Photography....

I just got into astrophotography about 2 yrs ago with no prior photography experience. I read all I could find on the web and asked plenty of questions. I have found the best learning experience comes from time in the saddle, making mistakes and fixing them. There is so much that has to be right to get that one excellent keeper. Mainly clear skies, mount tracking and pec, guiding and is everything connected and working properly.
I learned fast starting astrophotography with the unforgiving focal length (3556mm @ F 10) of my Meade LX200GPS 14"er.
The most basic and forgiving astrophotography is wide field with the camera mounted (piggybacked) on the scope and scope guided if you desired to do so.

Hi Tony, I'm new to all this astrophotography also and as the others have said it's best to jump right in and give it a go. I strongly suggest you try taking shots of the Moon, you don't need anything fancy (scope or camera) and go from there.

Personally I started off by holding the camera to the eye-piece then went to a web-cam (which sounds like what you've got). Take some shots, post them here and people will make helpful suggestions so that you can refine the skill.

I wouldn't bother with a course, most if them have nothing to do with astrophotography, most here doing astrophotography have picked up the ropes fairly quickly, as will you I suspect.

I wouldn't bother with a course, most if them have nothing to do with astrophotography, most here doing astrophotography have picked up the ropes fairly quickly, as will you I suspect.

Best advise. I'm a newbie to it too Tony, so I just read the posts here, ask questions, and then put the information in practise with plenty of trial and error when I get the time to take everything outside for a few hours (which, frustratingly for me, is not as often as I'd like).

I'm a Canon 350D user with a Skywatcher 80ED refractor, a couple of 200mm reflectors, and the club's 300mm Dob to try out my stuff on.

Seanie.

Ok chaps thanks for the replies....