Astrophotography Workshop at Oracle State Park

Oracle State Park

Saturday, July 11, 2026   7:15-10:15 p.m.

Join us for an intro on astrophotography workshop on Saturday, July 11 at Oracle State Park — an International Dark Sky Park! This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to take long exposure photos with your camera while enjoying the incredible star-filled skies for which the park is known.

We’ll begin with a 30-minute presentation at the Kannally Ranch House, where we’ll cover the fundamentals of night photography, including how to adjust shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, and focus. The presentation will also cover some helpful tips for using your smartphone to capture the night sky. During the talk, you’ll have time to ask questions about your specific camera and see real examples of night sky images with the settings used to capture them. 

Afterward, we’ll head out to the ranch house patio to practice what we’ve covered. You’ll experience just how much your camera can capture in low light and will get to try your hand at a variety of shots, including the Milky Way, compositions featuring the historic ranch house, and the surrounding landscape. The moon will not be out during the evening, so the sky will be especially dark!  

This will be an enjoyable, hands-on way to connect with the dark skies out here at the park!

What to bring:
● A camera that allows manual control of settings (shutter speed, aperture, etc.) and your smartphone
● A tripod or other way to stabilize your camera for long exposures
● (Optional) A red flashlight to preserve night vision
● (Optional) A wide-angle lens to capture more of the night sky

This workshop is free with regular day-use admission or a valid Arizona State Parks annual pass.

Registration is required. To register, call us at 520-896-2425 or visit our website here: https://azstateparks.com/reserve/Activities/Search.aspx (search Place by Oracle State Park).

Have any questions? Feel free to email Ranger Michael at mbain@azstateparks.gov.