Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography: Tips, Techniques, and Resources for Asia-Pacific Enthusiasts

Updated: Aug 17

Author: Helena Cochrane, Astrophotographer.

Image credit: Helena Cochrane

Astrophotography is possibly one of the most satisfying hobbies out there to be taken up. When asking someone about what it involves, they’d most likely respond with, “time, money and patience,” and yes, this is true to an extent. However, the beauty of it is you can choose your level and how much you want to get from it.

There is a very common misconception within astrophotography that you need to have the biggest and newest equipment to produce stunning images of space and this is totally not the case. Someone with no experience could own the greatest imaging camera and not know how to use it to its full potential – it’s all about technique.

Therefore, the first piece of advice I always give to beginners starting out in the hobby is “Use what you have available to you already.” Even if you haven’t taken up photography previously, you’ll be surprised at the potential of items that you currently own – your mobile phone, for instance! This way, you will find it easier when moving up to larger equipment (if that is what you are aiming for) as you’ll already know the ropes of how to work things manually.

For me, it all started with a simple tripod from Amazon and a cheap second hand DSLR from a local online seller. I placed an 18-55mm kit lens from Canon onto my Canon 60D, left the aperture at F4, used a shutter speed of 30 seconds and an ISO of 1600 and pointed towards the Orion constellation. What came through on the screen absolutely blew my mind. The first thing I noticed about the photo was that the camera was picking up so much more than my eyes – this is the beauty of astrophotography, unveiling the unknown. If you notice that the stars trail slightly – that’s okay! This is due to the rotation of the earth, and without a tracking mount to counteract this it makes it harder to get pinpoint stars. If this is what you are looking for, reduce your shutter speed to around 15 seconds and use an external intervalometer to control the camera to avoid shake.

Use your time with a tripod and a camera wisely and use it to get familiar with the night sky. I find apps such as SkyView excellent for this, as you can simply hold up your phone to your surroundings and it will show where the constellations are relative to where you are located.

Once you are comfortable with this setup and (if) you want to progress into deep space astrophotography, a good starting point is wide-field telescopes such as the Redcat 51 from William Optics, the Radian Raptor or the Sharpstar 61. This is because they are so similar to the lenses you would use as a total beginner, like I previously mentioned, and therefore the transition is easier. The longer the focal length of a telescope, the more it will magnify the sky. The purchase of one will mean that you will require a star tracker that counteracts the rotation of the Earth to give you sharp stars and enable you to produce longer exposures. As you are going to be revealing fainter detail in deep space, you’ll want to take longer exposures to reveal it and combat thermal noise in your camera (1-2 minutes is a good happy medium).

At this current stage in my journey I purchased the SkyWatcher Star Adventurer and used it with my Canon 60D and kit lens. I felt as though swapping out one element (i.e., the static tripod) and introducing a tracker was enough at the time, as it allowed me to get to grips with things such as polar alignment.

Polar alignment involves aligning your star tracker with the North Star, Polaris, so that your tracker knows where everything is in the sky and can accurately track the stars. A great app I use for aligning is ‘Polar Align Pro’ and it shows you exactly where the North Star needs to be aligned on the tracker. I find visual tutorials very helpful for this kind of technique, and would highly recommend ‘Peter Zelinka’s’ tutorials on YouTube.

This is the kit I use to this day for landscape astrophotography and recommend it to beginners looking to find their way into the world of trackers! These setups are ideal for any Milky Way photography, relatively widefield deep space imaging and stunning landscape constellation shots.

Setting aside all of the technical information, don’t let your access to this stop you from going outside and simply looking up. I find my solace amongst the stars, and sometimes take it all for granted when caught up in the latest and greatest gear. Go out there and have fun, and do it for you at your own pace!

Astrophotography in Asia Pacific Oceania

Consolidated by APOSA Team

The APOSA team has compiled a list of resources, as a starting point for anyone in the Asia-Pacific Oceania region interested in astrophotography to delve deeper into the field. These include classes, workshops, institutes, online communities, blogs, and individual influencers. Some are specific to the region, while others can be accessed globally. These additional resources will help enthusiasts in the Asia-Pacific region find more localised and relevant information to enhance their astrophotography skills. May the stars be on your side!

If you know any organizations, clubs, society, courses, worksohps, instructors that are not listed here, please email to aposacommunity@gmail.com or add as a comment in this document. Link to the document.

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