mountain terrains with some mild elevation gains less than 150 ft. Our shooting areas will give you the most remote breathtaking views to enhance your experience. The following clothing and equipment are recommended.
- Snow Hiking boots we recommend Sorel boots or equivalent to,
- Warm base layers top and bottom
- Snow jackets
- Warm hoodies
- Snow pants
- Beanies, gloves, face mask covering
- Wool socks
- Headlamp
- Hand/toe warmers
- Make sure you always bring water and some snacks for the nights.
Recommend Camera Gear
Depending on how bright the Northern Lights are on any given night we will be doing long exposures anywhere from 5 sec to 25 sec also make sure you have a cable release for you camera!
- DSLR or mirrorless or camera
- Lenses: 16-35mm,20mm Prime, 24-70mm,70-200mm
- Solid tripod with either a ball head
- Remote shutter release
- Filters (Circular Polarizing Filter, Graduated ND Filters and Solid ND filters for daytime exposures)
- Extra batteries; at least 3 full batteries charged every night
- Memory Cards
- Lens cloths, rocket blower, etc.
Instruction Provided During the Workshop Includes:
- A guided photography tour of Alaska including Northern Lights, Denali National Park, Alaska Landscapes
- Long exposures night time photography
- Shooting in manual mode (Shutter speed, aperture, ISO, depth of field)
- Lens selection for composition and lighting
- Creating stunning compositions (rule of thirds and simplicity)
- Finding foreground elements
- Capturing grand landscape photos
- Creating intimate, abstract images
- Creating panoramic images
- Filters - how and when to use them
- Focus stacking, bracketing, histogram usage
