For about a half decade, award-winning astrophotographer David Magro has been sharing his expertise in capturing starry skies with fellow nightscape enthusiasts in his popular masterclasses.
According to him, it’s no wonder why his 2022 Milky Way Canola Trail masterclass tour will stop in Wagga and Young.
“The Riverina has always been an amazing place to see the Milky Way,” he said.
He said the region offers plenty of great locations with profoundly dark skies that set them apart from most major cities.
Having specialised in astrophotography for 10 of his 15 years as a photographer, the Sunshine Coast-based artist travels across the country and visits towns where he can run his masterclasses on how to capture canola fields beneath the Milky Way.
While Magro has captured the night sky from many angles, he said as far as cosmic subjects go, it’s hard to top the Milky Way.
“I’ve always had an interest in astronomy, then began my travels worldwide and took my first Milky Way shot,” he said.
“I’m obsessed and love the experience of photographing the Astro Milky Way landscape.
“It is an amazing experience.”
The hands-on masterclass teaches beginners through to enthusiasts how to operate a camera in manual mode and grasp the nuances of photography.
The workshop will cover how to expose for the Milky Way sky and foreground landscape, produce noise-free (no-grain) photographs, photograph star trails and capture dynamic range Milky Way landscapes.
Magro will also demonstrate how to compose photographs in the dark, achieve sharp focus at night, photograph stunning panoramas and plan future Milky Way landscapes with plenty of time for questions and one-on-one time.
The masterclass also offers online resources, downloadable PDFs, tutorials on how to edit photographs and the opportunity to join a private Facebook group where everyone can continue to learn from Margo. This forum offers like-minded astrophotographers the chance to exchange ideas, share tips and improve skills on an ongoing basis.
The masterclass is held in a classroom setting before students enjoy the night photographing the stars. A camera will be provided on the night.
The workshop in Wagga will be on 15 September and in Young nightly from 22 September to 24 September. To book the class, click here.