Name: Palo Duro Canyon Night Sky
Start: 2027-05-07
End: 2027-05-09
Location: Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon Night Sky

3 days

May 7 - 9, 2027: 3 spots available

Limited to 8 participants

Gorgeous night skies among 300 million year old rocks

Quick Facts

Skill Level i

All Levels

Fitness Level i

Moderate

Terrain

Elevation Changes, Temperature Extremes, Uneven Terrain, Walking Long Distances

Location

Palo Duro Canyon

Tuition

$500

The Experience

Experience the drama of the Texas Panhandle after dark in this Palo Duro Canyon night sky photography workshop. We’ll photograph the Milky Way rising over one of the most striking canyon landscapes in the country, using the rugged cliffs, desert textures, and sweeping open skies as our foreground. During the day and around golden hour, we’ll explore landscape opportunities throughout the canyon, including sunrise, sunset, color, shadow, and composition. Depending on weather, spring conditions may also give us the chance to photograph dramatic clouds, distant lightning, or storm light rolling across the plains. This workshop is designed to help you build confidence with night sky techniques while also creating strong landscape images that tell the story of this unique Texas location.

What You Will Learn

In the Field

Focusing on the stars
Noise reduction options
Selecting foregrounds
Capturing star trails
Milky Way timelapse

Beyond the Capture

Editing night sky images
Planning for night sky outings
Filters for night sky noise pollution
Understanding long exposure challenges

Through The Lens

Planning Your Trip

Nearest Airport

Amarillo, TX (AMA)

Lodging Suggestions

Campsite or RV in the Park, Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn located in Canyon, TX

Transportation

Personal

What's Included:

Field instruction & support
Canyon History Session
Pre-Workshop Zoom Session to Prepare for the Workshop
Post-Workshop Zoom Session to Share Editing Techniques
Access to the Benton Downs Alumni Community

What's Not Included:

All Travel
Food & drink
Travel Insurance

Itinerary

A Packed Agenda - Subject To Weather Of Course

Day 1 – We’ll gather at the Holiday Inn in Canyon at 5:00 to go over the next 48 hours of awesome photography options we have planned. We’ll review best practices for night sky photography and a safety first approach to capturing nighttime images. Then we’ll head out to capture our first sunset before returning to our lodging for a few hours sleep before heading out to capture the Milky Way.

Day 2 – We begin long before dawn to capture the Milky Way peak then watch as the sunrise paints the desert and canyon. We’ll head back to our hotels for breakfast and some rest. After lunch we will do some image critiques and review any issues or challenges with settings for those who would like before heading out for sunset.

Day 3 – We begin before dawn again in a different location & with more confidence, capture the billion or so points of light that are our galactic neighbors and with any luck another beautiful sunrise before wrapping up back at the hotel.

What Our Students Say...

Benton Downs meets and exceeds my expectations

My priorities for a workshop are always to see new places, especially at my age, learn something new, get feedback on my compositions in camera, get ideas for compositions or small scenes or creative ideas that I may not be seeing, meet new people, be in a small group, and offer all of that for an affordable investment. Benton Downs meets and exceeds my expectations by going above and beyond by adding in a zoom meeting before and after each workshop, by offering editing or critique advice during or after the workshop, and with their friendliness and caring about each participant. Anything else is a bonus. I would highly recommend BDW as one of the top workshop groups in the country. Thanks Barry and David!

Roberta K.

You Walk Away Learning So Much!

I have attended several photography workshops, including with some National names – this one is a class apart. David and Barry bring their down to earth style to the workshop and you walk away learning so much – while actually taking pictures. This is a hands-on lesson – which makes it really interesting. I would absolutely do a workshop with them again.

Arun K

No Matter Your Skill Level, You Won’t Be Disappointed!

Sign up for a workshop! Through the one on one coaching of David and Barry, I came away with more confidence in my ability to get great landscape and astrophotos. No matter your skill level, you won’t be disappointed.

Rhonda H

Instruction and Independence!

This was a terrific workshop whether you are a beginner or a more experienced photographer. If I needed help or had a question either David or Barry was right there. If I wanted to wander off and work on my own composition, I could do that. The perfect balance of instruction and independence.

Taking My Photos To Another Level!

This was a great workshop for me. I learned several things that definitely help take my photos to another level.

Marian K

One of the very best!

I’ve participated in a number of photographic workshops. This was one of the very best!

Michael Griffith