📸 Guest Instructor: Alan Rockefeller
🗓️ Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
📍Where: Austin Beerworks - Sprinkle Valley
🩵Donation: $35 Members, $50 Non-members
Join us for an immersive outdoor experience where science meets art. All to benefit mycology education. By day, we will learn the technical ropes of nature photography. By night, we will venture into the field with ultraviolet (UV) light to reveal a secret, glowing world that is invisible to the naked eye.
Ticket giveaways to the Texas Mushroom Conference and more.
About the Class
This class is a rare opportunity to learn from a true expert. Alan Rockefeller is a renowned mycologist and photographer who has spent over two decades documenting more than 2,500 species of fungi across North America, Mexico, and the Amazon. His stunning images have been featured by National Geographic and The Guardian, and he is beloved in the mycology community for his willingness to share his deep knowledge with others.
The workshop will be divided into two parts to provide a comprehensive learning experience, whether you use a smartphone or a professional DSLR.
Part I: The Classroom Session (6:00 p.m.)
Alan will share the secrets he has learned over 20 years to help you skip the trial-and-error phase of nature photography. This session will focus on the fundamentals of composition, teaching you how to showcase the textures, colors, and forms of fungi and plants. You'll dive into the world of macro photography and focus stacking, learning to capture intricate details—from delicate gills to microscopic features—by combining multiple images for unparalleled clarity. Alan will also offer tips on maximizing any camera, from cell phones to mirrorless systems, and explain how to take images that are not just beautiful, but also useful for scientific documentation, iNaturalist, and even DNA sequencing efforts.
Part II: The UV Night Walk (8:00 p.m.)
As darkness falls, we will head outside for the main event. Armed with UV flashlights, we will search for night pollinators, glowing plants, lichens, and fungi. You will learn the specialized techniques required for UV fluorescence photography to capture the vivid, otherworldly colors that fluorescent organisms emit under ultraviolet light. Alan will also show you how to find the invisible, teaching you where and how to locate organisms that pop with color in the dark, creating unique and mesmerizing images that you simply cannot get during the day.
What to Bring
Your camera (any type, from smartphone to DSLR)
Weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear
Bring a regular flashlight/headlamp and a 365 nm UV light or purchase one from us and pick-up at the event.
About the Instructor
Alan Rockefeller is an expert mycologist in high demand for his workshops on DNA barcoding, microscopy, and photography. He has identified over 250,000 fungi on citizen science platforms and has co-authored several scientific papers documenting new species. His mission is simple: to take the best possible photos to get people excited about biodiversity and inspire them to learn more about the natural world.
About Sprinkle Valley
Explore the nocturnal ecosystem of the disc golf course (ABW is on 64 acres along Walnut Creek) with UV flashlights and cameras to look for mushrooms, night pollinators, birds, glowing plants, lichens and more. Get creative with glowing outfits and face paint.
Giveaways
Mushroom blocks to take home
Bring your friends! New members will get a beer courtesy of ABW.
Family and pet friendly, Kids under 12 are free. Come early for disc golf, happy hour, food and more.
