Digital photography enables us to capture the beauty of the night sky in unprecedented detail. This astrophotography workshop will introduce students to the wide range of astronomical phenomena that can be photographed using an ordinary digital single lens reflex camera (without a telescope). A full explanation will be provided of techniques to make stunning images of stars, planets, the Moon and the Milky Way, in conjunction with terrestrial landscapes. The course also covers photographing star trails as well as rare, elusive and fast-moving astronomical phenomena such as meteors, aurorae and eclipses. The course will be run at the excellent photography training facilities of Lacock Photography in Wiltshire.
Sufficient scientific detail will be included to enable course participants to understand the astronomical phenomena they can photograph and the extraordinary variety of scales of the Universe that can be recorded with an ordinary digital camera, ranging from 100 km in the case of aurorae and meteors to 25 million million million km for the Andromeda galaxy.
Subjects covered in depth are:
The Moon
Moonlit landscapes
Stars and constellations
Planets
Milky Way
Aurora borealis (northern lights)
Meteors
International Space Station
Comets
Lunar eclipses
Solar eclipses
Star trails
Selecting and lighting foregrounds
Exposure at night
Focus at night
An evening practical session photographing Lacock Abbey at night will enable students to put into practice what they have learned, with guidance in the field. If the sky is clear, photograph the Abbey with stars above. Course dates have been selected to optimise moonlight conditions.
To get the most out of the course students should already understand the basics of exposure, shutter speed, aperture and ISO; and be comfortable handling their cameras using manual exposure mode.
Your tutor Robert Harvey is the author of Photographing the Heavens which accompanies this course.
Group size: Maximum of 6 participants.
Recommended Photographic Equipment: Digital single lens reflex camera capable of taking acceptable quality images at ISO 1600 or higher, wide angle lens (at least 24mm on full frame or 16mm on cropped sensor) with maximum aperture of at least F/4 (ideally F/2 or F/2.8), sturdy tripod, lockable remote cable release, electrical heating strip or chemical hand warmers and elastic band (to strap round lens to reduce likelihood of dew forming), warm clothes and hat, hand torch and head torch.
Date: 15 March 2023
One day workshop, cost: £149
Included: Refreshments (coffee, tea etc).
Not included: Travel to Lacock, meals.
I run this workshop in association with Lacock Photography and bookings can be made on their website.
“Many thanks for a wonderful course, I certainly learnt a great deal and look forward to putting what I have learnt into practice”
“Thank you very much for all the knowledge you shared so generously today. Very much enjoyed it all and learnt so much! My head is buzzing with ideas for shoots & projects”
“Thank you very much for another brilliant workshop! I very much appreciate your precision and attention to detail in those workshops.”
“Thank you for a most enjoyable, excellent and informative course today on Astrophotography. I now feel well equipped, much more informed, confident and better placed to go out and develop my skills capturing the night skies. I have just purchased your book to support today’s course and put my name forward for one of this year’s Milky Way workshops should a space become available.”
“I learned heaps from this course. The weather was rubbish so we didn’t have the practical session but it really did not matter one bit! Robert was excellent and gave time to each of us when we needed it. Having a group six is genius because everyone is relaxed and is able to extricate what they need from the tutor. Brilliant course - and we all bought his book! The organisation and catering was also excellent. Its a nice environment to learn in.”