An Introduction to Astrophotography

Service Description

All courses are lead by myself. I am a qualified teacher (PGCE) and I have worked as a professional photographer for over fifteen years in various industries. Learn how to photograph the Milky Way and the night sky with a clearly structured night photography practical session. You will also receive planning tuition as well as an intermediate level post-production workflow session using Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and various star stacking software. This part will be delivered remotely using Zoom. This workshop will be ran at a pace that gives all students a equal chance to listen, question and practice the techniques shown. Initially I will run through how to set up the camera and tripod and then I will demonstrate the process clearly. After this, you will then practice your own photographs whilst receiving advice and guidance from myself. As my workshop's consist of small groups, you can be sure to get a lot of individual support and mentoring. Handouts and links will be provided after the course. Photographers attending the course will need a basic understanding of manual camera settings, but other than that, the workshop is open to all levels of photographer. Weather My workshops have been planned to take place once a month during the 'new moon'. This means that the moon will not be visible and the skies will be at their darkest, allowing for much clearer views of the stars and the Milky Way. As we all know, British weather can be very unpredictable. This is probably one of the largest barriers that we face with astrophotography. Getting the conditions just right is fantastic, but also incredibly difficult to plan for. Although I am unable to guarantee the weather, I can guarantee that you would still be able to learn enough about planning, field based techniques and post production methods, to then feel confident enough to venture forth and photograph a clearer sky independently. In the event of heavy rain, the workshop would unfortunately have to be cancelled. If this happens, I am able to offer the chance to try the following evening, or offer you a full refund. Equipment you will need... - Relatively modern camera with manual controls (DSLR or Mirrorless) - 35mm Lens or wider with a maximum aperture of f4 or more - A sturdy tripod - Adobe software mentioned above - Warm clothing - A torch (preferably one with a red light as this will not interfere with your eyes whilst becoming adjusted to the darkness) - Drinks / Snacks