Dynamic Photography for Social Media Field Workshop

This immersive evening photography workshop guides participants through the full transition of desert light from golden hour into night sky photography. Local photographer Rose Cefalu will cover phone camera settings and apps designed for low light and long exposure techniques. Participants then walk to scenic viewpoints to capture sunset as the landscape shifts in color and texture. After a short review and feedback session, the group returns to the field after dark to photograph the Milky Way at peak visibility. While waiting for optimal conditions, participants will experiment with creative light techniques and long exposures in a collaborative setting. Throughout the experience, the instructor will share insights about desert ecology, wildlife behavior, and the importance of protecting dark skies.

• This class takes place in Joshua Tree National Park.

• Anyone may attend! No expertise or experience is required, but participants must bring their own smartphone. This intimate class is limited to 10 participants.

• Entry to Joshua Tree National Park is not included in the cost of enrollment. Please purchase your park pass ahead of time by visiting the NPS website.

• No meals or equipment are provided.

• Participants are responsible for their own transportation; carpooling with other participants is encouraged.

This class is leisurely. It requires less than 2 miles of walking with limited elevation gain on somewhat variable terrain and/or more than one hour outdoors in the elements.

Required Items:

• Water (1 - 2 liters per person)

• Appropriate attire: Layers are recommended for low nighttime temperatures

• Smartphone

• Download offline maps beforehand — cell service is spotty to nonexistent in the park.

• Suggested tripod: a small Ulanzi phone tripod — compact, lightweight, and easy to pack in for the night. See

  it here.

• Food and snacks

• Closed-toe athletic shoes

• Headlamp or flashlight (red light preferred)

• Phone tripod or stabilizer (optional)

• A full tank of gas (or full charge for EVs) prior to arriving at the meeting location

Before You Arrive:

• Make sure you have enough storage on your phone for at least 30 new images. Make sure your phone is fully

charged and you are not running other apps.

• Please explore your native camera app beforehand and look for any professional settings — we're looking for

RAW files vs. JPEG, and any manual control over shutter speed and ISO.

• Be running the latest operating system your phone supports. Note: newer phones (2023 and on) will produce

better results.

• This class is all outdoors.

Apps to Consider:

Worth having installed alongside the stock camera app — we're testing these:

iPhone apps to consider

• Astro Shader

• Lightroom

• Skyview Lite

• PhotoPills ($10.99)

Android apps to consider

• Deep Sky Camera

• Lightroom

• Camera FV-5 Lite

• Camera FV-5 ($4.99)

• Expert RAW

• Open Camera

Shooting in RAW — Quick Tips

• Turn on RAW before you start shooting (ProRAW on iPhone; the RAW toggle in your camera app on Android).

• RAW files are big — make sure you have storage or bring extra.

• The shot will look flat or noisy on your screen. That’s normal — don’t judge it in the field.

• Plan to edit afterward in Lightroom. RAW needs editing to look finished.

Discount Policy: Only one discount may be applied per registration. Discounts cannot be combined. Eligible discounts include Friends & Family, Teacher, Veteran, Active Duty Military (and spouses), Park Lover Member, and Student discounts. The highest applicable single discount will be applied at checkout.  

Meet Your Instructor: Every day you can find Rose Cefalu obsessing over her iPhone photos and over-posting on Instagram @joshuatreedesertrose and @rosecefaluphoto. In her spare time, she thinks about traveling, taking photos, and printing imagery. In 2019, Rose launched a cyanotype workshop to get her “hands dirty” again and reintroduce this vintage art form to a new audience interested in becoming skilled with alternative photographic processes. Rose has been a guest lecturer worldwide, along with 12 years as adjunct faculty at the Art Institute of California at both the Hollywood and Los Angeles campuses. She is also producing award-winning content at a variety of outlets. Currently, Rose is the Photography Director at Emmy magazine, and you can find her personal work at rosecefaluphoto.com. Her work is on display throughout various galleries and stores in the high desert. She is also a yearly participant in MBCAC&#39's Art Tours, where she opens her studio and home. Thank you to our partner, JT Desert Rose Studio, for generously hosting this class. We deeply appreciate her collaboration, creativity, and continued support of desert arts education. We encourage you to explore her work and upcoming classes, and to support this incredible local artist by visiting her website.

Photo Credit: NPS/Kelsey Graczyk