THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS. THE EVENT WILL BE RESCHEDULED, IF POSSIBLE.

Major photographic workshop to be held in Berks County with Berks Photographic Society and National Parks at Night (NPAN)

Saturday, May 9, 2020 at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, PA.

The Berks Photographic Society (BPS) will host the renowned National Parks At Night (NPAN) with Gabe Biderman & Matt Hill for a fantastic focused workshop. Gabe & Matt are highly regarded, phenomenal teachers. They are part of the 5-man team at NPAN putting on some of the best and most popular night photography workshops worldwide and they will be right here in Reading, PA. Check out the NPAN website and blog to learn more about NPAN and what they do: www.nationalparksatnight.com and www.nationalparksatnight.com/blog. NPAN workshops typically sell out soon after they are announced so act on this very quickly.

This will be a two-part workshop with separate registrations. You must register for the afternoon session to partake in the evening fieldtrip.

The program will begin at 12:00pm(noon) and run until 4:30pm at the GoggleWorks, located at 201 Washington Street, Reading, PA, the home of BPS. Gabe & Matt will address various aspects of night photography, including basic setup and exposures, night sky photography, low level lighting, light painting, ghost imaging and post processing, as time permits. A final program will be posted on the BPS website soon. Seating will be limited to the room’s capacity and registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The second part of the workshop will be an evening of hands-on shooting beginning at 6:30pm. This event will be held at the Berks Heritage Center Park, located about 10 minutes from the GoggleWorks at 1102 Red Bridge Road, Reading, PA. The structures at the Park date back to the mid-19^th Century. In addition to the beautiful and treasured Gruber Wagonworks building, this site includes Melcher’s Grist Mill, Reeser’s Farm House, a cemetery, a small gas station with an old pump, a canal and horse-drawn canal boat mockup, and the famous 220-foot-long Wertz’s Red Covered Bridge over the Tulpehocken Creek. Both the bridge and the Wagonworks are on the National Register of Historic Places/Landmarks. Click here for a brochure of the Berks Heritage Center.

There will be time for independent and guided shooting outside during the “Golden Hour” and at the 8:00pm sunset before venturing inside the historic Gruber Wagonworks with Gabe and Matt. Participants will be divided into two groups for about 90 minutes of individualized attention as the now darkened several floors and multiple rooms of the Gruber interior are artistically lit. The building is filled with wagons, work benches & tools so there will be plenty of good setups. Once this exercise is completed, participants will venture outside again for about 90 minutes of instructed low level lighting and light painting of the numerous structures within the Park. A clear sky will add stars to the images. Unfortunately, the galactic core of the Milky Way & the near-full moon will not be visible until after this adventure concludes.

This will be a very unique opportunity since the Park normally closes at sunset. Please note, this is a rain or shine event. The evening portion of the workshop will be strictly limited to 20 people to assure an excellent experience for all. Participants will need to be registered for the afternoon session to be admitted to the evening session.

What to bring: camera, wide angle lens (the wider the better), tripod, cable release or intervalometer, small to medium flash light or LED light, headlamp & sturdy shoes. You should be familiar with working the controls of your camera in the dark. For those taking the evening session, there will be the time and opportunity to purchase dinner on your own. However, you can consider packing food.

Registration cost:

Afternoon session at the GoggleWorks $50 for BPS members & $75 for non-members

Evening session at the Berks Heritage Center Park $100 for BPS members & $125 for non-members SOLD OUT!

To register (afternoon session ONLY available) visit the BPS Registration and Payment site.

Space is strictly limited. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis for both sessions. A wait list will be developed for the evening session. You must be registered for the afternoon session in order to take the evening session. You can also register only for the afternoon session, if desired.

Sign up to become a BPS member for $50 a year & get all the educational benefits that come with it as well as the discount on this & future workshops. Visit The Berks Photographic Society’s Join Us site to learn more & sign up.