Had a blast with my last couple at the Milky Way and Night Sky Photo Workshop here in Sedona. We had two clear nights with the Milky Way making an appearance both times. It was a test run to see how the class would go.
Here’s feedback from June workshop attendees Cindy and Paul…
“Bob,
Thanks for the resource page, I’m sure Paul and I will use it many times. We thoroughly enjoyed the class and learned quite a bit during the few days we were there.
Here are my thoughts on the class: The Milky Way and Night Sky Workshop was very useful and enjoyable. Things we learned included planning, star stacking, focusing technique, and composition.
You were knowledgeable on different cameras and helpful finding needed camera settings for our cameras.
Holding the course in the red rocks area of Arizona provided an excellent opportunity to implement all the techniques learned. I now feel confident in shooting the Milky Way and highly recommend the Bob Coates MW Photography Course.
Thanks again and take care.” Cindy
Paul and Cindy getting set up for the Blue Hour capture. Check comments on the class from Cindy above.
The four hours of instruction on the first day is just about right to cover all of the shooting and camera setup bases.
Dinner was great at Sound Bites Grill. SBG set up a limited, but extremely varied menu for my workshop guests. We even had live music. Then it was off to hike to the Milky Way location with time to scout out foregrounds and practice with the PhotoPills APP.
Day two was downloading and processing images from the night before and answering questions that popped up from the previous night’s shoot. Five hours in the classroom was plenty. Break time and dinner on our own meeting for night two of night sky photography. Off to bed and then an early morning session with extra Photoshop processing and answering final questions.
New dates have been posted on the Milky Way Workshop page. Take a look and let me know which dates work best for you.
With all that is going on with Covid–19 this year I knew I wasn’t going to be able to travel in my usual way. That led to outfitting my Toyota RAV 4 for boon docking, AKA car camping. My photographer friend Jose Robertson who came through in his vehicle when traveling 2 years ago inspired me.
The start
About a month ago Jose came through on another trip I had the opportunity to test my set up under his watchful eye. During his travels we camped at Lake Powell, Arizona for a couple nights. He taught me a lot and showed me I needed a few more modifications.
I’ll be doing a more in-depth article for the online magazine Photofocus.com. For now you can get an idea of how I fitted out the car.
A peek into the build
A look in the back. Cot with sleeping pad. Removable shelf. Bins for organization.
Not wanting to add a lot of weight or to remove seats I added a five-inch cot to sleep flat.
A shelf that is installed with no attachments to the car is a huge help. This went through a few design iterations. Especially since the cot was billed as being three inches tall. The shelf was redesigned with the five-inch actual cot height! The bins help organize. Bottom bin is the kitchen with stove, gas, cooking tools and utensils. Top bin holds my personal such as clothes and toiletries.
Assembled
Testing the setup. I assembled the ‘camp set up’ in my driveway before hitting the road. testing is good… Trust me on that!
Here’s an image from Watson Lake in Prescott, AZ with the vehicle in use. I’ll share more soon I’m heading out on a new lone adventure on Monday!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – my photographer friends will recognize that part of the support for the shade are two background stands I repurposed.
Travel in China – Xi’an – Part Three
Guest Post – Ken MacAdams
See the previous posts from Ken on Xi’an, China. Part One and Part Two
“Discovered in 1974 by a peasant digging a well, the tomb area covers about 22 square miles. The main part of the emperor’s tomb has yet to be excavated, but three pits have been discovered and excavation work continues to this day. Some estimate that there are over 8,000 clay warriors at the site. These pottery figures of soldiers, horses and chariots leave no doubt that the emperor wanted a bodyguard in the afterlife. Pit 1 alone has yielded over 6,000 soldiers, plus horsemen and chariots. These soldiers are slightly larger than life size, and each is different from the others. The soldiers wear a variety of uniforms and body armor, different hair styles, and some sport mustaches. Some are kneeling – indicating they were archers holding now-decayed wooden bows or cross-bows, while others would have held swords or pikes. The figures are a fascinating link to a society 22 centuries ago.
This is the Bell Tower with contrasting modern buildings in the background.
During the daytime you can enter both the Bell and Drum Towers.
A few dynasties – and centuries – later, the Ming dynasty erected one of the most famous and best examples of ancient city walls. Construction of the still standing present day wall began on the remains of the old Sui and Tang dynasty walls. Encompassing the old city, the square shaped Ming Wall is 8.5 miles in circumference, 40 ft. tall, and about 45 ft. wide on top. It was purposely built wide enough that two chariots could pass by each other with ease. A moat surrounds the wall, and there were four gates into the city, one on the North, East, South, and West sides. The South Gate is the best preserved example with it’s massive archers tower still intact, along with the drawbridge. Xi’an’s Old City Wall is the only ancient wall in China to have survived the Cultural Revolution in its entirety.
This is an artist in the Art Gallery District who invited us in to join him for a tea ceremony. After visiting, he painted a calligraphy spread, and insisted we take it as a gift! Some of his work is hanging in the background.
Each Ming city had a bell and drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn, and drum at dusk. The original bell no longer exists, but a replica stands on the corner of the tower. The bell and drum signaled the opening and closing the city gates. Several cities still have their bell and drum towers, but Xi’an’s is the most widely known of all of them. The Bell Tower was built in 1384 AD and the Drum Tower built four years earlier, in 1380. Today, both towers, and all wall buildings are outlined in colorful LED lights that come on at dusk. The lighting is tastefully done, and adds a special magic to the night air of Old Town Xi’an!
A few blocks away is Xi’an’s Muslim community. Within is the Great Mosque, surrounded by old houses and narrow streets. The Great Mosque survived the Cultural Revolution and remains as an Islamic place of worship. It was founded in AD 742, and the present layout dates from the 14th century.
About 146 BC, during the Han dynasty, Emperor Han Wudi launched a series of military campaigns against the warlike Turkish people to the Northwest. Merchant caravans followed the armies, and established routes that the Europeans later called the Silk Road. Originating in Xi’an, these routes formed links of trade and cultural exchange to the West. Paper, gunpowder, (both Chinese inventions), spices, silk, jade, and many other goods were carried by merchant caravans to the West.
The first contacts between adherents of Buddhism and the Chinese were made by the opening of the Silk Road. (It was via this same link that the Muslim faith came into China.) During the Tang dynasty, Xi’an became the main center for Buddhist learning in Asia. A number of monuments bear witness to the importance of Buddhism in the city’s history. Two prominent landmarks still standing today are the Big and Little Goose Pagodas. Numerous Chinese monks, scholars and translators are recorded having made the journey to India in search of enlightenment. It was at the Little Goose Pagoda where monks spent 20 years translating and converting the Indian language documents into Chinese. The Big Goose Pagoda may have been at tall as 12 stories, but either fire or an earthquake (historical documents vary) damaged the original structure, and it was reduced to 7 stories, as it stands today. You can climb 288 steps inside to the top of the pagoda. On a clear day, your efforts will reward you great views of the surrounding city.
Today, Xi’an continues to grow. By 1954 the city outgrew the Old City walls, and began to spread. The population today stands at about 11 million, of which I’m told 1 million are university students. Pharmaceuticals, electronics, and auto parts are among the industries here, and agriculture plays a significant role in the surrounding area.
In a culture significantly different from ours, I’ve made multiple friends and acquaintances that welcome me back year after year. Each visit I find new subjects to train my lens on, or in some cases, explore a new angle to shoot from. This land is intriguing, charming, and wonderful to experience up close and personal. It’s also a land that’s changing – and changing fast! I’m glad to be documenting some of the ancient along with that change.”
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
Travel in China – Xi’an – Part Two
Guest Post – Ken MacAdams
Ken’s continuing images and stories from Xi’an, China. See the last post here.
“For this blog edition, let me introduce you to some background of this interesting locale.
This is Fengqing Park, one of the many beautiful parks within the city.
It’s a quiet place where the locals come from dawn to dusk.
Wild Goose Pagoda with the statue of the monk credited with bringing Buddhism to China.
Woman dressed in Period costume at the Little Goose Pagoda.
In the history of China, Xi’an has played a large and significant role – one that stretches longer in time than perhaps any other city in China. It acted as the capital of China for over 1,100 years, and has never fallen out of importance. Archaeological and art discoveries in and around the city tell a tale of China’s development from prehistoric times until the height of the imperial period. Many tombs and sites remain un excavated to this day. Xi’an is geographically located in the center of present day China.
Pit 1. This is the first pit that was discovered and where excavation began.
It is estimated there are 6,000 soldiers buried here.
Note the armor detail and remaining paint pigment. The sole of his shoe even has tread detail!
Xi’an lies on the Wei River in the Shaanxi Province, and served as capital at different times for the Zhou, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties. The origins of Xi’an can be traced to the 11th century BC, when rulers of the Zhou dynasty founded a city about 10 miles from present day Xi’an. In 221 BC the King of Qin conquered the other feudal kingdoms in the region to become the First Emperor. During his rule, he extended various sections of the Great Wall to keep out the fierce northern tribesmen, but perhaps more notable was his standardization of the Chinese written language, coinage, and weights and measures. It was Qin who was responsible for another of the greatest wonders of the ancient world – his army of terracotta warriors.
This is the bronze chariot for the Emperor. It weighs almost 2,000 lbs., and silk fabric was found inside.
More from Ken’s adventures next week!
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
Ken has been traveling in China and settling in for long periods. His last visit was for quite a while in Xi’an. Enjoy his images and commentary.
“I’ve been in Xi’an for nearly two months now. Living like a local has great rewards. In my apartment complex, I play on the jungle gym with the little kids (who come running and squealing to me – babbling away in Chinese that I can’t understand) when they spot me walking by! I go to the local street market to purchase my fruits and vegetables with my neighbors. I ride the bus with university students, businessmen and secretaries going about their daily lives. And nothing is more rewarding than the toothless old granny who bursts into a smile when I say “Neho” (hello) as we pass on the street!
The drawbridge over the moat with the archers tower behind.
This wall is the only ancient city wall completely intact in China.
This is one of the archers towers over the drawbridge. Besides longbows, they had crossbows capable of reaching 1/4 of a mile. It would have been deadly to try to gain entrance uninvited!
The lights at nighttime are magic!
As a tall Westerner, I stand out, but I find the Chinese people very warm and welcoming, even if there is a huge language barrier! The “translator” app on my phone gets a daily workout, but many of the younger folks have studied some English, and although bashful about using it, they’ll often come to my rescue!
This is a temple on the ancient wall.
Guard towers stationed along the top of the wall. Note the smog in the atmosphere.
Entrance way along the wall.
Although I concentrate most of my time in Xian, I travel out to photograph in provinces to the east and west. China continues to expand routes serviced by their high speed “bullet” train, the futuristic aerodynamic trains that travels at 200 MPH. Travel between major cities is quick, quiet, and competitive with air travel. To me, traveling on the train, is just part of “living like a local.”
More from Ken and Xi’an, China Next Friday!
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
The Chinese take their tea seriously – and to be invited to a tea ceremony is a wonderful experience!
When we returned to Beijing, we walked down to the Forbidden City. Once the residence of the Emperor, and strictly off limits to the public, this treasure has been opened up to the public in recent years. It’s a walled city within itself, complete with a moat surrounding it. Within the walls, the Emperor, his wives, concubines, and children all had their appointed places. Only dignitaries or men on official business would be allowed into the great hall just inside the gate, where they could transact business with the Emperor. To facilitate trade from without the city, the Emperor had a canal dug, of which part is still accessible today.
The Grand Canal and ancient bridge dating back to 1154 A.D.
A little Beijing Info
About 1100 A.D. Beijing became the new capital of China, and has remained so until today. The original city wall and gate, along with many other old historic landmarks were destroyed during Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Today, the city’s population approaches the 30 million mark, and high-rise business and apartment buildings stretch as far as the eye can see. Smog presents an issue here as the government struggles to clean up the old smokestack industries. The mass of automobiles often overpowers the capacities of the highway system and long traffic jams are the norm at morning and evening rush hour. Public buses, taxi’s, and subways do their part to move the masses, and many resort to electric bicycles and scooters as a means of short haul commuting.
Even though we’d been busy hitting the streets, the effects of jet-lag was beginning to set in. We welcomed the quiet of our hotel room as the door clicked closed behind us. A good rest would help us move on to our next destination, the the adventures ahead.
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
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