The latest in the series of Flamsteed workshops for the current season, Astrophotography: A Beginner’s Guide, was presented by Mike Meynell at Mycenae House, Blackheath, on 27th February.
Mike began by explaining the basics of photography, the choice of lenses for DSLR cameras, and how to use them to capture images of the night sky. He discussed equipment, including what telescopes to consider, emphasising that the choice largely depends on the target - whether planets, deep-sky objects such as nebulae, or distant galaxies. He also covered the different types of mounts suited to each scenario, from basic star tracker mounts to more advanced GoTo systems.
During a short break, attendees had the opportunity to examine two telescope and mount setups on display and speak to myself and Mike about their use. These included a simple star tracker mount fitted with a small refractor and DSLR camera, and a more advanced GoTo mount equipped with a small refractor and a cooled astronomy camera.
In the workshop, Mike demonstrated some image processing techniques, including:
How to use free software such as StarStaX or Sequator to create star trails from multiple time-lapse images of the night sky.
How to use Adobe Photoshop to remove light pollution from nightscape images, align and stack images, and process deep-sky images.
Finally, Mike introduced smart telescopes and explained why they are becoming increasingly popular among both beginners and experienced astrophotographers.
The workshop concluded with a lively question-and-answer session.
Many thanks to Mike for presenting this workshop in his usual accomplished style. I’m sure all those present, whether beginners or more experienced astrophotographers, learned a great deal from the evening.
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