CHASING STARS
Workshops on the Hoher Kasten
Star photography workshops on the Hoher Kasten
Management: Markus Eichenberger Photo & Film Productions
PROGRAM
The workshop schedule is as follows:
15:20 Arrival from Brülisau valley station Hoher Kasten. Participants drive up the mountain independently
16:00 Arrival at the Hohen Kasten and welcome with tour
18:30 o'clock Star Photography Training 1 1/2 hours
8:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30 p.m. Preparation for sunset, getting together, laying out sleeping bags, etc.
21:30 Preparation for photographing stars
22:00 Photograph stars, sleep and have a drink
04:30 am Preparation for sunrise
05:30 Photographing sunrise
08:00 a.m. Breakfast at the Hoher Kasten restaurant
09:00 Official workshop end
EVENT DESCRIPTION
An overnight stay on the Hoher Kasten is a unique experience that is not possible for tourists. A fantastic 360 panorama of the Alpstein and Säntis on one side and the view towards Lake Constance and Graubünden on the other side make for beautiful nighttime photos.
The event includes the train ride to the Hohen Kasten, a 1 1/2 hour training course on how to photograph stars at night, professional support during the night, dinner, an overnight stay with breakfast and training materials.
PARTICIPANTS / COURSE LEADERS
As always, the number of participants is limited to 10 people (6 photographers and 4 stargazers). This is important to ensure the overview and quality of the workshop. The training is structured in such a way that it has something for everyone, from beginners to professionals. The course leader is Markus Eichenberger.
WORKSHOP DATES:
Course dates:
You can find the course dates either directly in the registration form or from the event calendar here
The two-week period has been chosen so that the workshops are organized around the new moon. Since the workshops are weather dependent, it is advisable to register for the earliest possible date. Participants will be informed about the weather 5 days before the workshop. It is only possible to say whether the workshop will definitely take place 1-2 days beforehand. Then a decision will be made. Registration is only binding when the weather permits and it is clear that the workshop can take place. If there are more participants than places, a waiting list will be kept. First come, first served.
If conditions are not optimal or not enough people register, the workshop will not take place (minimum number is 4 photographers and 2 stargazers).
If you are interested, there is also the possibility of holding the workshops in English or Spanish. Please contact me directly at contact@markuseichenberger.com .
WORKSHOP COSTS
The workshop costs CHF 495.— for photographers and CHF 295.— for stargazers. This includes the train ride to the Hohen Kasten, the training and supervision during the night, dinner, overnight accommodation with breakfast, a coffee to go cup and all training materials. Insurance is the responsibility of the participants.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
Photo Equipment
To capture the stars in the best possible light, a SLR or mirrorless camera is an advantage. To capture enough light, you should use a fast lens. That means one with an open aperture of F4.0 or lower. Ideally F2.8. To photograph the landscape, it would be advantageous if the lens had a wide angle of at least 24mm, ideally 15mm. Cameras manufactured in the last 3-5 years have less noise at high ISO. This helps a lot with night photography. A tripod is very important and is absolutely necessary. Please contact me if you have any questions. I can also lend you tripods.
Clothing
It gets cold at 1800 meters. That means you should bring a thick jacket and maybe a hat. A flashlight or headlamp is mandatory, as the nights up there get very dark when the moon is new. You should also wear good shoes with a good tread. Bed mattresses and mats are available. Your own sleeping bag is mandatory.
STAR PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING / ACCOMMODATION
The infrastructure of the mountain hut will be used to conduct the training. The workshop leader will give the training using a laptop connected to a projector. The training includes all the tips and tricks you need to know to photograph stars at night. What you have learned will then be put into practice at night, under the supervision of the workshop leader.
For the night we have the mountain hut available, which is next to the Hoher Kasten restaurant. The infrastructure includes toilets, a common room and bed mattresses, which can be used either in the common room on the ground floor or in the basement. There are also additional charging stations for electronic devices and sockets for recharging the batteries of the cameras.
DIRECTIONS
The participants are responsible for getting there. To get to the Hoher Kasten, you have to take the cable car from the valley station in Brülisau. Please allow enough time to get to the top early by cable car.
At the end of the workshop, I will send each photography participant the training documents via email and give them a coffee to go cup.
As a participant in the workshop, you have the opportunity to join the “Swiss Star Chasers” club via Facebook. This deals with everything you want to know about star photography. You can also ask questions at any time, which I will be happy to answer.