Alaska Range Aurora Photography Workshop
NEW ITINERARY!
February 16-20, 2026 (FULL)
March 18-22, 2026 (FULL)
April 3-7, 2027
For many, seeing and photographing the northern lights or aurora borealis is a life goal… and it should be!
In 2026, I’m offering a new aurora itinerary that will carry us from the interior Alaska city of Fairbanks to the eastern Alaska Range where we’ll base from the beautiful Black Rapids Lodge. This spectacular location has dramatic mountains, glaciers, ice caves, and access to both the north and south side of the mountains, optimizing the chances for clear skies.
Daytime explorations will focus on the rugged mountains and glaciers of the Alaska Range, while each night we’ll head out to hunt for the aurora borealis, as it swirls above the snow-covered peaks.
Food at the lodge is excellent, the rooms are comfortable, and cozy nooks, couches, and firesides offer perfect places to kick back with a good book during downtime.
Join me on this new winter adventure in Alaska!
Scheduled Workshops
16-20 February, 2026 (FULL)
18-22 March, 2026 (FULL)
3-7 April, 2027
Trip Overview
South and east of Fairbanks lies the dramatic mountains of the eastern Alaska Range, an ideal place for landscape photography. Over 100 miles from the nearest popular center, there is no light pollution to speak of, and with mountains and glaciers as our foreground there are few places better for the northern lights.
Our home will be at the Black Rapids Lodge, an elegant lodge, perched on a hill above the Delta River. With comfortable rooms, good food, a blazing fireplace, and many cozy nooks to curl up with a good book, this is a great place to base our adventure. From the deck or your room window, you’ll be afforded views across the frozen river valley to the snow covered peaks of the mountains. Nearby lie glaciers, ice caves, and mind-blowing mountains.
This photo workshop is an opportunity to spend five days and four nights receiving one-on-one photography instruction and feedback from professional photographer David W. Shaw. On the workshop, you’ll take your image-making to a new level with creative photo exercises, technical assistance, and post-processing demonstrations.
Itinerary
Day 1
Mid-morning, we will head off for the Black Rapids Lodge. It’s a 3-4 hour drive, but we will take our time, have lunch along the way, and stop for many photos as the mountains draw closer and closer. We’ll arrive in the early afternoon, have time to settle in, take a walk on the local trails, or just kick back and look at the view. After dinner, we’ll head out for our first aurora hunt!
Day 2-4
With 3 full days to explore, we’ll get to check out the nearby ice caves, photograph the peaks of the wild Delta Range and enjoy some time to kick back at the lodge in front of the fire with a good book. We’ll head out each evening to search for the northern lights. There will be workshop sessions in post-processing, composition, night photography and other topics.
Day 5
We’ll make a mid-morning departure from the lodge, and turn our wheels back toward Fairbanks. We plan to arrive in the early to mid-afternoon, in time for late afternoon or evening flights back home, or to set off on independent adventures.
Aurora Gallery
