Image Processing Workshop

[cventer]

Hi Everyone,

I am doing some thinking aloud and looking for feedback on an idea.

From a purely selfish perspective, I want to improve my image processing skills.

I am toying with the idea of setting up an Astrophotography processing workshop in Melbourne.

The idea will be to run it over 1 or 2 days and have it be a truly hands on experience mixed with some lectures.

Participants would bring their own laptops and would follow along to some worked examples. Also some time for people to work on their own data with a few roaming experts to give tips on certain aspects.

Venue would be some kind of training centre or lecture hall in Melbourne with several round tables with power so people can have their laptops in front of them. Plus large projector or 2 projecting up the instructors screen.

I will be looking to get some of the IIS Astro Photography Gurus to volunteer to run some of these sessions.

This would be 100% non profit and any costs would be to cover venue facilities and possibly flights for some of the presenters.

I am happy to organise this if there is enough interest and may form a bit of a working group to sort through the details.

No timeline yet as this is just kicking around the idea.

There would be some pre requisites I guess.


Laptop required
Photoshop installed


So let’s get some discussion going.

Do you think its viable?
Should it be 1 or 2 days ?
What format would you like it to take?
Venue suggestions?
Ideas or volunteers who may be interested in presenting. I am thinking people of the calibre of Mike Sidonio, Greg Bradley, Paul Haese etc.. would be the kind of experienced instructors/presenters I would love to have at this. ?

[irwjager]

That's an interesting idea. What sort of experience level are we looking at? Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced?
Though I'm not exactly sure about the pervasiveness of PhotoShop - you may be limiting your audience somewhat. I could be worthwhile discussing techniques in a more generic manner. Knowing how to perform a trick (click here, select that) is one thing, but fundamentally understanding a technique would be a more valuable proposition (to me anyways! :) ).
Love to hear more in due time!

[cventer]

The intent would be an intermediate to Advanced workshop.

ie someone who knows how to process mages, knows why flats, darks etc.. are required but is looking to tak ether skills to the next level in terms of handling things like

Light Polution
Gradients
Color Balance
Deconvolution
levels/Curves/Stretching
masking
Mosaics
Ha Blending

etc.....


That however could be say day 2, with day one being a more beginner to intermediate.....

or it could even follow a typical worflow

eg

Day 1

Image Callibration
Nomalisation
Registration
Combining - techniques. eg Median, vs mean, vs Sigma Reject etc...
Color creation

Day 2
Image Finalisation
- Photoshop levels, curves
- Layers/masks
- gradients
- Ha Blending
Mosaics etc...

The possibilities are endless....

Trick will be that that everyone uses so many different tools for each of these steps. eg CCDStack, Pix Insight, Nebulosity, Imags Plus, Deep Sky Stacker, Iris. etc... the list goes on

In order to run a follow along type working sessions with labs, everyone really needs the same tools....

[Octane]

Sounds like AAIC. :D

I'm in. :)

H

[cventer]

Does it ?

I dont want to duplicate something that will already happen. Much less effort if i can just show up to some event instead of organise it.

Anyone know if AAIC will happen again next year ? And does it cover similar detaild hands on workshops ?

[Octane]

Next AAIC will be in 2013.

And, while apart from Rogelio's demonstration of PixInsight, there wasn't any hands-on tutorial/workshops.

I think this might have been something that was going to get factored into the next one.

Still, I think it's a great idea, Chris, and, something worth pursuing.

And, because Chris/(Omaroo) has lots of time and needs more work, I'm sure he would be happy to do a web site/advertising/pamphlets/brochures for you as well, haha. :P *running away, very fast*

H

[DavidTrap]

I do think you're on the right track - whatever conferences I've been to, I've always found workshops to be far more useful than lectures.

However, it can get frustrating when people with limited computing skills slow the workshop down by monopolising the tutor's time with elementary questions... The tutor either has to run overtime or cut their message short. If you envisage something where people are following along with their own computers, I think you would need to run parallel sessions with defined skill levels for participants.

I think Mark was intending AAIC 2013 to be more workshop based. If you're interesting in helping him arrange AAIC 2013, I know he's looking for eager parties. He also hoped it could be a conference that moved from state to state.

Just my 2 cents worth,

DT