CHASING STARS
Workshops at Schilthorn
Night Photography Workshops at Schilthorn
Markus Eichenberger Photo & Film Productions
contact@markuseichenberger.com
SCHEDULE
The workshops can be combined with a holiday in the beautiful region of Mürren and can be booked as an additional activity:
15:25 Take the cable car from Stechelberg or at 15:40 from Mürren. It is the last cable car trip to Schilthorn
4:00 p.m. Arrival at Schilthorn. Welcome speech followed by a tour around the facilities of our night stay.
16:30 Star photography training (1 1/2 hours)
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Preparation to take photos of the sunset, socializing and preparation for the night
7:30 p.m. Taking photos of sunset
8:30 p.m. Preparation for star photography
10:00 p.m. Taking photos of the stars, relax, sleep. It is possible to consume refreshments during the night
06:00 Preparation for sunrise
07:00 Enjoying sunrise and taking photos of it
08:30 Great Breakfast at restaurant Schilthorn
10:00 Official end of the workshop
EVENT DESCRIPTION
It is a first time opportunity to work together with the Schilthorn Management and to offer Chasing Stars Photography Workshops at the famous Piz Gloria / Schilthorn. We have the exclusive right (not possible for tourists) to stay overnight at almost 3000 meters above sea level and to enjoy the stunning panoramic views of Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau. The event includes transportation by cable car to the top (Piz Gloria, Schilthorn), 1 1/2 hour training about how to take photos of the stars, photography support, dinner, overnight stay, breakfast and a USB stick with all the training documentation.
PARTICIPANTS / WORKSHOP LEADER
The numbers of participants is limited to 10 (6 photographers and 4 star gazers). This is essential to ensure a high quality of the workshop. The course is structured in a way that there is something for everyone; from beginner to seasoned / professional photographers. Workshop leader is Markus Eichenberger.
WORKSHOP DATES:
The workshops will be held in May and June 2018. Please contact me for further details.
The time span of the workshops has been chosen with the new moon in mind. During this period the stars are best visible as there is no interference of the moon light. One can register for a specific date. 5 days before the workshop all participants will be informed if the event will take place. If there are more participants than slots available, a waiting list will be in place. First comes first serves.
The course only takes place when weather permits. The sky at night has to be clear to take photos of the stars. Another factor is of course to have sufficient participants (minimum are 4 photographers and 2 star gazers).
The workshops can be held in German, English and Spanish. Please contact me for further information: contact@markuseichenberger.com.
WORKSHOP COSTS
The workshop costs 450.— CHF for photographers and 250.— for star gazers. This includes transportation to Schilthorn from Stechelberg, the photography course and assistance during the night, dinner, overnight stay, breakfast and an exclusive USB stick with all the course documents. Travel insurance is the responsibility of the participant.
RECOMMENDED GEAR
Photography gear
To ensure to capture the best possible photos of the stars, it is essential to bring either a DSLR or a mirrorless camera with you. Most cameras that have been produced in the last 3-5 years are capable of taking high ISO photos that produce very little noise. Another important point is to use a lens that has a wide aperture to capture the dark night skies. An aperture of minimum F4.0 is recommended, with F2.8 being ideal. To capture enough of the landscape and the beautiful mountains, a wide angle lens of minimum 24mm, ideally 15mm is also recommended. Cameras of all brands that were introduced in the last 3 - 5 years have sensors that have significantly lower noise and therefore allow photographers to use high ISO at night. A tripod is also essential, but can be rented. Please contact me directly if you have any additional questions.
Clothing
It can get quite cold at 3000m above sea level. It is recommended to wear a warm jacket and a hat. We have the opportunity to always warm ourselves up in the building which is nicely heated throughout the whole night. A torch or headlight is essential to see at night as the new moon nights are very dark which allows us to see more stars. Please bring a sleeping bag with you. We have sleeping mats and mattresses.
NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING & ACCOMMODATION
The facilities on Schilthorn are excellent. We can use the new Skyline Take Awayfor sleeping and for the 1 1/2 hour star photography course. Markus, the workshop leader, will use the laptop with link to an overhead projector to give the training. The course includes all tips and tricks one need to know to be able to take photos at night. After the course we will go outside and put the theory into practice. During the night, Markus will give photography support to all participants until each photographer has the right setup and can capture a beautiful star photo.
Infrastructure. The Skyline Take Away will be our warm base camp (10 mats and mattresses can be borrowed). The toilets and other facilities like docking stations to charge devices/batteries can be used.
TIMETABLE
Transportation is the responsibility of the participants. To get to Schilthorn it is necessary to take the cable car from the cable car station Stechelberg (a bus can be taken from Lauterbrunnen) Please make sure that you arrive at Schilthorn early enough. There is no way to get there if someone misses the last ride.
DOCUMENTATION
At the end of the workshop, each participant will receive a USB stick with all the documentation needed to capture photos of the night skies. See below
As a participant of the workshop and a Facebook user, you have the opportunity to join the Swiss Star Chasers" club, where we discuss all things related to star photography. You can also contact me anytime if you have a question about star photography. ;
BOOKING OF THE WORKSHOPS
Please contact me directly to make a reservation or any kind of questions you have.
IMPRESSIONS SCHILTHORN