Sylvan Lake Library and local photographer team up to teach about taking pictures of space

An upcoming program hosted by the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library (SLML) will teach participants the basics of backyard astrophotography.

The library has teamed up with local photographer Gary Neilson for an online introduction to that subject. It will be held over Zoom on June 15 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Neilson will go over simple equipment to complex setups, including cameras, telescopes, and mounts that track the night sky as the Earth rotates, as well as software and image processing techniques.

“Neilson has always been interested in general photography but only recently began capturing space objects in our own Milky Way Galaxy and beyond. He purchased his first “proper” telescope when he moved to Canada in 2001 for casual observing when escaping Calgary’s light pollution,” SLML says in a release. “Several years ago, he relocated from Calgary to the darker skies of Sylvan Lake and decided to pursue his interest in astrophotography. He started with simple equipment and gradually progressed to his “Exceedingly Small Observatory” in his backyard that he completed last fall.”