Landscape Astrophotography - Robert Harvey ARPS

Fully Booked. Next date 28 January.

NEW (Live workshop using Zoom) Limited to 8 participants.

Tutor: Robert Harvey BA ARPS EFIAP CEnv CSci MCIWEM

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. 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

Recommended Photographic Equipment: Digital single lens reflex camera or equivalent 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), sturdy tripod, lockable remote cable release. Cameras that do not allow manual control of shutter speed and aperture would not be suitable.

Requirements:

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 aperture/shutter priority or fully manual mode.

The course is interactive and your participation with questions, comments and opinions is encouraged.

Internet access

A webcam or microphone for interacting (your laptop may have these built-in already)

Speakers to hear the presentations

IMPORTANT

Please look out for the attachment in your confirmation email. If you don't receive it, please email learning@rps.org  

The tutor will need access to your email address to enable him to send you a link to the class - we will presume that by booking this course you are giving permission unless you contact us to state otherwise. 

We will also be sending you the tutors email address, and all the links and info you will need once you have signed up. You will receive a Zoom invitation via email, the day before the lesson begins.

Overseas participants - Please check the time of the workshop if you are outside the UK. This link which will help you to calculate the timing of the online workshop: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/custom.html

The Tutor: Professional photographer Robert Harvey holds the Excellence award of the Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique. He is inspired by remote locations such as coasts, mountains and deserts, where untamed land is sculpted by natural elements. HIs photographic schedules are often dictated by sunrise, sunset, moon, tides and weather.

Based in Wiltshire, Robert leads photography tours throughout Britain, as well as overseas. He regularly lectures to specialist photographic audiences around the country and is the author of several books on photography and astronomy including “Photographing the Heavens” (2019), “Night Sky” (2019) and “Photographing Wiltshire” (2020).

Image: Robert Harvey BA ARPS EFIAP CEnv CSci MCIWEM