Shoot the Stars
Milky Way Photography for Beginners
Northern Utah's Franklin Basin
Friday, May 23, 2025
7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time
Limited Enrollment. Get Your Spot!
Take Your First Milky Way Photo
Get ready to take your first photo of the Milky Way. Join a small group under dark skies in the mountains of Northern Utah for a hands-on, beginner-friendly night photography workshop designed to help you capture your first shot of the galaxy. We built this session around years of field experience and it’s a perfect opportunity for those who’ve always wanted to try astrophotography but just didn’t know where to start. The instructor, John Milligan, has spent over a decade shooting the Milky Way in this area, and many have turned to him for help when they want to learn. This workshop brings all those years of experience into one night, so you don’t have to learn the hard way.
What You'll Learn
Planning Tips
How to prepare for your shoot using moon phases and apps like PhotoPills
Basic Settings
How to use camera settings like shutter speed, f-stop, white balance and ISO
Focus Techniques
How to focus on stars, choose foregrounds and compose stunning compositions
Quality Tips
How to reduce noise, frame subjects, and capture better detail in the sky
Post-processing
How to perform basic post-editing techniques after the workshop
About John Milligan
I started photographing the Milky Way in 2012, not long after I had an experience that has stuck with me ever since. Before I began capturing the night sky, I was at Tony Grove Lake in the mountains of Northern Utah when a meteor streaked across the entire southern sky, lighting it up with the most vibrant colors I had ever seen. I didn’t capture it with a camera, but I knew I wanted to.
Not long after, I saw a photo of the same area taken by Royce Bair and thought, “I want to do that.” I took my Canon 7D back to that same lake, pointed it at the sky, and when the first glimpses of stars appeared on my camera’s LCD screen, I couldn’t believe it. It was like unlocking a hidden world.
Ever since, I’ve spent over a decade chasing the Milky Way and helping others see what’s above them – and sometimes what’s within them. Being under the stars with a camera in hand brings a kind of stillness, a clearer perspective, and a joy that’s hard to explain. It’s not just about photography – it’s about breaking through barriers that keep us from exploring, from creating, and from seeing our own worth. People often enjoy my images of the Milky Way, and honestly, I love being that person who helps others say, “I did that. I captured the galaxy.”
By day, I’m the Director of R&D, and I spend my time helping companies build systems that unlock innovation from the inside-out. Much like night photography, that kind of work centers around cultivating curiosity, developing perspective and giving people the tools they need to discover their own voice.
I believe the spark of innovation often starts when we get out of our routines and into a place of awe and stillness. That’s why teaching this workshop isn’t just about camera settings, composition, and lighting. It’s about helping people overcome creative barriers. It’s about helping them find confidence in what they can create, and it’s about helping them see the universe – and themselves – a little differently.
About Franklin Basin
Franklin Basin is a mountainous, forested region in Northern Utah accessible from U.S. Highway 89 in Logan Canyon near mile marker 484 that follows the Logan River northwest toward Idaho.
The nearby Beaver Mountain Ridge, with comb-like aspens, absent of city lights, makes this spot the perfect backdrop for not only taking cool photos but also for having a profound experience viewing the Milky Way. Rated at Class 2 on the Bortle dark-sky scale, this spot offers a great opportunity to see the cosmos in a way that’s just not possible in metropolitan areas. Depending on water levels, an intermittent stream and pond may also offer interesting foreground features.
Parking is right where we’ll be shooting, making it easy for those carrying a lot of gear. There are bathrooms within a five-minute drive. There’s also a place where we can light a small fire, just dim enough to keep warm without overpowering our view of the sky.
Since Uncharted strives to promote responsible stewardship of the environment, we’ll take some time when we arrive to clean the area and will pack out all our trash and belongings when we leave.
Backup Location and Date
If conditions prevent shooting at Franklin Basin, we will relocate to Red Rock Pass (about 83 miles from the Franklin Basin spot or 49 miles from Logan, Utah). If both sites are unavailable, we will reschedule the event or suggest an alternative. We are considering a third location in case the first two spots fall through. You will receive an email and phone call if plans change. Please understand that conditions can change fast, so it’s possible that we may have to change the location or reschedule at the last minute. We encourage you to check your email and phone messages frequently since cell phone service may not be available as we get closer to the shooting location.
More Details
Schedule
- 6:30 to 6:50 p.m. MDT – Please arrive early so you have time to park and get settled.
- 7 p.m. MDT – We will meet before sunset to scout compositions, prepare gear, and get comfortable before dark.
- 8 p.m. MDT – The instructor will give a presentation on the Milky Way and some basic tips for enjoying it and taking photos
- 9 p.m. MDT – We will guide you through final setup of your equipment and help you select your initial composition
- 10 p.m to 1 a.m. MDT – We will spend the rest of the evening shooting photos, trying different settings, experimenting with different approaches and having fun.
What You'll Need
- A DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual mode
- A sturdy tripod
- A wide-angle lens (ideally 14–24mm, f/2.8 or faster, but bring what you have and we'll work with it)
- A headlamp with dimmable white light
- Extra batteries, memory cards, warm clothes, snacks, water
We will send you a full list of items you will need or might want after you enroll.
What's Included
- Small groups for more personalized instruction
- An instructor-guided experience
- Checklists and safety information
- Access to exclusive online night photography tips and content
- Online post-processing tutorials
- 20% discount on a future Uncharted virtual or in person workshop
What's Not Included
- Airfare/transportation to the shooting venue
- Lodging (We will email you ideas)
- Meals
- Health/Travel Insurance
- Equipment (we may have some available for rent)
- Any other item or service not mentioned in the included section
Cancellations/Refunds
We will do our best to make sure the workshop happens as scheduled, but we may have to make changes for bad weather, unexpected hazards, delays or cancellations. If you need to cancel and we can’t fill your spot, we will give you credit for another workshop minus a cancellation fee of $30.
Waiver of Responsibility
Everyone who enrolls in the workshop must sign a waiver of responsibility before participating. We will send you the form so you can print it out and sign it beforehand and we will have extra copies at the shooting venue that you can sign on location. We aren’t responsible for stolen items, injuries, sickness, death or any damages to your equipment or losses from travel expenses. To participate, you must follow all local laws and regulations or we will ask you to leave the workshop without a refund.
Book Now!
Offer ends May 20-
Small groups for more personalized instruction
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Checklists and safety information
-
Online post-processing tutorials
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Membership in the Uncharted Night Photography Group
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Access to exclusive night photography tips and content
-
20% discount on a future Uncharted virtual or in-person workshop