Yellowknife: Nights of Wonder

 OVERVIEW 

Welcome to Nights of Wonder, an immersive Astro photography workshop in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

For three days, we'll chase the night, explore the art of aurora photography, and experience one of the world's greatest natural spectacles beneath the northern sky.

Yellowknife is renowned for its incredible Aurora Borealis viewing, but this experience is about more than simply watching the lights. We'll dive into the creative and technical side of astro photography, helping you understand camera settings, exposure, focus, composition, and creative techniques for capturing the Aurora in a way that feels uniquely yours.

Along the way we explore creative shooting opportunities, share stories and ideas, and spend plenty of time outside under the sky.

Small group. Big skies. Endless possibilities.

This is Nights of Wonder — an OFFBEAT photography experience in Yellowknife created for photographers who want to see the North, photograph the Aurora Borealis, and create something extraordinary.

Dates: September 17-19, 2027
Tour Leaders: Kris Andres, Curtis Jones + Lenora Barrett*

* As per our Terms and Conditions, OFFBEAT reserves the right to change, at any time, the tour leader of any workshop

PRICE/PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Cost: CAD $1,695 + GST

Payment options:

1) Full payment or

2) Non-Refundable Deposit: CAD $500 + GST + Final Payments

• CAD $1195 + GST due by July 17, 2027

Note: Failure to pay by the payment due date means forfeiting the deposit and the spot will be freed up and potentially sold to another interested participant (see more in the cancellation policy below).

If unforeseen circumstances arise, participants are welcome to transfer/sell their space to another interested participant.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN 

1. Mastering the Night
Learn to confidently photograph in challenging low-light conditions, from blue hour and twilight to complete darkness and the Northern Lights.

2. Elevate Your Night Photography
Dive into astrophotography, long exposures, focus in the dark, exposure techniques, creative compositions and the camera settings that help you make the most of the night.

3. Photograph the Aurora Borealis
Learn how to anticipate, compose and capture the ever-changing Northern Lights while creating images that go beyond the typical aurora photograph.

4. Creative Storytelling Through Photography
Explore how light, landscape, people and atmosphere can come together to create photographs with emotion, intention and a sense of place.

5. Creative Portraits Under the Northern Sky
Work with models and learn how to incorporate people into your night photography, using the Aurora and Yellowknife landscape to create compelling environmental portraits.

6. Learn in the Field with OFFBEAT
Get hands-on instruction, live demonstrations, image reviews and plenty of time to shoot alongside your OFFBEAT leaders. From technical fundamentals to creative problem-solving, we'll help you push your photography further.



 ITINERARY 


Here’s a sample schedule of what you can expect (please note that details are subject to change as we finalize everything between now and the workshop dates):


Friday, September 17, 2027

We kick off at 4:00PM Curtis and Kris will start in a classroom setting at 4:00PM - 7:00PM The Fundamentals of Night Photography,

We will start off with a fun-filled weekend with a slideshow showcasing their respective "Nights of Wonder", and go through the various gear, exposure concepts, and focusing techniques for effective night and aurora photography.

The classroom portion will be immediately followed by several hours in-the-field, putting into practice the concepts discussed earlier in the evening.

Make sure you have a bite to eat before we start, and all your field gear ready to go as we will leave directly from there to our first field location.

Saturday, September 18, 2027

1:00PM - 4:00PM - We kick off the day with reviewing our images, critique and discussions of our previous night's session and to work through any challenges that came up during the night shoot.

A great way to refine your skills for the upcomming night shoot.

Dinner Break 4:00PM-6:00PM

6:00PM-8:00PM - Getting Creative With Your Night Photography : On the start of the second night, the crew will re-group for another classroom session/lecture about more advanced concepts like light painting,

focus stacking, and other creative ideas like incorporating the human element into your night images.

The evening's session will be about moving beyond "hey, I got green in my photo!" to "hey, I got something that really resonates!" Again, the classroom portion will be immediately followed by several hours in-the-field, putting into practice the concepts discussed earlier in the evening.

8:00PM-12:00AM we will head out to the feild locations

Sunday, September 19, 2027
We start Day Three - Group Lunch (OPTIONAL) 10:30AM -12:00PM for those interested and not yet destroyed from the lack of sleep, whoever in the group wants to meet up for a casual brunch/lunch before the classroom session....we'll be hungry!

1:00PM - 4:00PM Image Critique/Discussion: the group will meet up for image review from previous night's session, and have a question-and-answer for any questions that may have come up from previous night's shooting.

Break 4:00PM - 8:00PM

Night Three - Sealing The Deal (8:00PM - 2:00AM): Flat-out, in-the-field fun. Five hours of trying various locations, concepts...and we may even have a section on incorporating off-camera flash into your night compositions.

This is where we flat-out create, finish off the night exhausted, and create images and memories that will last a lifetime."

 WHAT TO EXPECT 


The workshop is suitable for participants of all levels of experience in photography. Most locations will be readily accessible from the road, although we may hike short distances on occasion.



This event focuses 100% on landscape + outdoor photography and will include a nighttime component. It is worth noting that the workshop will be quite intense in order to maximize filed time. Participants are not expected to participate in every aspect of the workshop weekend. It’s up to you to get out as much as you like, though of course it is recommended you give it your all.




 TRANSPORTATION TO AND AROUND YELLOWKNIFE

The price of the workshop does not include transportation. Participants will need to arrange car rentals or carpooling with other workshop participants.


 PAYMENT PLAN AND CANCELLATION POLICY 


A $500 CAD non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot, with final payment due by  July 17, 2027


Spots are non-refundable but are transferable (i.e. if the the participant is able to find someone else to take their spot and can sell/ transfer the spot to a new participant, this is acceptable).

 LEAVE NO TRACE 

OFFBEAT preaches and lives the ethics of "leave no trace" photography, which means that the utmost care is given, while hiking and photographing, to leaving zero impact on the natural environment. Participants are expected to approach this tour with the same ethics at all times.

 INSURANCE 

It is advised that workshop participants have trip cancellation/interruption insurance, as well as emergency medical/illness insurance and rescue coverage.

Weather and other unforeseen factors can cause delays in travel, particularly from some of our more remote locations. It is the participant’s responsibility to cover any costs in the case of a travel delay of any length. Please ensure your trip cancellation/interruption insurance accommodates this possibility.

By purchasing a spot you are acknowledging that you accept these conditions.

 INSTRUCTORS

About Kris Andres

Based at the doorstep of the Canadian Rockies in Calgary, Alberta, Kristopher considers the mountains (along with everywhere he travels) to be his second home. Kris is always up for endless adventures with a smile—no matter how "atmospheric" the conditions are. He will be overly excited in almost everything he does in life, capturing each story with the click of a shutter, in any and all genres—from adventure to landscapes to portraiture to food and more! When he’s not out creating, Kris is a full-time yogi working to refine himself every day.

About Curtis Jones

Curtis is an adventure, landscape and portrait photographer from Newfoundland and Labrador who considers Nunavut his second home. Never tiring of seeing the sun rise from a new horizon or watching a contagious smile grow on the faces of friends and strangers alike as they step out of their comfort­ zone, Curtis seeks to tell stories with his photographs as he lives out his own. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of working with world­class athletes, artists, and production teams while shooting in some of the globe’s most raw, wild, and challenging locations. Equal parts adventurer, artist and clown, he is never far from a camera, a tent or a good punchline.

About Lenora Barrett

Lenora was born in Fort Smith. She moved to Yellowknife when she was eight years old and still calls it her home to this day. The Northwest Territories have offered Lenora boundless sources of inspiration. Accompanied by her dogs, she loves to hike Yellowknife’s surroundings to capture images of what nature and its occupants have to offer. Lenora also joined a small group of local photographers called the Aurora Trackers, and she always brings her camera along with her while she travels to other countries. She shares her favorite images regularly on social media.

 OFFBEAT TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

Please take the time to review OFFBEAT’s Terms and Conditions, including our Cancellation Policies. You are required to agree to these in order to confirm your registration. Effective June 16, 2022.

For any additional questions, please contact us at [email protected].