Astrophotography, particularly deep sky astrophotography, is indeed one of the most demanding forms of photography. Unlike most forms of conventional photography, images are often planned long beforehand, and exposures typically last upwards of an hour. Post processing is also a must, and because of this, astrophotography is not something for a purist. Heavy adjustments to colour, data stretching and manipulation are all essential in order to bring out the faint starlight and details of astronomical objects from the glow of the sky.
Where conventional photography typically yields multiple photographs from a single session, astrophotography is hardly as productive. A single night may only produce a single image, or if one is lucky, two or more. Sky conditions are also constantly on the change, and favourable weather may not always be present. With the glow of city lights, astrophotography can be incredibly challenging when the background colour of the sky isn't even black.
Furthermore, it is essential for all equipment for astrophotography to operate seamlessly. The failure of any one system will result in it being incredibly difficult to image. The mount must be capable of tracking stars to pinpoint accuracy, alongside the autoguider working with computerised systems in keeping the mount locked to the movement of the sky. The optical tube must be at thermal equilibrium with the surroundings, or condensation will affect optical transparency. The camera must be working even in the cold of the night. Last but not least, the power source must operate properly, alongside all electrical connections, in order to keep all the electronic systems working.
Despite all of these challenges, astrophotography can be very rewarding. There is a reason that I enjoy engaging in it. Although there can be many failures and setbacks, with so much beyond our control, the difficulty in acquiring these images seems to what makes the resulting images so much more precious.
In addition, acquiring the shots in an imaging session is only half of what makes astrophotos tick - the other half comes from post processing. Even if all the settings and conditions from an imaging session are the same, the images that result at the end, after stacking and processing, are often different. The choices to be made, from how the colour is balanced, to how the data is extracted and stretched from the RAW stacked image, is actually up to the individual. In the end, it actually becomes a very personal thing, even if the original images acquired look more or less the same.
When one looks at photos of astronomical objects, it is not just about the aesthetic beauty that is amazing about it. Perhaps even more so, is the understanding of what we are looking at. The staggering scale of the cosmos, and the grand physical processes that create these objects in space are profoundly humbling when we look at it from a cosmic perspective. There is so much more beyond the Earth, and so more that we have yet to see. Our knowledge as a species, far as we have come, is still far from being capable of comprehending the entire Universe. The satisfaction from being able to capture the faint light from distant celestial objects is also difficult to put into words, and it is this satisfaction that drives me to pursue this passion.
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