Travel into Yellowstone or other dark sky locations and photograph the full splendor of the night sky! If you have never done this before, your guide can assist you. Depending on conditions and timing, you can either photograph the Milky Way or capture “star trails.” (Too bright a moon washes out the Milky Way, but can add helpful foreground lighting for a star trails photo.)
Timing will depend on things like sunrise or sunset, the rise and set of the core of the Milky Way, and the rise, set, and phase of the moon.
| Cost | $699 for 1-3 people +$50 for each additional person over 3 * |
| Maximum capacity | 6 people |
| Duration | 4-6 hours |
* Price includes Big Sky resort tax. Lunch and snacks are included. Additional credit card processing fee will apply. Park entrance fees and gratuity are not included.
What’s included
Tours include the following for no additional charge:
- A professional photographer as your tour guide
- Certified Yellowstone Master Naturalist
- Certified Montana Master Naturalist
- Certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid, and will carry a first aid kit, bear spray, and GPS with emergency SOS capability for safety
- A lunch (full day tours only)
- A reusable water bottle and a supply of water for refills
- Use of a limited selection of equipment
- All transportation
Equipment that is available for your use on a photography tour:
- Tripods, with ball heads with Arca-Swiss quick release
- Monopods, without heads
- Arca-Swiss plates for your camera
- Head lamps
- Low-level lighting units with stands
- Day packs
- Microspikes or snowshoes
Not included:
- Park entrance fees
- To streamline entry, your fees can be pre-paid through us, or you can bring an America The Beautiful Pass and an ID to cover your entry
- Only required if your tour enters Yellowstone
- Gratuity
- Not required, but always appreciated
What you should bring
Any photo tour is based on the assumption that you will be using a DSLR camera. Here are some basics you’ll need to go along with your camera:
- A very wide, fast lens for night photos
- You will need the widest lens (without fisheye distortion) and widest aperture (smallest f-stop number) that you can get for best results with the Milky Way. For star trails, this is less important.
- A good camera bag or pack for hikes
- Plenty of storage cards for your camera
If you need a particular lens from this list, or some other piece of expensive photo equipment, but don’t have it, we can help you get a rental from a local camera shop. (Availability may be limited, as lenses are popular rental items in the busy season.)
For any children under 60 lbs, you will need to bring a car seat.
Other needs
Beyond photography needs, there are some basics you’ll need for any trip to this area.
- Good shoes
- If hiking, wear wool socks and a good pair of comfortable shoes or boots.
- Layers!
- No matter what time of year you visit, layers of clothing you can add or remove are crucial. Even in the summer, mornings can be in the 40s or 50s (in degrees Fahrenheit), while afternoons can be in the 80s or 90s.
- Rain gear
- Rain can spring up out of nowhere, so having a raincoat and rain pants available is important.