Join me for an astrophotography adventure in Chile - May 13-18, 2026

Hello everyone,

I wanted to give an update on my 2026 in-person workshops.

The January workshops in Joshua Tree, California in collaboration with Capture the Atlas have sold out. I'll let you know if there are any cancellations.

Edit: The Chile trip has now filled as well. Thank you for the interest. I'm sure there will be other opportunities like this in the future! ~Nico

Below are a few of the questions that have come up about the Chile trip. If you have any more questions, please feel free to message me!

Can I bring my spouse / significant other?
Yes, there is now a 'couples' price on the website. You will be in a double occupancy room, and your spouse / significant other will be able to participate in any events they wish to, and receive all meals, etc.

Where will we be photographing the night sky from?
The hotel (which is 2km outside of the city) has a designated night sky viewing area (away from all lights) which will be reserved exclusively for our group. I've arranged for them to run extension cords to this area so that we will have power for our deep sky rigs. One night, we will also venture out a bit into the desert (with a local guide) to do some milky way shooting.

Will there be time for sight-seeing?
Yes, there are a bunch of optional add-ons you can purchase from the tour company (salt flats, hot springs, hiking, etc.) when you book. I'll be going on these too. I have organized for there to be informal processing workshops every day, but you can skip some of these to do more sight-seeing if you'd like.

What processing software / techniques will you be teaching?
Once the trip is a go, I'll communicate with everyone on what they'd like to learn. It will be a mix of group and one-on-one instructions, and tailored to the needs of the participants.

What deep sky objects can we photograph at that time of year?
It will be the new moon period of course. In the early part of the night, the Carina Nebula, the Coalsack Nebula, and the Southern Cross will be highlights. By 1am, the core of the Milky Way in Sagittarius will be directly overhead at Zenith. The Small Magellanic Cloud will be doable in the early morning hours. Other popular S. Hemisphere targets like the Running Chicken Nebula and the Fighting Dragons of Ara will be up all night.

What happens if the trip doesn't fill (six participants)?
If we don't get at least six participants (not including me), the trip will be cancelled and your deposit will be refunded. For this reason, I would hold off on purchasing your flight (until the trip fills) or get a fully refundable flight.

Cheers, Nico