Small-Group Photography Workshop · Alaska
Alaska Aurora Photography Workshop: Shoot the Northern Lights
Spend unforgettable nights learning to photograph the aurora borealis over Fairbanks — beneath the auroral oval, where curtains of green and violet ripple across the Arctic sky. You bring the camera. I'll show you exactly how I shoot it.
Led by Justin Frazier · Traveling Portrait
The Experience
A Sky That Comes Alive
There is nothing else like standing in the Alaskan dark and watching the sky ignite. Fairbanks sits directly beneath the auroral oval — the band of heightened geomagnetic activity where the northern lights appear most often — and averages over 200 aurora-active nights a year. On a clear winter night, curtains of green, and sometimes red and violet, sweep overhead in silence. For a photographer, it is one of the most rewarding and technically demanding subjects on Earth.
This workshop is about learning to see it — and capture it — like a professional. We'll chase clear skies away from the city lights, work the sub-zero conditions that push both you and your gear, and turn those fleeting displays into sharp, luminous frames you'll be proud to print. Whether you shoot on a mirrorless flagship or you're still learning your dials in the dark, you'll leave with the night-photography skills and the aurora portfolio that most people only dream about.
What's Included
Everything You Need in the Field
Your workshop fee covers the hands-on experience, guiding, and instruction. Here's exactly what's in — and what's not — so there are no surprises.
Included in Your Workshop
- Expert aurora & night-photography instruction
- Small-group field guiding under dark skies
- Prime dark-sky shooting locations near Fairbanks
- Real-time aurora forecasting & KP-index chasing
- In-field composition & foreground coaching
- Cold-weather camera-settings walkthroughs
- Post-processing / editing guidance for aurora files
- Local knowledge & nightly route planning
Not Included
- Airfare to/from Fairbanks (FAI)
- Lodging & meals
- Travel insurance
- Your camera & cold-weather equipment
- Personal expenses
- Optional Chena Hot Springs add-on
- Items not listed as included
Note: Airfare is not included — you'll book your own flights into Fairbanks (FAI). Full logistics below.
What You'll Learn
How I Shoot Professional Images of the Aurora
This isn't a bus tour with a camera along for the ride. It's hands-on instruction built around the specific challenges — and gifts — of photographing the northern lights.
Reading the Aurora
Using KP-index and aurora forecasts, cloud maps, and moon phase to be in the right place when the sky goes off — instead of chasing it after.
Focusing in the Dark
The single hardest part of night photography — nailing tack-sharp stars and aurora when autofocus gives up, every single time.
Exposure for the Lights
Balancing shutter, aperture and ISO to freeze the aurora's structure without smearing the curtains or crushing the foreground to black.
Composition & Foreground
Building depth with cabins, spruce, mountains and reflections so your aurora frames are photographs — not just green sky.
Cold-Weather Camera Craft
Keeping batteries alive, avoiding condensation and lens fog, and working your gear reliably in serious sub-zero conditions.
Editing & Workflow
My start-to-finish process for turning a raw aurora file into a clean, luminous final image — controlling noise, color and glow.
The Logistics
How the Trip Works
Everything you need to plan with confidence. Here's the shape of it, step by step.
Book Your Flights
Airfare is not included . Fly into Fairbanks International (FAI) and plan to arrive the day before we begin.
We Meet in Fairbanks
Our adventure starts with a welcome, gear check, and a walkthrough of the light plan and nightly chase strategy.
Bring Your Camera Kit
Bring your own camera, fast wide lens and a sturdy tripod. A full cold-weather checklist is below.
Chase & Learn
We head out under dark skies each clear night — chasing the aurora, learning technique, and building your portfolio.
🌡️ Come prepared for the Arctic. Interior Alaska in aurora season is genuinely cold — often well below zero. Pack serious insulated layers, boots and hand warmers — we shoot late into the night when the aurora is most active, because that's where the magic lives. Dates, duration, and group size are kept flexible so we can tailor the trip; reach out for current availability.
Optional Add-On
Aurora Over the Steam: Chena Hot Springs
Nothing tops soaking in geothermal water while the aurora dances overhead. As an optional upgrade, we can extend the trip to legendary Chena Hot Springs Resort — roughly 90 minutes northeast of Fairbanks — one of the darkest, most iconic aurora locations in the Interior.
♨️ Chena Hot Springs Night
Our featured add-on. Shoot the aurora over steaming geothermal pools and remote spruce foregrounds under some of the clearest, darkest skies in the Interior.
- Aurora over steaming geothermal pools
- Optional Aurora Ice Museum & Charlie Dome viewing
- Some of the Interior's darkest, clearest skies
- Roughly 90 minutes northeast of Fairbanks
🐕 Dog-Sled & Winter Add-Ons
Want more than the night sky? Add daytime dog-sledding, winter-portrait sessions, and remote cabin foregrounds for a different creative angle on the same Arctic landscape. Ask about availability when you inquire.
- Daytime dog-sledding & winter portraits
- Remote cabin foregrounds away from all light
- Great for smaller private groups
- Arranged based on conditions
The Chena Hot Springs extension and winter add-ons are booked separately and are not included in the workshop fee. Ask about availability when you inquire.
Come Prepared
What to Bring
Your Aurora & Cold-Weather Kit
- Camera body with strong high-ISO / low-light performance
- Fast wide-angle lens (f/2.8 or faster)
- Sturdy tripod that locks solid in cold
- Extra batteries (cold drains them) + warmers
- Intervalometer or remote release
- Headlamp with a red-light mode
- Insulated parka, snow pants & heavy boots
- Laptop for editing sessions
New to some of this? Browse my photography gear guide and what's in my camera bag before you pack.
Reserve Your Spot
Dates, duration and pricing are kept flexible so I can tailor each workshop to a small group and aim for the best aurora conditions. Spots are limited and fill fast. Reach out and let's plan your Alaska aurora photography adventure.
Key Takeaways
Before You Go
- This is a hands-on Alaska aurora photography workshop — you'll learn to shoot professional images of the northern lights, from focus and exposure in the dark to a full editing workflow.
- We meet in Fairbanks , beneath the auroral oval with 200+ aurora-active nights a year; airfare into Fairbanks (FAI) is not included , so book your own flights.
- Aurora season runs late August through early April — the darkest nights and equinox months give the strongest, most reliable displays.
- Bring your own camera kit — a low-light body, a fast wide lens, tripod, extra batteries and warmers (full checklist above).
- Add the optional Chena Hot Springs extension for aurora over the steam, or daytime dog-sledding and winter sessions — booked separately.
- Dates and group size are flexible — inquire for current availability and pricing.
The sky is already dancing. Come learn to catch it.
Aurora is a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed. Airfare, lodging, and optional add-ons (Chena Hot Springs, dog-sledding) are not included in the workshop fee.