September 6 - 8, 2025
3 Days (Saturday - Monday)
The Mt. Whitney Gallery
126 N Main Street
Lone Pine, California
The full moon is one of the most breathtaking sights in the sky, and yet capturing interesting photos of it is a surprisingly difficult challenge. In this fun and exciting landscape photography class you will learn how to overcome the major challenges of shooting the moon so that you can create truly stunning and one-of-a-kind photographs.
Join professional landscape photographer Joshua Cripps in the breathtaking Eastern Sierra to photograph the moon alongside the beautiful landscapes of this unique area. Lone Pine will be our stomping grounds for this class, and we will explore the Alabama Hills as well as the surrounding landscapes in search of our moon photos.
This class is comprised of field excursions, classroom sessions, and processing sessions. In the classroom we will learn everything that goes into making beautiful moon photographs, including the required gear, using the PhotoPills App, artistic and technical approaches to shooting the moon, understanding the moon’s motion, planning the shot, problem solving, and best practices. We will work together as a group to plan our shots, then go into the field to bring them to life!
During the class we will have multiple opportunities to photograph the moon in alignment with the wonderful natural features of the area, such as Mt. Whitney, Mt. Leconte, Mt. Williamson, and/or the rock towers of the Alabama Hills. All our shoots will take place around sunrise and sunset, allowing us fantastic opportunities for landscape photography in addition to shooting the moon.
The classroom and post processing sessions for this class take place at The Mt. Whitney Gallery in downtown Lone Pine, California.
$795
Class limited to 7 participants
Joshua Cripps – Professional Photographer, Guide, and Chief Moon Nut
Josh is an acclaimed landscape photographer and educator from California. He gives presentations for companies like Nikon and leads exciting photo tours around the world. Josh has been obsessed with photographing the full moon since 2017 and is known as “that crazy moon guy.” His photo of the 2019 annular solar eclipse earned worldwide attention and was published by NASA, CNN, dozens of other media outlets, and won him “PhotoPills Photographer of the Year.”
Josh runs the Mt. Whitney Gallery in Lone Pine, California.
This full moon photography class meets in Lone Pine, California, 3-4 hours north of Los Angeles, 4 hours west of Las Vegas, or 1 hour south of Bishop. The class location is:
You are responsible for your own transportation during this class, but we will organize carpools for the excursions.
Lodging and meals are up to you. Lone Pine has a wide array of dining and lodging options, from inexpensive to high end.
We will spend the first two days of the class learning all about planning moon photos, as well going out for practice sessions to dial in the camera settings and approach you need to get high quality moon images. The workshop will culminate with an exciting shoot of the full moon setting over Mt Whitney, an absolutely gorgeous mountain and the highest point in the contiguous 48 states.
Day 1
Arrive at the Whitney Gallery a little after lunch.
Day 2
Day 3
* times are approximate and will be specified in advance of the class
The weather in the Eastern Sierra is unpredictable. We make no guarantees regarding clouds, clear skies, rain, sun, or moon visibility. No refunds will be given in the event the weather prevents us from photographing the moon.
Due to variable conditions, we recommend bringing multiple layers of non-cotton clothing, like Merino wool, fleece, or synthetic fibers. Specifically you should bring:
We take pains to ensure our activities are 100% above board. We obtain all the necessary permissions, certifications, and insurance required in order conduct our tours.
We are also strong advocates of Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness ethics. We teach responsible photography practices and never sacrifice the environment for the sake of a photo. Our goal is to leave our tour locations in better shape than the way we found them.
We partner with the Give Back to Nature Project to plant trees to offset the carbon emissions generated by this class.
Payments are refundable up to two weeks before the class, less a $100 administrative fee per space booked.
If we cancel this class due to unforeseen circumstances, we will refund your tuition or transfer it to another class.
Weather Policy
We make no guarantees regarding clouds, clear skies, rain, sun, or moon visibility. No refunds will be given in the event weather prevents us from photographing the moon.
We do not currently have any COVID-19 requirements. That being said, if you feel sick before the class, please stay home and let us know. We will transfer your registration to another class of your choosing.
This policy will be updated as CDC, WHO, Federal, and state guidelines change.
Joshua Cripps is a renowned landscape photographer who has garnered worldwide acclaim for his breathtaking images of our planet’s wild places. His photos have been published by the likes of National Geographic, NASA, CNN, BBC, and Nikon Global.
The Mt. Whitney Gallery was founded in 2023 by Joshua Cripps as a way to share his passion stunning landscapes of the Sierra Nevada and beyond.
Set at the foot of the breathtaking Sierra with a view of the range’s highest peaks, the gallery features large format, museum-caliber fine art prints of Josh’s signature photographs.
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