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Practical Imaging Workshop

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Astrograph
(@astrograph)
Posts: 129
Estimable Member
Topic starter
 

Hi all

As part of the long term plan to offer members a good grounding in all aspects of astrophotography, I will be hosting a series of practical workshops together with some 'sit down' ones. The practical workshops are intended to be hands on real time lessons where we will show the principles of setup and good practice to capture an image.

Workshops will cover different topics such as DSLR, CCD and Solar System (Planetary and Solar) and then relevant processing skills to get the most from your images. It is intended that the workshops will all be free to members.

The first of these workshops will be an introduction to DSLR Astrophotography which will be a foundation workshop as some of the techniques demonstrated will be revisited in other workshops. This will be held on Blackheath and will cover the following;

Camera with a Camera Lens

- Using a photo tripod

- Focusing

- Exposure and using camera lenses

- Light Pollution

- White Balance

Camera with Telescope

- Using a tracking mount

- Polar alignment

- Focusing

- Exposure

- Guiding

- Using a PC for imaging

The Workshop would last about 2-3 hours and cover the basic steps above which should give everyone a grounding to start taking images with a DSLR using everything from a fixed tripod to a tracking mount and telescope.

The format for the workshop will be to demonstrate 'How To' image, taking real world images and showing the effects of different techniques. We then plan to run a follow up course that will deal with the basics of processing.

The general idea is that we demonstrate how to go from a weak light polluted image to one showing more detail with a few simple ideas.
Image 101 by astrograph ltd, on Flickr

If anyone has any comments or requests, please let me know as I am currently finalising the first workshop which will run is 2-3 weeks

Best Regards

Rupert

 
Posted : 30/09/2014 12:46 am
Mike Meynell
(@mikem)
Posts: 875
Prominent Member
 

All looks great to me.

Any help you need with equipment, etc, let me know.

 
Posted : 30/09/2014 9:19 am
Tej
 Tej
(@tej)
Posts: 636
Honorable Member
 

Awesome, Rupert. Look forward to this. I will also be happy to bring my telescopes and imaging gear if more helps for demonstration purposes. And if we have a large turnout, my hand is up if you need a not so beautiful assistant for split groups in demoing certain basic elements of astrophotography that I would be knowledgeable in.

Perhaps warn attendees that they will be standing for 2-3 hours but they could if they want, bring their own fold out chair or something?

 
Posted : 30/09/2014 12:59 pm
Sumitra
(@sumitra)
Posts: 254
Reputable Member
 

Hi Rupert! This looks fantastic. I'll do my best to make it. If you need any help putting some slides together or anything, let me know!

 
Posted : 30/09/2014 1:24 pm
Brian Blake
(@brian-blake)
Posts: 597
Honorable Member
 

Looks good, count me in.

 
Posted : 30/09/2014 1:40 pm
Astrograph
(@astrograph)
Posts: 129
Estimable Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks for the suggestions. The plan is to make this as interactive as possible. So I will encourage people to bring a camera. If after the initial 'on a tripod' part of the workshop is done, people want to try things out themselves then that would would be great. We can then address any problems there and then.

Imaging with the scope will be more involved but the more the merrier.

Tej, your support is much appreciated. Depending on the numbers likely to attend I will confirm if I will need your 'sherpa' skills to lug that rucksack of yours across town!

 
Posted : 30/09/2014 3:27 pm
Christina Chester
(@christinachester)
Posts: 215
Estimable Member
 

I'm in, 100000%!!!

As a complete astrophoto taking novice, it sounds like it will be an intense session! Particularly looking forward to the interactiveness of it. Personally, I learn better when I put stuff like this into practice… Just makes more sense to me.

 

Looking forward to it a lot.

 
Posted : 01/10/2014 10:25 pm
Tej
 Tej
(@tej)
Posts: 636
Honorable Member
 

I’m in, 100000%!!!

Looking forward to it a lot.

Wow, 100000%, that's impressively keen, I'm picturing you already at Blackheath, tapping your feet, "Hurry up, Rupert, start already!" 😉

Agree with you, hands on practical and interaction is a huge boost to learning the dark art of imaging.

 
Posted : 01/10/2014 11:24 pm
Brian Blake
(@brian-blake)
Posts: 597
Honorable Member
 

<div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title">Christina Chester wrote:</div>
I’m in, 100000%!!! Looking forward to it a lot.

Wow, 100000%, that’s impressively keen, I’m picturing you already at Blackheath, tapping your feet, “Hurry up, Rupert, start already!” ;)  A bit sexist Tej.

 
Posted : 01/10/2014 11:35 pm
Tej
 Tej
(@tej)
Posts: 636
Honorable Member
 

Actually, it does on reflection, apologies, Christina.

 
Posted : 01/10/2014 11:45 pm
Christina Chester
(@christinachester)
Posts: 215
Estimable Member
 

Whoa! Time to take a cold shower?

 

In your defence, Tej, I didn't read that with any innuendo implied 🙂

..And yes, I'm at Blackheath, with my camera, ready to take photos of the stars… Where is everyone?

 
Posted : 02/10/2014 12:11 am
Brian Blake
(@brian-blake)
Posts: 597
Honorable Member
 

In your defence, Tej, I didn’t read that with any innuendo implied :)  Sorry I did not suggest there was any innuendo.  I was suggesting the image of a woman tapping her feet was sexist which I see Tej agreed with me.

 
Posted : 02/10/2014 12:19 am
Christina Chester
(@christinachester)
Posts: 215
Estimable Member
 

Yellow card.

 

 
Posted : 02/10/2014 12:34 am
Tej
 Tej
(@tej)
Posts: 636
Honorable Member
 

Yep deserved...I dont see the innuendo though?  But lets not dig deeper, I'm innocent whatever that was...well not that innocent of course with the tapping feet but..doh I'm making this worse, going now.

 
Posted : 02/10/2014 1:27 am
Mike Meynell
(@mikem)
Posts: 875
Prominent Member
 

Oh dear... so the forums are reeling from another scandal... what shall we call this one? "tapping-foot-gate"?

Anyway, on to more serious topics... the bloody weather. Will the first Blackheath observing event go ahead or not?!

It looks like there may be some clear spells tomorrow evening, but I think they'll be few and far between. On Saturday, it looks like it's going to rain all day... but!... it's forecast clear in the evening. Hmmmm... it's never easy.

I think we will probably make a decision late tomorrow afternoon.

 
Posted : 02/10/2014 9:33 am
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