Training
Introduction to Landscape Astrophotography Workshop 2023
Have you ever wanted to take pictures of the stars and landscapes at night, but don't know where to begin? Have you tried and ended up frustrated with blurry or otherwise disappointing pictures? Let me teach you the basics so that you can quickly get up to speed and start you on the right path for your landscape astrophotography journey.
The 2021 landscape astrophotography workshop was a resounding success! In response to many requests for another, I'm bringing it back for another round!
I have created a 3-part series that will help you maximize your learning while reducing costs. Part 1 will consist of remote learning materials and homework assignments to make sure you're ready to get to shooting in the field. Part 2 will be a night session near Vienna, IL on June 17th (backup weather dates TBD) where each student will spend several hours taking photos with guidance and assistance from an instructor. The maximum student:teacher ratio will be 5:1, so you will get plenty of help and advice during the shoot. If more than 5 people book, the knowledgeable and accomplished Grant Twiss ( https://grant-twiss.pixels.com/ ) will be joining us a teacher. His stuff is awesome, so we'll all be lucky to have him along. Part 3 will be a classroom meeting on either June 18th (location TBD) or July 15th (in Vienna) -- your choice -- where I will demonstrate some editing basics and then help you get started editing your images.
By following the 3-part series, you'll go from a cloudy idea about landscape astrophotography to a crisp, clear understanding and ability to make your own images.
The course is $250 per person for all 3 sessions. Please contact me using the contact form on this page or at [email protected] for more details or to register. All I will need to register you is your contact information and a 50% deposit. I will collect the remaining 50% closer to the field date.
Some comments from prior participants:
"I attended the Astro photography workshop in 2021, and I have to say it was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had with a photography workshop. The location chosen allowed me to capture the Milky Way and constellations that I was never able to do before. Learning the starting settings on my camera put me close to what I was wanting in single exposure star shots. I would definitely attend other courses to further my abilities."
"John’s astrophotography workshop was an absolute pleasure to have access to. We learned everything we needed to know about taking great photos of the stars including: camera settings (and phone!), best conditions and locations, and helpful tips and resources like apps that show you the sky’s alignment to the Earth.
Not only did John provide in-depth knowledge about what to do and why to capture a perfect photo, but he was there to guide us and answer any question we may have. I would definitely recommend his workshop for anyone wanting to know more about astrophotography, newbie or seasoned photographer. It was very digestible and yet rich enough to really take you far with your new skills! 10/10."
Private/group sessions
NOTE: These lessons are currently NOT available. I hope to bring them back in the future.
I offer lessons at a rate of $50/hour including travel time. This can be one-on-one, divided among a small group, or via a live virtual feed. Topics include basic photography technique, outdoor photography, astrophotography, post-processing (editing), and more. Please contact me if you are interested.
A testimonial from a one-on-one student: "Humble, kind human first! The best teacher and astrophotographer. His pictures are authentic and hours of dedication go into every photo. Buy from this amazing, one of a kind photographer."
Free sessions
I will be hosting a free in-person "Outdoor photography for beginners" workshop at Giant City State Park on July 8th. Registration is required and these workshops book up fast. Please call GCSP at (618) 457-4836 to register or get on the waiting list if it's booked up. The talk itself is also available for free further down this page, but the workshop involves going out and taking pictures together, which is a valuable addition.
Some reviews from the first iteration of this workshop:
It helped with "Learning what all the different settings are for on the camera. It is very helpful that you allow us to use your presentation and notes to refer back to. It was also great for us to work with a photographer after the training."
"I'm so glad she signed us up, I truly enjoyed it! Apologies for being late. Even so, I feel like I learned more from your instruction and from Josh in that amount of time than I did from my college course with a professor who was not into wildlife/nature/landscape photography. Thank you!"
"Thank you for organizing. Great class and great guide!!!"
Outdoor Photography for beginners (online version)
Presentation and course evaluation from a workshop designed to teach some basics techniques and composition to those who are just starting out with their camera or smartphone.
You are welcome to read through the presentation even if you weren't able to make it to the workshop.
A short YouTube playlist of tips for beginners
I was asked to create some short videos for a scout troop during the early days of the pandemic. I've posted it here because it might be useful to other folks looking to get into photography.
More to come...