Brian Zwit is a nature and outdoor photographer based in northern Virginia. He is obsessed with capturing the elegance and majesty of unique landscapes, wildlife, and flora throughout the United States. His images are in private residences and corporate offices and have been used in regional magazines and for corporate and international publications. Brian teaches workshops, field trips, and classes, and speaks to camera clubs, schools, and other non-profit organizations on creativity and photographic techniques. He is well known for his ability to distill complex topics to their essence and explain them in simple, easy to understand ways. His favorite assistant is Dingo, his Parson Russell Terrier, who really is not very helpful but is always ready for a walk in the woods.

When the sun goes down, cities come alive with light, nocturnal animals become active and, depending where you are, you can actually see the Milky Way and stars. If you put away your camera, you miss some unique and unusual opportunities for amazing images. However, photographing at night poses new problems for the photographer. Exposure times increase dramatically; focusing becomes absolutely critical because you are shooting at small f-stops; auto-focus becomes slow and, in many cases, useless; good technique, e.g., tripod use, is mandatory; and post-processing more complex. All of these can be overcome but not without expanding camera and post-processing skills, planning before going out to the field, and practice.

On October 4, Brian will introduce us to night and star photography, explain how to use your camera at night, what to photograph and when, and how to post-process so that you can get amazing night images.  brianjzwit.com