August 8, 2021: Night Sky Photography Workshop Recap

This summer we have had three night sky photography workshops at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge as part of our stargazing activities. These workshops taught night-sky and photography enthusiasts how to take high-quality pictures of the dark sky.

Our third night sky photography workshop was held this past Sunday, during the month’s new moon on August 8, 2021, and a couple of days before the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower. 

For the first half of the class, Nathan Bett shared his techniques in a classroom presentation. The second half of the class we journeyed out onto the ninth fairway and had some hands on learning.

The “class room” portion of the workshop lasted around 1.5 hours, during which time several of Nate’s nuggets for taking night sky photos were discussed.

After finishing up the indoor lecture portion of the workshop, we journeyed outside with our cameras onto the ninth fairway for some hands on learning. To be able to see the stars at night, good weather is needed. It had rained earlier in the day, and was cloudy for most of the afternoon. However, the evening had some glimmer of hope.  It was not the clearest of nights, but attendees were able to see some stars, take some pictures, and get some specific experience with Nate. Nate spent time walking around to each attendee’s setup on Hole 9 and talking about their different settings. The sky was thick with moisture and haze from distant wildfires, however, we all walked away with more insight into night sky photography. 

Below is a map of the stargazing locations on the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge property. The location on Hole 9 where the outside portion of the workshop was held is identified on the map with the black camera icon.

About the Instructor: Nate Bett

Nathan Bett is a photographer and educator in Hancock Michigan. Although originally from Marquette, Michigan, Nathan recently relocated to Hancock from New York City, where he taught at the City University Of New York, and represented a major camera manufacturer as a technical specialist in photography. He now spends his time indulging in the over abundance of natural beauty in his native UP and spending excesses of time outdoors with his family. Nathan maintains a passion for photography and the outdoors that he delights in sharing with students. His work can be viewed at nathanbett.com and @natebett and @artmonstermedia on Instagram.