ASTRO PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Capture the Magic of the Night Sky
A 4 hour practical photography workshop where you will learn how to use your camera enabling you to take great images of the night sky with a 60 minute zoom editing session scheduled for afterwards.
LOCATION
Downhill Beach
Date(s)
See Below
START/END TIME
7:00pm to 11:00pm
DURATION
4 Hours
SKILL LEVEL
All Skill Levels
GROUP SIZE
Maximum of 6
Introduction to Astrophotography
Astro Photography Workshop
Ever looked up at the night sky and wondered how to capture its breathtaking beauty with your camera? Well, you’re in the right place! My hands-on workshop is all about helping you feel confident and comfortable taking stunning night sky photos—no classrooms, just real experience under the stars.
Over the course of 4 hours, I’ll personally guide you through everything you need to know to get started. You’ll learn how to focus your lens to infinity for those pin-sharp stars, discover the best settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to use, and how to get the most out of your gear in a real-world setting.
But that’s not all! I’ll point out some basic constellations like “The Plough,” teach you how to find the North Star, and even help you spot the Milky Way. And if we’re lucky, we might just catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights or Noctilucent Clouds if they’re visible.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to level up your skills, my astrophotography workshop is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and, most importantly, fun! We’ll dive into more advanced techniques too, like capturing clean foregrounds, and I’ll show you how to shoot star trails.
So grab your camera, bring along your curiosity, and join me for an unforgettable hands-on night under the stars. Get ready to learn, explore, and capture the magic of the night sky like never before!
What you’ll learn
During this astro photography workshop, I’ll be dedicated to assisting and teaching you everything I know about astrophotography.
Here are a few of the key astro photography techniques that I will be covering:
Infinity Focusing: Ensuring you’ve got sharp stars is crucial for astro photos. I’ll show you the technique I use to achieve perfect focus for adjusting your lenses to infinity.
Camera Settings: Learn what the optimal aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings are to shoot beautiful astro photos.
500 Rule: Learn this simple guideline for determining the maximum exposure time before stars begin to trail when capturing untracked photos of the night sky with your camera on a tripod.
Foreground Shooting: Explore my approach to shooting clean low noise foregrounds for your shots.
Star Trails: Learn how to shoot star trails along with how many photos you need. (A remote release will be necessary for this.). You can also turn your star trail photos into a magical time lapse too!
Histogram: Learn how to read your histogram so that you’re exposing correctly and capturing maximum data with no clipping.
Throughout this astrophotography workshop, I’ll be on hand to guide you through each step, helping you master these techniques and elevate your astrophotography skills.
The Plan
Please keep in mind that my astro photography workshops depend on the weather. If the forecast predicts 50% or more cloud cover, I’ll reschedule for another night. If this doesn’t work for you, I’ll offer a full refund.
Here’s what you can expect from the evening:
(Timings will be confirmed via the private whatsapp group, generally we’ll meet 30 minutes before the start time on each evening)
We’ll meet up on Downhill Beach at 6:45PM for some introductions and so that everyone can get ready. We’ll do a quick round of introductions and I’ll give a quick overview of what we’re going to be learning and I’ll answer any questions you may have.
Starting at 7:00PM we’ll then start with the absolute basics, ensuring everyone has their camera setup and ready to go. I’ll talk about shooting RAW, explain the reasons for using the various settings such as Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO and I’ll touch briefly on white balance as well.
Throughout the night I’ll be going over the various different techniques mentioned above. Additionally I will have a star tracker setup to be used as well so you can see what they do.
Required Equipment
- Warm clothes, hat and gloves and a flash with your hot beverage of choice.
- A DSLR Camera with full manual control (Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO)
- A lens that’s at least 24mm wide with an aperture of f/3.5 or faster. Ideally an f/2.8 or faster lens
- A sturdy tripod
- A headtorch with a red light
- A remote shutter release
(Some people may laugh at this BUT if you have a very modern phone like a Samsung S23/S24 Ultra then this is also possible. I’ve shot astro shots with my S23 Ultra and it blows my mind what’s possible with it. I know nothing about iPhones so maybe do some quick research beforehand to see if it’s possible. If bringing a phone you need to have a sturdy tripod for it too.)
Don’t just take my word for it…
THE REVIEWS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
Tyler's passion not only for photography, but for helping people hone their skills, made this a trip of a lifetime. Our group had a range of experience and equipment and Tyler met each of us where we were and helped create amazing photos and great memories. We saw an erupting volcano, multiple nights of the aurora, glaciers, mountains, waterfalls, reindeer and ponies, basalt formations, black sand beaches and more. There was a never-ending supply of subjects and shooting conditions. Tyler plans his trips meticiously yet still allowed us to pivot when unplanned events occurred (like an erupting volcano!). He gave us free range to explore, yet kept our safety paramount. Finally, Tyler's knowledge of Iceland took us to places off the beaten path and even when we were at more touristy spots, he timed it so that we were gone as the big tour buses arrived. I highly recommend Tyler and Chasing Light Tours for your next photographic adventure!
Tyler at Chasing the Light Tours was very knowledgeable on both Iceland and photography, nothing was too much trouble to make sure the tour was a success. Our tour was made up of a group of individuals with a mixed photographic experience, Tyler tailored his advice to each, so that they could get the best out of holiday. I would strongly recommend him and plan to travel with him again soon.
I’m rekindling my photo skills and was very rusty ! This was an amazing trip and Tyler had so much patience. I learnt a great deal and we were fortunate to have a fabulous group. Iceland must be seen in small groups ( I did some commercial tours ) and this is the only way to photograph as you have lots of time. I would highly recommend Tyler and I will be going on many more tours in the future. Thanks so much. Really appreciated everything. Mike T. New Forest. Uk.
I spent a great week with Tyler in the Dolomites. It was nice to have all the logistics handled and not having to worry about driving, parking and getting to the right place at the right time. Tyler managed all this and more. I personally learnt a lot from this first time experience in a photo tour directly from him and the group as well. Straight from the trip, I even got a drone (as I had never previously considered it). Tyler was very helpful and the tour overall was fantastic if you are a photographer. The small group size and personalized attention if you have questions made it easily something that I highly recommend.
Astro Photography Workshops Dates & Prices
The prices are per person. Reserve your spot for my Astro Photography Workshop learn the fundamentals of creating beautiful astro images.
FAQs
A DSLR or mirrorless camera, a sturdy tripod, wide-angle lenses (preferably with a low f-stop), and a remote shutter release or intervalometer. A headlamp with a red light is also recommended for working in the dark.
No, my workshops cater to all skill levels. I will provide personalised instruction to help you improve your photography skills, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced photographer.
You’ll learn about manual settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focusing techniques tailored for capturing night sky images, stars, and the Milky Way.
I schedule in a 60 minute online session for afterwards which will cover editing the photos. I am working on securing a location where we can do it all on the night.
In the days leading up to the workshop, I’ll be keeping an eye on the weather. If the forecast shows clear or partly clear skies overnight, the workshop will proceed as planned. However, if it’s expected to be cloudy or raining for an extended period, I’ll either move the workshop to the following night (weather permitting) or offer a full refund. Alternatively, you can join the next workshop, which I plan to hold monthly until the nights become too bright.
The workshop will take place on Downhill Beach, Co. Londonderry. I choose dark sky locations away from light pollution to ensure optimal conditions for astrophotography.
Some light walking may be required to reach shooting locations, so participants should be prepared for moderate walking in dark conditions with their gear.
The workshop typically starts just after sunset and lasts for several hours, depending on the conditions. Specific times will be provided in advance.
Dress warmly in layers as temperatures can drop significantly at night. Also, wear sturdy shoes for any potential hiking or walking, potentially a pair of wellies!
Aside from bringing the recommended gear, there are no prerequisites. Enthusiasm for photography and the night sky is all you need!
To ensure personalised attention, I limit the group size to 6 participants.
Absolutely! I encourage people to ask me as many questions as possible! The entire session is hands-on learning.
Due to the need for a focused learning environment, I ask that only registered participants attend.
Please inform me as soon as possible.