🌌🍑 Stars & Summer Flavor

Colorado National Monument | Small Group Workshop | Premium Editing Access Included

✨ A Summer Photography Retreat Like No Other

Imagine photographing the Milky Way arching over canyon walls, then spending the next afternoon sampling ripe Palisade peaches, touring local vineyards, and editing your night skies with a cool glass of rosé in hand.

This isn't just a workshop—it's a complete Colorado summer immersion designed for passionate photographers who want more than just stars. It's about experience, flavor, and creative growth.

🎯 What Makes This Workshop Special

✅ 3 Premium Night Sky Sessions

• Golden hour, sunset, and Milky Way shoots at iconic locations like Grand View, Monument Canyon, and Book Cliffs

• Small group (max 6 participants) for individualized instruction

• On-location help with composition, focus, exposure blending & more

✅ Daily Editing & Image Review

• Lightroom & Photoshop workflow for astro editing

• Foreground blending, stacking, star reduction & noise management

• Personalized feedback to elevate your portfolio

✅ 🍑 Taste the Season

• Afternoon outing to Palisade peach farms

• Optional wine tasting at local Grand Valley wineries

• Time built in to explore Grand Junction's art, coffee, and outdoor culture

✅ 🎁 Free 3-Month Access to Groth Galleries Astro
($1,500 value)

• My premium astrophotography editing & coaching community

• Includes advanced tutorials, weekly critiques & exclusive resources

🌟 Why August?

• Peak Milky Way Season

• Clear desert skies + warm nights

• Palisade peach harvest in full swing

• Wineries in harvest mode = vibrant tastings

💬 Past Participant Feedback

“We took a 2 day private workshop with Sam. It was extraordinary. Sam was a great teacher. He showed us how to use the star tracker and gave us all kinds of crucial tips we would not have been able to figure out from YouTube videos. We were able to make amazing photographs of the Milky Way on our own by the second night. Sam is incredibly knowledgeable and patient. I highly recommend him.”
— An-my, New York

“Marvel at the immensity of the cosmos while standing on the precipice of a 2,000ft canyon.”
— Paul, Tennessee

📷 Gear Checklist

• DSLR or mirrorless camera

• Wide-angle lens (f/2.8 or faster)

• Tripod, intervalometer

• Headlamp with red light

• Laptop for editing (recommended)

Don’t worry—you’ll receive a detailed checklist after registration.

❌ What’s Not Included

❌ Lodging and transportation (carpooling recommended)
❌ Meals or snacks
❌ Park entrance fees
❌ Camera gear
❌ Weather control (but the desert skies rarely disappoint!)

📍 Schedule

Each Night:
🕕 30 minutes before sunset — Meet at location, review composition & setup
🌅 Sunset, Blue hour shots
🌌 Milky Way & star photography until 12:30 AM

Each Day:
🍑 Optional outing to Palisade fruit stands & wineries
🗣️ Open Q&A and one-on-one review

👇 Invest in your Astro Success

Note: Limited availability

🌌✨ Capture the Milky Way Over Giants of Sand

A Premium Astrophotography Workshop at Great Sand Dunes National Park

July 21–24, 2025 | Limited availability

📍 Where: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

📸 What: 3 Nights of Milky Way Imaging • Editing Sessions • Adventure in the Dunes
🕯️ Certified International Dark Sky Park
🏞️ Framed by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

🏜️ Why Great Sand Dunes?

Towering up to 750 feet high, these are the tallest sand dunes in North America—a surreal and otherworldly landscape set against the jagged alpine backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. By night, the area transforms into a true Milky Way theater under some of the darkest skies in the U.S.

This workshop is for photographers ready to push creatively and physically, hike into unforgettable locations, and come away with gallery-level images few others ever capture.

📅 Workshop Overview

Dates: July 21–24, 2025
Group Size: Max 6 photographers
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced

• 🏕️ Daily sunset-to-midnight shoots on the dunes

• 🧗 Moderate to strenuous hiking required for access (sand is no joke!)

• 💻 Daily editing instruction with 1:1 support

• 📚 Learn composition, focus stacking, blending, star reduction, and more

• 🌠 Capture the Milky Way from peak dune ridges and reflective playas

🧭 What’s Included

✅ 3 Nights of Guided Field Instruction (sunset to ~12:30 AM)
✅ 2 Daytime Editing Sessions (Photoshop + Lightroom focused)
✅ Personalized Image Review + Portfolio Coaching
✅ Astro Planning Tools & Field Techniques
✅ Access to My Premium Astro Editing Group:
🎁 3 Months Free Access to “Groth Galleries Astro” ($1,500 value)

🚶‍♂️ Physical Requirements

This is a physically demanding workshop.

• You must be comfortable hiking 1–2 miles round trip on sand dunes

• Elevation gain varies (up to 500–700 ft)

• You’ll carry your gear in soft, shifting terrain

We’ll work at a manageable pace, but the effort is real—and so are the rewards.

🗣️ Testimonials

“Colorado offers many unique places for astrophotography and Sam is great guide. First for finding the best location and then guiding through the entire process from the sky to hanging on your wall.”
— Jared, Tennessee

“We took a 2 day private workshop with Sam. It was extraordinary. Sam was a great teacher. He showed us how to use the star tracker and gave us all kinds of crucial tips we would not have been able to figure out from YouTube videos. We were able to make amazing photographs of the Milky Way on our own by the second night. Sam is incredibly knowledgeable and patient. I highly recommend him.”
— An-my, New York

🏨 Lodging & Amenities

Stay just 30 minutes away in Alamosa, CO, which offers:

• Full amenities: hotels, restaurants, grocery, fuel

• Easy access to the park entrance

• Optional camping nearby at Piñon Flats Campground or private sites throughout the San Luis Valley

💡 Lodging and meals are not included, allowing flexibility for every budget.

🌌 Why July?

• Prime Milky Way visibility with galactic core rising before 10 PM

• Warm nighttime temps on the dunes

• Seasonal monsoons often clear by nightfall—adding drama and texture to your skies

• Perfect timing for Perseid meteors beginning to increase

🎒 Gear Checklist

• DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual control

• Wide-angle lens (f/2.8 or faster)

• Solid tripod

• Intervalometer (optional but helpful)

• Star tracker (optional)

• Headlamp (with red light mode)

• Lightweight hiking boots or gaiters

• Backpack + water + snacks

📋 A full prep guide will be sent upon registration.

❌ What’s Not Included

• Lodging & meals

• Transportation to/from Alamosa

• Park entry fees

• Camping gear

• Travel insurance (highly recommended)

Book now

Limited availability