L A K E S U P E R I O R | N O R T H S H O R E , MN
AURORA HUNTING | MILKY WAY | WATERFALLS | FALL COLORS
AUGUST 16th - 21st, 2025
6 Days / 5 Nights
CLASS LIMIT: FULL
INVESTMENT: $2,760.00/ $2,225.00 (ALUMNI)
THE NORTH SHORE AURORA EXPERIENCE
Celebrating my 10th year running these workshops full time, only means that 2025 needs to be a little bigger, and a little better. We will spend 3 nights covering the northern shores by Grand Portage, and two nights back in Two Harbors, MN. Minnesota's North Shore is a magical place that I feel is often overlooked by many photographers. It boasts stunning shorelines along Lake Superior with interesting rock formations and waterfalls along the way. The skies are really dark up here which make this a perfect place for night sky photography, Bortle 1 locations are observed here, and the northern lights are out over 200 nights a year! During our time here we be on alert for northern lights every night while capturing some of the best night sky scenes this area has to offer. We will also incorporate the golden glow from sunset and sunrise into some of these locations as well. Each night we will be out to search for the northern lights! Bald eagles, osprey, Peregrine falcons, Owls, and other wildlife can be seen here on a daily basis so bring your long lens and be prepared for tons of photo ops. I know of an eagle's nest as well and we can get fairly close to it for photos. We will take that short drive from Two Harbors one day to see what we can find! We may also have time to venture north a little way to the Sax-Zim Bog to look for Great Grey Owls. If we have poor weather one night and want to fill in some shooting time during the day so that will be an option along with waterfalls and lake view scenery.
SEPTEMBER 2023
Although seeing the northern lights are not a given here, or anywhere really, this is an excellent place to view them from within the USA. Some locations nearby report seeing them over 200 nights a year, I have seen them on all of my trips here since 2018, that would be 7 years in a row. Last year we had them out 3 out of 4 nights with a super show (G3 / Kp7) on the last night! In June 2024, we had them 3 of the 4 nights, and those other 2 nights rained, but they were out as well on those nights. In September 2024, we had a few great shows and clear skies every night! Get ready to have an amazing time along the shores of Lake Superior!
During this workshop we will also observe and photograph the Milky Way, meteors, waterfalls, Lighthouses and other scenic areas along Minnesota's North Shore as time permits, but our focus will be on the northern lights! In August 2025, the Moon will rise around Midnight at the start of the workshop and rise before sunrise towards the end of the workshop. The Moon will have a minimal affect during peak viewing times and can also help add mood and detail into the foreground of our images. See the Panoramic photo below taken in 2024 with the Moon rising around midnight.
MINNESOTA | SEPTEMBER 2024Northern Lights Display in the Minnesota Northwoods in September 2024.
NORTH SHORE CAMPINGSEPTEMBER 2023
MINNESOTA | JUNE 6TH, 2024
Some locations in Cook County are Bortle 1, although many show Bortle 2 & 3 conditions. Here you will find some of the darkest skies you find in the country which makes this an amazing location for night sky viewing. Also being so far north, we have those northern lights gracing the horizon most nights of the year. If weather permits, a firepit will keep us entertained as the stars begin to reveal themself is all of their beauty.
SEPTEMBER 2022
I am beyond excited to explore these areas with you, and help you learn to master the art of night sky photography. Like all of our workshops here, much research is taken into consideration, this has had great potential in the past for many amazing photo opportunities, and it has become one of my staple locations for workshops because of that. Even though this is a night sky workshop, we will have some time to take a few walks to visit other interesting places with waterfalls, rock formations and other stunning scenery, especially if we encounter some poor weather during the trip. Most days we will meet up before sunset and photograph sunset, secure our shooting locations and get ready for nightfall. During the day we will have time to rest and recharge our inner batteries and our camera batteries! I am looking forward to making it another great workshop experience in 2025 with you!
September 2023 | G3 Geomagnetic StormNorthern Minnesota
NORTH SHORE | MINNESTOA
MINNESOTA | SEPTEMBER 2024Northern Lights Display in the Minnesota Northwoods in September 2024.
PILLARS OF LIGHT
AUGUST 2019
One of the most important things to think about is how you will process your images after you create them. Processing your images is a very important part of photography. We may have time to work on our editing and the supplied video tutorials will help you with editing beyond our time together here alone the North Shore.
This workshop will leave you with a better understanding of the night sky, your camera, and yourself, not to mention making some new friends along the way. I look forward to experiencing the endless possibilities of night sky photography along the north shore this August 2025.
GUARDIAN ANGEL | MINNESOTA
WORKSHOP INCLUDES / WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Milky Way and Aurora Hunting every night (weather permitting)
- Light painting techniques and demonstrations
- Time-lapse photography / star trail photography
- Best lenses for night sky and northern lights photography and videography
- How to add impact to your imagery by creating compelling compositions during the day and at night
- Learn about the milky way, night sky, eclipses, meteor showers, northern lights and more
- Full day image review and editing towards the end of the workshop at my cabin on Lake Superior!
- Commercial permits / Minnesota State Parks Pass for the week
- Online video tutorials on how to process your images, star trails, time lapse and panoramas
- PDF packets on camera settings and tips for Milky Way and Northern Lights photography
- Video Tutorials on images taken during this workshop.
- Parking Passes
SUNSET AURORAS | USA | SEPTEMBER 2024
WEATHER
Weather this time of year is typically in the low 70's or even 80s during the day, and 40s or 50s at night. A weather outlook will be sent out within 1 week from our start date.
LODGING
We will be spending our entire time along the North Shore. Lodging is not included in this workshop. Recommendations will be given out to all registered photographers. This cabin (below) will be our basecamp for one leg of the trip, with stunning views in all directions, I have found this to be the perfect location for many reasons. We will enjoy the outdoor firepit here at night while we capture stunning views of the night sky and the dramatic shorelines.
CAMERA GEAR
A full list of camera gear will be supplied to upon registering, the basics are a DSLR camera , wide/fast angle lens, a tripod and a cable release. Most gear that is used can be found on the workshop overview page.
ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
The Sun is approaching solar maximum which means it is becoming very active increasing probability of seeing auroras. Between 2022 and 2027, we can expect lots of activity from the Sun. There is only one way to find out, and that is to go and see what is in store for us, to me that is the best part, not knowing what to expect and being greeted by "found situations" in nature. I will say that all 8 workshops that I have done up here have resulted in northern lights on each trip. We hope for more of the same in 2025. Northern lights can be seen up here over 200 nights a year, so I would say the chances look decent, but never given since weather conditions here on Earth, and in Space play a vital role in the odds of viewing them. From my experience, we have a great chance, if it didn't I would visit here year after year.
NORTHERN LIGHTS LAKE | MINNESOTA
FIREBALL AND NORTHERN LIGHTS | MINNESOTA | 2024
ABOUT THE MILKY WAY
The Milky Way will begin to set shortly after sunset which will give us some time to capture it from a few locations on our adventure. The northern section of the milky way begins to appear over the lake closer to midnight which gives us some other great photographic opportunities during the week. Most nights we will wrap up shooting by 2:00am. The schedule may shift around slightly to maximize our photographic potential which means we may stay up even later if clouds were lurking around earlier in the night.
AUTUMN AURORAS
ABOUT THE MOON
The moon will rise around midnight, and then after midnight for the remaining nights. This allows us ample time to capture milky way shots, and any northern lights activity that is going on then.
MINNESOTA | SEPTEMBER 2024Northern Lights Display in the Minnesota Northwoods in September 2024.
DURING THE DAY
During the day we will have time to recharge our inner batteries as well as our camera batteries. We will have time to edit our images and scout our locations, relax and even take a couple hikes. The weather will dictate our schedule, so we may do more day shooting one day if we encounter a cloudy night or poor weather is anticipated.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Jeff Berkes Photography reserves the right to make changes to the schedule, dates if need be. We are not responsible for bad weather, delays or cancellations. We are also not responsible for lost or stolen items, injuries, sickness, death or damages to personal equipment and loss of personal travel expense. Failure to comply to park rules, regulations and will result in you being ejected from the workshop. Trip insurance is recommended to protect your trip. Final payments are due no later than 60 days before the start of the workshop, or June 16th, 2025.
This workshop does not include travel to, from, or during the workshop. Carpooling with others is also encouraged while we are there.
This workshop does not include travel to, from and during the workshop, meals, or overnight accommodations.
LAKE SUPERIOR | MINNESOTA MILKY WAYThe Autumn Milky Way see along the shores of Lake Superior in Minnesota. September 27th, 2024.
MAKE YOUR DEPOSIT OR FULL PAYMENT BELOW
| Minnesota 2025 Northern Lights Tour |
If you have any questions, would like to be added to the wait list, or would like more information about this workshop or any workshop email me at [email protected]
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