Mark Bowie

Mark Bowie is a professional nature photographer, writer, teacher, and much sought-after public speaker. He’s a staff instructor for the Adirondack Photography Institute, a specialist on night photography, and he leads photography workshops and seminars for camera clubs.

Innovative Night Image Processing

This new presentation features live demonstrations on the latest techniques for processing night images in Lightroom and Photoshop CC, Starry Landscape Stacker, StarStax and more. It will also cover time-lapse processing with LRTimelapse. I'll discuss the field techniques required to generate the images to be combined in post-production, then I’ll demonstrate how to:

• Blend separate exposures for detail in both the night sky and the landscape, using layer and luminosity masking, and by creating high dynamic range images.

• Blend multiple exposures to reduce noise via several techniques

• Expand depth of field through focus stacking

• Merge multiple exposures to create star trails and circles, panoramas encompassing the star-filled heavens and the arch of the Milky Way, and timed intervals of the moon

• Merge separate images of lighthouse beams to create one with beams radiating out in several different directions

• Combine multiple meteors of a shower into one frame

• Capture colorful nebulae

• Create incredible time-lapse movies of the stars and planets arcing across the heavens.

Learn to capture the mystery and wonder of the celestial heavens and elevate your night imagery to the extraordinary.

Program Description - Celestial Nightscapes: State-of-the-Art Imaging

 With still images, time-lapse sequences and video, this presentation covers the latest techniques for capturing many celestial objects and phenomena in relation to the earthbound landscape.  New equipment and refined processing techniques are allowing photographers to push the bounds of what’s possible to capture in the deep dark of night.  Mark will take you beyond making traditional images of the Milky Way to expand your nocturnal repertoire and create heavenly nightscapes.  

 He’ll offer strategies, tips, and techniques for:

•    Rendering details in both the earthbound landscape and celestial skies

•    Making magnificent images of the Milky Way

•   Photographing the stars as points of light, as trails, and circles

•    Photographing the moon, planets, meteors, northern lights, nebulae, galaxies and other celestial objects

•   Using star trackers to shoot long exposures for expanded detail and color in the Milky Way, nebulae, and other celestial bodies

•    Using Apps and websites for research and shot planning   

•    Determining night time exposures

•    Focusing in the dark

•    In-camera noise reduction

•     Shooting and blending multiple exposures to reduce noise and expand depth of field

•    Recording time-lapse sequences

•    And producing night video!

And be sure to see his complementary presentation, Innovative Night Imaging Techniques, for in-depth information on processing night images with Lightroom, Photoshop, StarStax, Starry Landscape Stacker, layer masks, luminosity masks, and more.