Star Trails + Astro Timelapse Masterclass (Capture + Editing!)

Star trails can make for some of the most stunning astro photography images. If you've already got a handle of the basics of astrophotography, join Sony Advocate Andrew J Clarke for this intermediate workshop designed to help you take your star images to the next level!

This is a two part workshop covering both the practical side of capturing star trail / timelapse images and the processing of these files using dedicated software (see below for details of the software we will use).

Part 1 - On location at Lake Clifton Thrombolites, Saturday, 25 September 2021

7:00pm to ~9:30pm (finish time is approximate)

We'll meet down in the dark skies of Lake Clifton to unlock a composition facing the south celestial pole (for perfect circle star trails) with minimal light pollution. Andrew will guide you through setting up your camera and composition to capture the sequence of images, which we will do over a minimum of 2 hrs. While we are waiting, we will also have the opportunity to capture some Milky Way images facing West before the moon rises in the East at around 10:00pm. If you would like to borrow a second camera for the night, Andrew will bring a few spare Sony bodies and lenses for participants to get the most out of their time under the stars (just make sure you bring an extra memory card)!

Important: In the event the workshop cannot proceed on 25 September 2021 due to bad weather, the back up date is the following night, 26 September 2021. Please make sure you can also attend on the 26th (if necessary). If both evenings are unsuitable, the online editing session will still proceed on the 27th and Andrew will provide you with sample images to use for processing. Participants will then have the choice of a 50% refund of the ticket price (ie $55) or a $55 voucher to attend a future workshop with Andrew, whichever you prefer!

Part 2 - Online editing workshop, Monday, 27 September 2021

7:30pm to 9:30pm

Andrew will guide you through the post processing workflow using Lightroom Classic (now called Lightroom Photoshop Classic), StarStax (free for Windows and macOS) and LRTimelapse 5 (free for Windows and macOS). If you do not have a Lightroom Classic subscription, it is available for a free 7 day trial here.

Please download and install the above programs before attending part 2. Depending on your computer, some of the processing involved may take a bit of time, therefore the online component will also be recorded and sent to attendees so that they can watch it again at their leisure.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Andrew who's email address is in the FAQ below.

• How to plan and organise a star trails shoot 
• How to capture star trail and astro timelapses
• Managing your exposure for best result in astrophotography
• Nailing your composition and focus in camera
• Tips and helpful settings
• Post-processing your images in Lightroom, StarStax and LRTimelapse 
• Exporting your images and video for web and social media

• Fully charged camera and a fully charged spare battery. Sony Alpha users can also bring a power bank to charge over USB.
• (Mandatory) Either an inbuilt or external intervalometer (you will not be able to capture the series of images without one). All Sony Alpha cameras released after the a7III have an inbuilt interval shooting mode. Please contact Andrew if you have any questions.
• Your widest angle lens (around 16-24mm for a full-frame camera or 10-18mm for a crop sensor camera).
• An empty memory card and a spare empty memory card if you would like to shoot on two cameras.
• A sturdy tripod.
• Torch or head lamp.
• Warm clothes suitable for the weather forecast - hat/beanie, jacket, gloves, enclosed footwear, thermals.
• Snacks and water.