Deep Space Workshop
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
September 18th - 22nd 2025
3 Spots Remaining
The Carina Nebula, captured by Stu Parker
The Basics
Join Peter Zelinka for a Deep Space Workshop in South America. We'll spend 4 nights in stunning Atacama Chile, home to some of the best dark skies in the world. Each afternoon we'll meet at an AirBNB outside San Pedro de Atacama, where we will have dinner and capture / process our data.
Since this workshop will be held in September, we'll have a great view of some classic southern hemisphere targets. These include: the Magellanic Clouds, Dueling Dragons (NGC 6188), Cat's Paw Nebula & Lobster Nebula, Tarantula Nebula, Carina Nebula, Statue of Liberty Nebula, and much more! If you're not sure what to photograph, we will discuss the best choices (depending on your gear). The Milky Way will also be soaring overhead, so you may want to bring a wide-angle lens and DSLR for some Milky Way photography.
Capturing the data is only half the battle - you'll also need to process your images. Since we are traveling around the world for this workshop, I want to ensure you have enough free time to explore during the day. Therefore, most of our processing lessons will take place over Zoom once we return home. Each student will receive a 5 hour block of private lesson time to use at their convenience. We will also have group editing lessons at night, once everyone is up and running. This is a great way to learn from me as well as your fellow classmates, and we can all share tips and suggestions on editing.
Location
San Pedro de Atacama is a town set on an arid high plateau in the Andes mountains of northeastern Chile. Its dramatic surrounding landscape incorporates desert, salt flats, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs. The Valle de la Luna in the nearby Los Flamencos National Reserve is a lunarlike depression with unusual rock formations, a huge sand dune and pink-streaked mountains. This will be an epic location for our astrophotography trip! The video below should give you a good idea of what we'll be seeing.
Schedule
Day 1 - Thursday, September 18th:
- Meet and Greet at 5PM
- Complimentary Dinner at 6PM
- Begin Setup at 7PM
Day 2 - Friday, September 19th:
- Group Adventure during the day
- Complimentary Dinner at 6PM
- Begin Setup at 7PM
- Group Processing Lesson at 9PM
- Teardown whenever (you can always leave your gear up, go home and sleep, and I'll tear down for you in the morning)
Day 3 - Saturday, September 20th:
- Group Adventure during the day
- Complimentary Dinner at 6PM
- Begin Setup at 7PM
- Group Processing Lesson at 9PM
Day 4 - Sunday, September 21st:
- Group Adventure during the day
- Farewell dinner at the AirBNB
- Setup at 7PM
- Group Processing Lesson at 9PM
Day 5 - Monday, September 22nd:
- Pack up gear
- Morning Goodbyes
Recommended Gear & Clothing
Since we will be in the Southern Hemisphere things will be more difficult, especially the polar alignment process. Therefore, to get the most out of this experience, I highly recommend bringing a harmonic / strain-wave mount like the AM5 or AM3. I will be bringing my AM5, ASIAir, SpaceCat 51, narrowband filters, and 2600MC Duo camera for this trip. I may also bring the Askar V if I have room in my luggage. I'll also bring the SkyGuider Pro for any wide-angle Milky Way photography.
As you know, we need to power all this gear with a battery. However, the airlines will not allow us to bring Jackery batteries. Monica is currently working on a solution to this problem.
I will send out a gear list before the workshop, so you can confirm you have everything you need. I'll also included my recommended telescopes, cameras, mounts, and filters, in case you want to upgrade a component before the workshop.
Even though we'll be in the desert, it may still get cool at night. I'd recommend bringing some warm clothes. We won't be standing out in the cold all night long though, since we've got the rental house we can sit inside while the cameras are busy.
If you have extra room I'd also recommend bringing a DSLR, tripod, and a few lenses. There will be tons of cool landscapes to photograph during the day.
The Running Chicken Nebula, captured by Stu Parker
Who is this workshop for?
The Deep Space Workshops are a great way for like-minded people to come together and enjoy a few nights under dark skies, far away from big city light pollution. Whether you are a complete beginner having trouble with your polar alignment, or an experienced astrophotographer looking to capture some great data from a dark sky, this workshop is for you!
One thing I've noticed is that all of my students tend to get along great, and some even become life-long friends afterwards.
The workshop atmosphere will be pretty low-key, since we're all out here to have a good time and learn. I don't want anyone to feel that they are under pressure.
The class size is limited to 5 participants. This ensures that each student gets plenty of attention throughout the night.
The Tarantula Nebula, captured by Stu Parker
Price
The workshop will cost $5,000, which includes 4 nights of shooting, 5 hours of private lesson time via Zoom, dinner each night, snacks and coffee, dark skies and a warm house to shoot from at night.
This price does NOT include: airfare, hotel, rental car, breakfast / lunch. You will be responsible for your own lodging and transportation. This gives you the freedom to explore at your convenience. However, we will be offering some group adventures each day if you'd like to join!
A deposit of $1,000 is required to hold your spot. The remaining $4,000 will be due by June 1st 2025.
Getting There & Accommodations
The nearest major airport is El Loa Airport (CJC) in Calama Chile, which is an hour and 20 minute drive to San Pedro de Atacama. Since we cannot fly with our Jackery batteries, we will have power options available at the AirBNB.
There are plenty of hotels and AirBNBs available in San Pedro de Atacama, so you are free to pick something that suits your needs. If you need help we can always provide some assistance on finding the right place.
Sign Up
If you would like to join this Deep Space Workshop, please send an email to [email protected]
Monica Starks of iShootPhotographyTravel will be handling the reservations, bookings, and general planning of the workshop.
You can also email me with any astro related questions at: [email protected]