You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. – Douglas Adams
Ever since I was little I’ve been amazed by ‘outer space’. I used to watch old black and white sci-fi films with my Dad on BBC2 on Thursday nights, then Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, anything sci-fi. I used to dream about going into space and wonder what (and who) is out there.
Obviously, I’m never going to get there – so, the best I can do is bring out there, down here.
Astro photography is a very expensive and technical branch of photography. One I thought I didn’t have the money or patience for. Also, I thought I was restricted by light pollution and thought I’d have to drive into the middle of nowhere and sit all night freezing on a hill side. I was wrong.
I took the above image of Andromeda from my back garden with no prior knowledge and a £300 smart telescope. The Seestar S30 is a telescope and camera in one. It runs through an app, uses GPS, stars and a built in compass to determine its location and stacks the images of your target.
I’m absolutely blown away that I can sit in the garden on a night and get these images without very little effort from me.
Obviously, it’s a weather dependent thing and clear skies at night seem rare now I’m looking for them. But, I wish I’d done this sooner. I look forward to sitting out under the stars, cup of tea, hob nobs, the telescope capturing amazing images while I watch shooting stars and satellites fly over head. it’s genuinely good for the mind and soul. I have even considered selling the majority of my camera gear and investing in a more serious set up. But, I have a lot to learn before doing that.
Shaun Madill Photography 