Camera settings that work in the dark.
Shutter speed, aperture and ISO for night photography — what to set, why, and how to focus sharply on a star you can barely see.
Astrophotography Course
Photograph the night sky — no telescope needed
Twenty-one lessons across four modules — the Milky Way, star trails, lunar photography and editing. Built for beginners, with whatever camera you already have. No specialist kit. Around two hours of content, taken at your own pace.
For as long as your account is active
·
No telescope needed
·
CPD-certified certificate
21lessons
100k+members
4.7★rated
100,000+photographers taught
Since 201214 years teaching
4.7★average member rating
21lessons in the course
For lifeof your account
What you'll be able to do
From "I've never shot in the dark" to photographs of the Milky Way you took yourself.
Astrophotography looks like a specialist's game until someone walks you through it. Camera settings, focus in the dark, finding a clear spot, knowing what's in the sky tonight, then turning the file you came home with into a photograph. That's what you'll learn here.
No telescope required.
A DSLR, mirrorless or bridge camera with manual mode is enough. A tripod, a wide-angle lens, a remote shutter. That's most of the kit list.
Photograph the Milky Way and star trails.
Find a darker spot near you, plan the shot, expose for it, capture either a single image or a stacked sequence. We cover star trackers too — pros, cons, and how to use one if you have it.
Lunar photography — sharp moons, every time.
Camera and focus settings for the moon, the apps that tell you when and where to look, and the editing technique that brings craters and detail into focus.
Foreground that lifts the photograph.
A great astrophotograph is rarely just the sky. Trees, ruins, a still lake, a lonely cottage — we cover how to compose a foreground that gives the sky scale.
Editing that brings the sky to life.
Five editing modules across single exposures, stacked images, star-tracked frames, star trails and lunar shots — in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. Without over-cooking it.
Inside the course
Four modules, 21 lessons — one thing taught at a time.
Each lesson covers one thing properly, in plain English. Open any module below to see exactly what's covered.
01
Preparation
What you need, what you don't, and how to find a sky worth pointing the camera at.
Preparation
What you need, what you don't, and how to find a sky worth pointing the camera at.
- Introduction & Preparation
- Equipment
- Lens Choices
- Rules of Astrophotography
- Location Scouting
02
Shooting the night sky
The shot itself — single exposures, stacked sequences, star trackers, timelapses, foreground and focus.
Shooting the night sky
The shot itself — single exposures, stacked sequences, star trackers, timelapses, foreground and focus.
- Methods of Shooting
- Star Trackers — Pros & Cons
- Practical Approaches to Astrophotography
- Single Images v Stacked
- Star Trackers & Timelapses
- Foreground & Focus
03
Editing astrophotography
Five different editing approaches for five different kinds of frame — in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.
Editing astrophotography
Five different editing approaches for five different kinds of frame — in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.
- Editing Astrophotography
- Single Exposure Edit
- Stacked Image Edit
- Star Tracked Image Edit
- Star Trails Image Edit
04
Lunar photography
The moon gets its own module — settings, timing, stacking, and editing for the sharpest possible craters.
Lunar photography
The moon gets its own module — settings, timing, stacking, and editing for the sharpest possible craters.
- Lunar Photography
- Camera & Focus Settings
- Best Apps for Lunar Timing
- Lunar Stack Editing in Photoshop
- Single Image Editing in Lightroom
The course trailer
Watch a quick look at what's inside.
A short trailer giving an overview of the course — what you'll learn, who you'll learn from, and the kind of photographs members are making.
Your tutors
Real people. Real photographs. They'll know you by name.
Emily teaches every lesson on this course herself — the same working photographer whose astrophotographs you'll see on the page. Real photographer, not a help desk.
Emily Lowrey
Course Instructor
Professional photographer working across wedding, travel and astrophotography. An accomplished videographer, Panasonic ambassador, and the camera behind many of iPhotography's course recordings. Story-driven work focused on the genuine, raw moments most photographers miss — including the ones that happen at three in the morning under a clear sky.
The Member's Photo Gallery
Share your night-sky shots. Swap notes. Make friends.
The Member's Photo Gallery is where the club hangs out. Upload your astrophotographs, see what other members are working on, leave comments, take part in the Weekend Challenge. Tutors drop in regularly to comment on frames that catch their eye.
Try the technique
After each module, head out and shoot. Bite-sized, doable, on your own subjects — not busywork.
Upload your photograph
Pop your best shot into the Member's Photo Gallery. Friendly, private to members, no public scroll.
See what the room thinks
Members comment on each other's work — honest, encouraging, sometimes brutally helpful. Tutors join in regularly too.
Pass it on
Comment on other members' work, ask questions, take part in the Weekend Challenge. This is where the friendships start.
What you'll learn to shoot
Star trails, Milky Way, the moon — the photographs members make.
A few examples of the kind of work the Astrophotography Course teaches you to capture. Two are by members who've taken the course; the others show the types of shots you'll be set up to make.
Milky Way
Lunar photography
Moon stacking
Star trails
Community Points & Rank Badges
You start with a thousand points the moment you join.
Every member at iPhotography has a points score and a rank badge. They're not gimmicks — they're how the club recognises the work you do, the modules you finish, and the help you give other members. Points can also be redeemed against exclusive training content inside the club.
+1,000
when you join the course
+500
when you complete the course
+30
for every module finished
+50
for every photo shared in the gallery
Distinguished
5,000 pts
Established
10,000 pts
Expert
75,000 pts
Legendary
300k+
Included free with the course
Two bonuses that go with the course.
Hand-picked extras that make the teaching stick longer. Yours the moment you join — no upsell, no fine print.
Your bonuses
Combined value £0.00 — included free
Free
Bonus 01.
Member's Photo Gallery & Weekend Challenges
Share your astrophotographs with the club, take part in the Weekend Challenges — themed photo prompts every weekend — and pick up tips from members at every stage.
Free · worth £0.00
Free
Bonus 02.
Media & Download Library
A growing library of training videos, eBooks, presets, cheat cards and reference guides — yours to download any time.
Free · worth £0.00
What members say
Real reviews from real members.
Pulled verbatim from members who've taken this course. We've left the typos in — that's how you know they're real.
★★★★★
"The course was so easy to follow. The tutors are friendly, knowledgeable and really helpful with feedback. I've gone from being scared of my camera to actually loving the time I spend with it."
TM
Tony Mills
Member · iPhotography
★★★★★
"I've tried a lot of online courses. This is the only one where a real person replied to my photographs. It changed how I shoot, but more importantly it changed how I look at things."
RH
Robin Hollamby
Member · iPhotography
★★★★★
"Best money I've spent on my hobby. The modules are clear, the feedback is genuine, and the gallery is the friendliest corner of the internet I've found."
SY
Simon Young
Member · iPhotography
★★★★★
"I was nervous about being the oldest one in the group. Turns out everyone here is welcoming, and the tutors don't talk down to anyone. I'm finally taking photographs I'm proud of."
DG
Debbie Gammie
Member · iPhotography
★★★★★
"Stephen's feedback on my landscape photograph was the most useful 200 words I've ever read about my photography. Worth the cost of the whole course on its own."
JG
John Gallagher
Member · iPhotography
★★★★★
"I took the course over a long winter. By the spring I was photographing things I'd walked past for thirty years and never noticed. That's the real gift."
AS
Audrey Schweikert
Member · iPhotography
The course, the bonuses, the club — one payment
Everything you get when you join today.
The Astrophotography Course — the full course, the bonuses, account access for as long as you keep it, and a thousand Community Points to start you off in the club.
- 21 lessons across four modules (kept for as long as your account is active)
- Member's Photo Gallery access — share your night-sky shots, ask questions, learn from members
- Two bonuses worth £158.00 — included free
- iNight Photography eBook — included free on course completion
- CPD-certified Course Completion certificate
- 1,000 Community Points on day one · 500 more when you finish
- Rank badge that grows with you
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Save £208.00
Astrophotography Course
£49.00
Pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal.
30
Day Guarantee
Try the course for 30 days. If it's not for you, we'll refund you in full.
We've been teaching photography since 2012. We know the course works — but you don't have to take our word for it. Join, take the first few modules, share a photo in the gallery, and if it doesn't click, email us within 30 days and we'll refund the lot. No hard feelings.
Common questions
The things people usually ask us first.
Do I need a telescope or special gear?
No. The course is designed for everyday cameras — a DSLR, mirrorless or bridge with manual settings. You'll need a tripod, ideally a wide-angle lens, a remote shutter or 2-second timer, and somewhere reasonably dark to point your camera. A star tracker is covered, but optional. No telescope, no specialist astronomy kit.
Will I need editing software?
Yes — to follow the editing modules step-by-step, you'll want Adobe Lightroom Classic. Emily edits her astrophotographs in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, and the editing modules walk through both. If you have an alternative editor, the principles still apply, but the exact button-presses will differ.
How long do I have access to the course?
For as long as your account is kept active. No expiry, no resubscription, no "course access window". The modules, the gallery, the bonuses, and the certificate stay with you.
Is there tutor support if I get stuck?
Yes. Inside the Member's Photo Gallery you can share your astrophotographs, ask questions, and join the conversation. Tutors drop in regularly, members swap honest comments and advice with each other, and PLUS+ members get priority and enhanced tutor feedback on their gallery uploads as part of their subscription.
What are Community Points and rank badges?
They're how the club recognises your activity over time. You start with 1,000 Community Points the moment you join, earn 30 for every module you finish, 50 for every photograph you share, and 500 when you complete the course. As your points grow, your rank badge changes — from Regular through to Legendary.
Can I get a refund if it's not for me?
Yes. Email us within 30 days of joining and we'll refund the course in full. No quiz, no hoops — just reply to your welcome email and let us know.
Is the certificate worth anything?
The Course Completion certificate is CPD-certified, which is recognised across the UK for continuing professional development. For most members it's a quiet bit of pride rather than a career credential — but it carries genuine weight if you want it to.
Come and learn with us.
The world's friendliest photography club has a place set for you. Join today, take your first module tonight, share your first photograph by the weekend.
Join the Astrophotography Course — £49.00