Shoot for the stars this weekend at Fort Griffin's Milky Way Photography Workshop

Looking for something out of this world? The Milky Way Photography Workshop at Fort Griffin State Historic Site this weekend might be the space odyssey you need.

Lynn Cromer returns with his crew of astrophotographers to lead a two-day workshop at the historic fort about 13 miles north of Albany beginning Friday evening.

The late summer is also referred to as "galaxy season," thanks to the Earth's excellent position at this time of year for viewing galaxies and especially our own Milky Way.

The Milky Way rises in the southern sky during an astrophotography workshop at Fort Griffin State Historic Site June 7, 2024.

Fort Griffin's location has granted it a reputation as one of the best dark-sky locations in the region. In Texas, only Big Bend is darker. The historic 1867 fort is just far enough from surrounding communities to prevent the glow of their lights from being more than low domes on the horizon.

The workshop begins 6 p.m. Friday with lessons on essential gear and software, planning and composition, exposure strategies and using software for stacking individual pictures for better clarity and resolution. And of course once the sun goes down, then it's time to apply it all in the field.

Instructor Lynn Cromer assists a student with their camera during the Milky Way Photography Workshop at Fort Griffin State Historic Site June 7, 2024.

Instructors are on-site the entire time, giving suggestions and helping students with solving problems. Various excursions are made to the fort's surviving structures where students learn about the placement of supplemental illumination and how to paint with light.

Andy Smolenski (left) and Lynn Cromer coach student Patty Recca as twilight falls June 7, 2024. The Milky Way Photography Workshop at Fort Griffin State Historic Site is slated to return this weekend.

You will need a digital camera, tripod and very low-powered flashlight. The workshop fee is $100 per person and more information can be found at the fort's website, through their Facebook event page or by calling 325-762-3592.

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This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Stars aligning for their moment at weekend's Milky Way photo workshop