Workshops
Check out some of our spectacular
images obtained with students
at
previous"Making Every Pixel Count" workshops!
Upcoming workshop at the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter:
December 10-13: "Making Every
Pixel Count"
With Adam Block
Learn how to produce stunning images of
deep sky objects from Adam Block, a renowned imager whose skill with a
CCD camera continues to inspire enthusiasts around the world. His images
have appeared in numerous books, magazines, websites and television
programs. The workshop covers a full range of topics, from basic image
aquisition and problem solving to compressing the dynamic range of the
data for the best possible aesthetic results. Whether you are just
getting started with CCD imagery or have basic skills that you would
like to refine, the "Making Every Pixel Count" workshop will help you
produce better images. The workshop takes place over three consecutive
days. This is a hands-on presentation and you must provide your own
computer so please note the system requirements.
Your experience begins with a captivating
journey to the top of Mt. Lemmon with its "sky island" environment.
Once you arrive at the SkyCenter you will receive a tour of the site
including a description of these historical and active observatories.
You will then check in to your accommodations
on the mountain and proceed to our newly refurbished Learning
Center where most of the workshop activities take place.
The Day Before the Workshop:
Before making the journey up to Mt. Lemmon
we will visit Steward
Observatory's Mirror Lab - where LSST's optics are
currently being created! This is a rare opportunity to see where the
largest telescopic mirrors in the world are being made. Refer to the agenda to time your arrival so that you
can participate in this remarkable tour.
Day 1:
You will be given a workshop package in
advance of your arrival with instructions on preparations to be
completed at home including the download of software so that we can get
under way quickly. Tailored to the individual needs of the
participants, we will begin with understanding programs such as
CCDStack, Maxim DL, and Mira to facilitate basic operations such as
image calibration, G2V color balance, identifying and correcting common
imaging problems, and the foundations of LRGB and Ha blending
techniques. We will continue into the evening hours. Should it become
clear after the typical thunderstorms of the afternoon, we can adjourn
to our refurbished dome and our new 24-inch RCOS telescope. It would be
great to take some of our own fresh data to manipulate!
Day 2:
This day builds on the first day with more
in depth manipulation of example data sets. This includes management of
Photoshop layers and blending techniques. By the end of the this day
you will be able to confidently produce both a deep sky and planetary
image from scratch in a step-by-step, consistent and repeatable method
used by the top imagers in the world. Again, if the weather permits, we
can observe at the telescope!
Day 3:
We will complete any remaining examples and
unanswered issues in the morning. Time permitting, we will discuss
object oriented processing and contrast management. After a quick
lunch, we will pack up and leave the mountain.
Minimum System Requirements
- Laptop Computer
- 2 GB of free space
- 2 Ghz CPU
- 1 GB of RAM or better (Ability to open many CCD images)
- Working CD/DVD drive
- Latest versions of Maxim DL and CCDStack (free 30-day trial
versions available via download)
- Photoshop CS or later (I will use PS CS3)
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 or later (At a minimum download
the free PP viewer from Microsoft. Using the full version of PP you
will see my detailed notes associated with each slide.)
- Other programs will be suggested in a "Welcome" e-mail you
will receive after you have registered for the workshop
Quotes from Previous Participants
"I feel that I have just saved years of
trial and error... I very highly recommend Adam’s workshop (no
matter how far away you are...)"
"There were only a handful of imagers at
AIC, including yourself, who could truly call themselves "masters", but
in my opinion, you also have a skill that most of them lack -- you
proved yourself to be a wonderfully talented orator. Your presentation
was "hands down" the most enjoyable portion of AIC, and I'm sure most
of us could have listened to you for several more hours without a hint
of boredom!"
"Adam’s clear and concise approach
to the presentation helped to take the ‘black magic’
out of image processing and made it possible for CCD imagers of many
skill levels to get the most out of their evening efforts. His tips,
tricks and techniques are priceless."
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