Learn the basics of night photography while enjoying an evening under the stars
With the guidance of an expert naturalist and photographer
A spring photography tour under the night skies and in the field with wildlife of Devils Tower National Monument provides a journey into the mystical world of the darkness of night. As the spring storms pass through the surprisingly vast landscape of the Black Hills in the afternoon, skies clear and reveal the impressive darkness of northeast Wyoming. There is also an iconic presence of the monolith featured in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind and a treasure to local Native American tribes. Here, the darkness of the night offers ample opportunities to use the monolith, also referred to as Bears Lodge, as a terrestrial landmark while photographing star trails, the Milky Way and maybe a few auroras dancing in the sky.
The dramatic glow of stormy light after summer showers bathes the scenery in a dynamic palette while wildlife begin to emerge from dens and burrows. Devils Tower and the surrounding rolling hills are home to black-tailed prairie dogs, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pheasants, turkeys and many other animals that take advantage of this lush area in early summer. As the Belle Forche River rises with spring runoff, reflections of the dramatic monolith will add unique elements to landscape photos. These fleeting moments provide exceptional opportunities to capture the park’s beauty in its most enchanting light. As you wander through lush green meadows, you’ll find that the emerging sounds of spring enhances the sense of rebirth, allowing for dramatic and contemplative shots that are often missed during the busier seasons.
This tour, designed for the novice to intermediate photographer, will take you on an adventure into one of the most iconic yet unnoticed landscapes in the West.
This is a rain-or-shine event. If the weather does not cooperate in the evenings for astrophotography, we will use the time during the day to explore and photograph the beauty of the local Black Hills region.
