Meet the Speakers of the 2024 Nightscaper Photo Conference
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Royce Bair
Astro-Landscape Photographer
RoyceBair.com | IG @roycebairphoto
Royce Bair has been a professional magazine and illustrative advertising photographer for 3 decades. He also finds satisfaction helping other photographers achieve their vision through his writings, international lectures and workshops. As a dark sky advocate, Royce was one of the early innovators to focus on a new style of night photography that some call “nightscapes,” or starry night skies with a foreground landscape feature. His unique astro-landscape images have received worldwide syndication through The Huffington Post, and he is the author of the book MilkyWay NightScapes.
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Gabriel Biderman
Partner, Instructor, Director of Collaborations at National Parks at Night, Night Photo Summit & Nightscaper Photo Conference
nationalparksatnight.com | Ruinism.com
IG nationalparksatnight | @ruinism
FB nationalparksatnight | Twitter natlpksatnightGabriel Biderman is a travel and self-taught fine art photographer who has been exploring the night skies for over 20 years. Gabe loves the “process” of creating the image and pushing the limits to see what we can do when we capture time for seconds, minutes or even hours. He is well-versed in both film and digital, and enjoys blending the surreal look of the night to enhance historic and urban landscapes.
Gabe is also a co-founder of National Parks at Night, the leading source for night photography education and hands-on workshops since 2016. He has also been teaching night photography with CreativeLive, Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Maine Media Workshops, B&H Photo, and at various trade shows and institutions since 2008.
Gabe’s work has been exhibited in New York, London, San Francisco and Hawaii, and he is the author (with Tim Cooper) of Night Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots.
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Katrina Brown
Photographer
Katrina Brown is an avid nighttime photographer who loves to make images instead of take them. She thoroughly enjoys the complex dance of choreographing elements to work together to make what a lot of people think is an impossible photo.
Shooting at night sparked a passion within her and she’s been chasing those images ever since. Creating her own light when there is little to none in the night scene has become her joy in photography, and she loves to help others find that as well. -
Tim Cooper
Partner, Instructor, Director of Finance at National Parks at Night, Night Photo Summit & Nightscaper Photo Conference
Tim began his career as a commercial and assignment photographer working for clients such as The North Face, The Ritz Carlton, Vasque boots, 3M and Blue Note Records. His photographs have appeared in Travel & Leisure, The New York Times Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Ebony, Modern Luxury and Private Clubs as covers, advertising, art and editorial illustration.
Tim has been a photography educator since 1993, teaching workshops and seminars across the country. He is the author of the several training videos, three books in the series of Complete Photoshop for Digital Photographers, and co-author of Night Photography, Snapshots to Great Shots. His e-books are The Realistic HDR Image and The Magic of Painting with Light. His latest book is HDR Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots.
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Bettymaya Foott
Engagement Associate and Astrophotographer, DarkSky International
DarkSky International | bettymayafoott.com | IG @bettymaya.foott | FB bettymayafoottphotography | LinkedIn
Bettymaya Foott loves to bring people to the dark side. As the engagement associate for DarkSky International, she works with a global community of dark sky defenders, empowering them with tools, resources and inspiration to protect the night sky. An avid astro-landscape photographer, you can usually find her out under the stars with one of her three cameras battling off mosquitos. Bettymaya’s photography has been featured in Sky and Telescope, National Geographic and the Los Angeles Times. Her dark sky efforts have reached TEDx Kansas City and the New York Times.
Growing up in picturesque Moab, Utah, and spending summer nights sleeping on the trampoline under the stars, Bettymaya fostered an early appreciation for the night sky. Her childhood was filled with hiking, camping, boating and wandering in the desert, both below the hot sun and under clear, dark skies. She graduated from the University of Utah honors program with an H.B.S. in environmental and sustainability studies and a minor in Spanish language. She wrote a thesis titled “Light Pollution Hazards within Ecosystems and Mitigation Strategies for the Future.”Her dark sky career began with working for Utah State Parks, starting 12 International Dark Sky Park applications across the state. She then worked as coordinator for the Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative and the Consortium for Dark Sky Studies at the University of Utah before making her way to DarkSky.
Preserving dark skies is her life goal, and she is starting her Master of Landscape Architecture in the fall at the University of Arizona to learn more about designing outdoor spaces at night with thoughtful and beautiful lighting.
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Michael Frye
Photographer
michaelfrye.com | IG @mfryephoto | FB @michaelfryephoto
Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He lives near Yosemite National Park in California, but travels extensively to photograph natural landscapes in the American West and throughout the world.
Michael uses light, weather and image design to make photographs that capture the mood of the landscape and that convey the beauty, power and mystery of nature. His work has received numerous awards and has appeared in publications around the world. He’s the author and/or principal photographer of several books, including Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.
Michael loves to share his knowledge of photography through articles, books, workshops, online courses and his blog. He’s taught over 200 workshops focused on landscape photography, wildlife photography, night photography, digital image processing and printing. -
Jack Fusco
Professional Photographer
jackfusco.com | IG @jackfusco | FB @jackfuscophotography
Jack Fusco is a professional astrophotographer and SIGMA America Ambassador. What began as a way purely to document his travels as a touring musician, photography has become his main form of creative expression.
On his often-sleepless journey, he strives to share the wonder of the night sky with as many people as possible. Whether chasing the Milky Way along coastlines or capturing auroras in unforgiving remote locations, you’re sure to find him coffee in hand, smiling up at the stars.
Jack's work has been featured by National Geographic, TED, Los Angeles Times, NASA APOD, BBC, Forbes and many more.
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Matt Hill
Partner, Instructor, Director of Marketing at National Parks at Night, Night Photo Summit & Nightscaper Photo Conference
MattHillArt.com | IG @MattHillArt
FB @Matt.Hill | YT grinerenMatt Hill is an upstate New York-based photographer, artist and educator. His passion for night photography is eclipsed only by his urge to share this knowledge and to continue to hone his skills. He’s very forward about the fact that he rarely shoots photos during the day.
Matt is also a cut paper artist. Fascinated by the dilation of time and portraiture, he combines these crafts into projects that include paper fashions in long exposure portraits at night. His career is driven by a fascination with technology, business and art. He has edited a featured film, created stop-motion videos and hundreds of livestreams, built a few businesses, and has been a marketing director at two prestigious companies in the photo industry over a 25-year career.
All of these experiences inform his practice of night photography—the common thread woven throughout. Growing up in the Adirondacks infused a love for wilderness in Matt. He carried this through to being a partner at National Parks at Night, which brings together two of his favorite things. It also allows him to promote conservation of precious lands via making art. Exploring wild spaces with people who also care passionately about dark skies, rendering a vision of the night artfully and wilderness is a dream come true.
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Michael Hollender
Landscape Photographer, B&H Photo, Sony Alpha
mrhollender.com | IG @mrhollender
Michael Hollender is a New York City-based landscape photographer and a member of the Sony Alpha Imaging Collective. For as long as Michael can remember, there has been a camera around his neck. For over 15 years he has been a part of the B&H photo marketing and event teams. His professional career brought him to nearly every industry event across the country and over 50 national parks along the way.
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Lance Keimig
Partner, Instructor, Director of Ticketing and International Travel at National Parks at Night, Night Photo Summit & Nightscaper Photo Conference
Lance Keimig is a Vermont-based photographer who is best known for night photography made at the intersection of the natural and built environments. He is the author of two books, including Night Photography- Finding Your Way In The Dark, which has been translated into seven languages.
Lance is a partner in National Parks at Night, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving dark skies and our national parks through photographic education. He has taught night photography and led international photo tours since 1998, and organized two night photography conferences in 2006 and 2011. His work is represented in the permanent collections of many institutional, private and corporate collections.
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Jeff Leimbach
Photographer
JLPhoto-Graphic.com | IG @JLPhotoGraphic | FB @jeff.leimbach | X @LeimbachJeff
Jeff is a professional photographer, graphic designer, Canon product educator for Canon USA, and KelbyOne instructor. He has served as moderator lead for Photoshop World, Photoshop Seminar Tour for KelbyOne and the Canon in Action Tour for Canon Live Learning. Other workshop experience includes staff instructor for Moose Peterson’s Digital Landscape Workshops and owner of The Digital Photo Workshops.
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Kah‑Wai Lin
Photographer
kahwailin.com | IG @kahwailin
FB @kahwailin | YT kahwailinDr. Kah-Wai Lin is a professional landscape photographer based in New Jersey. He is the Goodwill Ambassador and former Chapter, Clubs and Councils Vice President of Photographic Society of America (PSA). Dr. Lin is the official photographer of Phase One Camera, ambassador & education advisor of NiSi, ambassador & global marketing advisor of Fotopro, ambassador & global marketing advisor of Feiyu, pro team of Spiffy Gear and pro team of Red River Paper. He also operates a camera & telescope store, Stetinden Photo, in New Jersey. Over the past few years, he has been presenting over 200 seminars worldwide, and has received over 200 awards in photographic contests. Notably, he is the recipient of Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from US Member of Congress.
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Sarah Mathews
Astrophotographer, YouTuber
IG @sarahmaths.astro | YT @SarahMathsAstro | FB @SarahMathsAstro
Sarah Mathews is an astrophotographer and YouTuber who is passionate about helping others explore the wonders of the night sky. As a former space industry professional, she blends her love for engineering, astrophysics, art and philosophy to make lunar and deep-space astrophotography accessible to all.
Through her YouTube channel and workshops, Sarah teaches aspiring photographers how to capture the beauty of the cosmos. For her, astrophotography isn’t just about taking pictures—it’s about deepening our connection to the universe and sharing its awe-inspiring mysteries with others.
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Chris Nicholson
Partner, Instructor, Director Of Content at National Parks at Night, Night Photo Summit & Nightscaper Photo Conference
photographingnationalparks.com | IG @photographingnationalparks
FB @PhotographingNationalParks | Twitter @PhotoNatParkChris Nicholson is the author of Photographing National Parks and is a partner and director of content for National Parks at Night.
As a former magazine editor and longtime magazine contributor, Chris' work has appeared in over 40 books and periodicals. He has served as a book editor for National Parks Traveler, a content consultant for Chimani national-park travel guide apps, and a writer for various photography websites. Chris has taught for CreativeLive, is a regular presenter for Out of Chicago and the B&H Event Space, and he speaks at photography conferences and events around the U.S. -
Ryan Oswald
Landscape Astrophotographer, The Image Guild
theimageguild.com | IG @ryantoswald
Ryan Oswald is a seasoned adventure and landscape astrophotographer. His love for the outdoors and endless wanderlust has fueled his obsession for photography. Nothing excites him more than an adventure into the unknown and hunting down unique compositions. He does his best to convey a sense of experience that sparks emotion and tells a story with every image.
Pursuing this passion has led Ryan to teaching and inspiring other photographers to explore their love for photography. When he’s not teaching photography workshops, you can find him on the road exploring new places! -
Alyssa Pagan
Science Visuals Developer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Alyssa Pagan is a science visuals developer in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art and design from Towson University, and subsequently a degree in astronomy from The University of Maryland, College Park.
Leveraging her talents in art and science, Alyssa produces color images of astronomical objects that are both scientifically informed and aesthetically compelling, striving to make the universe and our understanding of it more accessible, inspiring and engaging.
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Rafael Pons
The Bard of PhotoPills
photopills.com | IG @photopills | YT @photopills
Surprisingly enough, PhotoPills co-founder Rafael Pons claims not to be a photographer. However, he travels the world teaching how to use PhotoPills to help photographers imagine, plan and shoot legendary photos.
With more than 600,000 downloads worldwide, the PhotoPills app has become the Swiss Army Knife for photographers. It includes everything you need: from sources of inspiration (PhotoPills Awards) and learning (photo guides and videos) to multiple tools to help you plan your photo ideas (Planner, Augmented Reality, Exposure, Depth of Field …). -
Dr. Bryony Richards
Scientist, Photographer
utahastrophotography.com | IG utahastrophotography
FB @bryony.richards & utahastrophotographyDr. Bryony Richards was born in the United Kingdom and has spent her adult life studying, working and taking photographs across Europe, Oceania, Africa and the USA.
She holds a doctor of philosophy degree in geology from the University of London, with her subsequent research and publications focusing on complex geological datasets across six continents. Among her research interests, advanced imaging including remote sensing of the Martian landscape have continually led Bryony to reevaluate her photography practices, honing her work to include a scientific narrative.
Bryony’s professional photography is focused on landscape and astrophotography with an emphasis on how these photographs can not only look beautiful but also be a valuable scientific tool. Bryony is passionate about women in astrophotography and about educating young people through photography. Her photographic work is commonly featured in international publications with many pieces having won international photography awards.
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Kristine Richer
Artist
kristinerosephotography.com | IG kristinerosephotography
FB kristinerosephotographyKristine Richer is a fine art nightscape photographer and educator who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, and teaches students all over the world through her online programs. She holds degrees in fine arts and design. She worked in corporate creative for 11 years running a product photography studio before quitting during the pandemic to create fine art nightscapes and to teach full time. She now works with thousands of students across the world, has 2 APODs under her belt, has her work in over 50 collector’s homes, and has exhibited locally and internationally.
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Jess Santos
Landscape and Astrophotographer
OneLoveArt.co | IG @missjessbess
FB @thelostjess | @missjessbessJess Santos is a wanderer at heart, constantly on a road trip to anywhere. She spends most of the year teaching and adventuring in the Wild West chasing the vibrant colors of desert landscapes and the distant glow of the Milky Way. Although she calls Arizona home, she is always excited to explore and photograph new and different ecosystems, and she is especially fascinated with life in extreme environments.
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Mike Shaw
Night Photography Teacher
MikeShawPhotography.com | IG @mikeshawphotography
Twitter @mikeshawphoto | FB @mikeshawphotographyMike Shaw is an internationally recognized night photography teacher who loves exploring the universe with his camera. He is the author of two books on night photography, The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography and Creative Nightscapes and Time-Lapses. He is the host of the annual Aurora Summit Conference. He is also a delegate to the International Dark-Sky Association. He recently helped create the video tutorials in the Planit Pro app, and he offers interactive online lessons with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
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Carly Stocks
Photographer, Dark Sky Utah
darkskyutah.com | IG @darkskyutah | FB @DarkSkyUT | YT @darkskyutah | TH @darkskyutah | TT @darkskyutah
Carly Stocks is a high school physics teacher turned astro-landscape photographer. In 2016 she shot her first Milky Way photo and was instantly hooked. Since then Carly has honed her astro-landscape skills and built a social media community of over 40,000. Recently her work and expertise in observing and capturing eclipses were featured in two articles in USA Today. Today she owns and operates Dark Sky Utah, where she leverages her unique background in education to teach others to enjoy and capture the night sky through in-person and online instruction.
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Clarence Spencer
Founder, Owner and Operating Manager, Spencer’s Camera & Photo
https://www.spencerscamera.com | IG @spencerscamera | FB @spencerscamera
Clarence Spencer is the founder, owner and operating manager of Spencer’s Camera & Photo. He studied electrical automation and robotics technology at Utah Valley University. He has a true passion for night sky and infrared photography. He is an award-winning photographer, electronics and repair techincian and photography workshop instructor.
Clarence is a native of Utah and loves the unique natural landscapes only Utah has to offer. He enjoys many outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, backpacking and mountain biking. When the moon is new and the sky is clear you will find Clarence in the beautiful places of Utah capturing nightscapes and deep sky images.
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Art Suwansang
Photographer, BenQ & Calibrite Ambassador
IG @ArtIsRight | YT @ArtIsRight
Art Suwansang is a photographer based in Southern California. He runs a global technology consultation business specializing in creative workflow, from computer configuration, setup and repairs to storage and data management, networking and color management. He has also taught and consulted for many colleges and universities domestically and abroad.
Art’s ease in understanding complex technical challenges in technology, digital photography and color manipulation has put him at the forefront of color management. His partnership in color expertise includes Calibrite, where he is one of their ambassadors, a color expert and an influencer. Most prominently, he is BenQ’s global ambassador and has been working closely with the company on their professional display lines for photographers and creatives. In addition, he is also a partner and influencer with Adobe Systems Incorporated.
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Paul Van Allen
Nikon Professional Services
IG @pva_1964
Paul Van Allen has been with Nikon since 1994 and holds the position of NPS market representative for Nikon Professional Services. He is an educator, a creator, author, photographer and the “button and menu” expert on the Nikon team.
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Cody York
Photographer
codyyorkphotography.com | IG @cyorkphoto | FB codyyorkphotography
Cody York is professional landscape and commercial photographer based in Cleveland. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Cody has photographed everything from action sports to the Milky Way and everything in between. When he’s not on assignments for commercial clients, he’s out west teaching Milky Way photo workshops with Dreamland Safari Tours out of Kanab, Utah.
Alyn Wallace
Renowned night photographer Alyn Wallace signed on to be a speaker at the 2024 conference, and we were thrilled to have him. However, along with so many others in the community, we were saddened to hear of his passing on March 28 of this year.
You can read more about our thoughts in the announcement we made when we confirmed the news.
While Alyn will not be with us in person, he will most certainly be with us in spirit. We intend to have a dedication to him during the conference. More information on that will come soon.