Tutorials

Astrophotography is a complex hobby that involves a lot of moving pieces. From setting up your equipment to processing your image it can be difficult to understand each part of the process, especially if you’re new to the hobby. 

In my tutorials, I walk you through everything from setting up your equipment, showing specific image processing techniques, providing tips for improving your astrophotography or reviewing the latest equipment. I will offer advice based on my experiences, that might help you in your journey. 

Andromeda Galaxy Astrophotography Tutorial

Andromeda Galaxy Astrophotography Tutorial

In this post, I’ll walk you through the image processing steps I used to create the image of the Andromeda Galaxy shown below. This astrophotography tutorial uses Adobe Photoshop to bring out the intense colors and detail of a galaxy that was photographed using a DSLR camera and a small telescope.  You can follow along…

Select and Mask Photoshop Tutorial

Use the Select and Mask Tool in Photoshop

The Select and Mask Tool in Photoshop CC is a powerful way to edit selective areas of your astrophotography images. Whether you want to separate the stars from your deep-sky target, or apply subtle noise reduction to the background sky of your image, the select and mask feature will get you there. Adobe Photoshop CC…

QHY PoleMaster Review

QHY PoleMaster Review

The QHY PoleMaster electronic polar scope was designed to make your polar alignment routine easier, and more precise. No matter which camera tracker or equatorial telescope mount you’re using, when it comes to astrophotography, accurate polar alignment is critical. If you have ever struggled to polar align your telescope mount with the north or south…

deep sky astrophotography

Deep Sky Astrophotography Step-by-Step Walkthrough

In this post, I’ll break down everything you need for deep-sky astrophotography with a telescope. I’ll cover each piece of gear I use, and explain how it can be used to capture beautiful deep-sky images of space from your backyard. Updated Version (2023): Deep-Sky Astrophotography How-To (Start to Finish) Deep-sky astrophotography is a rewarding and…

Photograph the Milky Way this Summer

Photograph the Milky Way this Summer

I recently returned from an unforgettable astrophotography trip where I photographed the Milky Way under some of the darkest skies in the Eastern United States. The Cherry Springs Star party is an annual astronomy event where night sky enthusiasts come together to appreciate the true beauty of an unspoiled night sky. In this post, I’ll…

Milky Way Photography with a DSLR

DSLR Photography Tips: Shooting the Milky Way on a Tripod

It’s time for another Photoshop tutorial, along with some night sky DSLR photography tips.  This time, the subject is our glorious Milky Way galaxy.  There is nothing more humbling than spending a night under the band of stars seen from within our barred spiral galaxy. The true beauty of our universe is displayed in the arching…

remove gradients in photoshop

Remove Gradients in Your Astrophotos with Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the preferred image processing software of choice for many astrophotographers of varying levels of experience. The intuitive user interface and limitless image processing capabilities make it a real contender in the astrophotography world. The seamless integration with the .RAW image files produced by a Digital Camera make Photoshop an attractive choice for…

Bahtinov mask

How To Use a Bahtinov Mask to Focus Your Telescope

A Bahtinov mask is a clever tool for precisely focusing an astronomical telescope. The distinctive pattern of the Bahtinov design was created by Russian amateur astrophotographer Pavel Bahtinov in 2005. To use the mask, you simply need to cover the telescope’s objective and point the telescope at a bright star.  The mask creates a pattern…

Manual Stacking in Photoshop for Reduced Noise

Manual Stacking in Photoshop for Reduced Noise

Even without a tracking mount, your astrophotography images can benefit from manual stacking in Photoshop. This method involves aligning exposures and combining them into a master composite.  It can make a big impact on your astrophotos by reducing noise and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The images used in the example were captured using a camera lens…

Essential Image Processing Video Tutorial

Essential Image Processing Video Tutorial

  This video may change the way your shoot and process astro-images forever. It covers the few simple steps needed to create an ultra high-resolution master frame with a high signal-to-noise ratio. This tutorial covers the capturing, processing and production of gorgeous wide-field astrophotography images using a camera lens or small telescope. If you are…