This is how one starts in astrophotography. A camera on a tripod and you're off! Well almost....You will find all you need to begin on this page. Guided astrophotography would be the next step but this demands more equipment and knowledge that I will not cover here.

Example of photos are here: Marjolaine's page

EQUIPMENT:Manual camera SLR 35mm, a cable release, fast film, B setting, lenses with f ratios of 1.4-1.7(if possible), focus at infinity and NOTE everything you do so you may duplicatethe image someday. You can also make your own simple barn door tracker to be able to take longer exposures and you will find the links at the bottom of the page.

IDEAS FOR TRIPOD PHOTOS

• Constellations (photographic atlas)
• Milky Way (25-30 sec)
• Planet Conjonctions, Moon, Cluster (1/2 to 3 sec)
• Auroraes (15-40 sec)
• Circumpolar star trails (do not go over 1 hour and set a higher F, ex. F:5.6, 45 min)
• Shooting stars (28-35mm and do not center on the radiant)
• Comets (time exposures vary with the magnitude of the comet)
• Open clusters
• East, South, West and North trails to show the earth's movement
• Montage (with black cardboard between each take)

RECOMMENDED FILMS

• Print films: All the Pro 400, 800 or 1600 films. I don't really recommend 3200 film because the grain is much too present.
• Slide films: FUJI Sensia 400, Kodak Ektachrome P1600
• For developing (locally) : L.L. Lozeau on St-Hubert & Photoco on Donégani in Pointe Claire…they have a certain amount of experience for this type of film and developing.
• Film manufacturers: KODAK & Fujifilm & Agfa & Konica

Next date : November 7th 2004
for more info contact:

Robert Tucci, 675 de Bearn, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qc, J3A 1Y2
tel: (450)348-9184 fax:(450)348-9051 e-mail: roberttucci@earthlink.net

Shutterbug Magazine - Tradeshows. Listing of all the Photo flea markets - check to find one for your area of the world

REFERENCES (books):
La Photographie astronomique d’amateur, par P.Bourge,J.Dragesco et Y.Dargery (french)

Astrophotography for the Amateur par Michael A. Covington, 1991 (nouvelle version 1999 sortie)

Astrophotography : Featuring the Fx System of Exposure Determination par Barry Gordon,1985

Splendors of the Universe : A Practical Guide to Photographing the Night Sky par Terence Dickinson, Jack Newton, 1997

LINKS ON THE INTERNET

You will find more info here to take you even further in astrophotography including guiding and activation of films. (be careful, these links have not been recently checked so there are some that might not exist anymore)

*english links*

• Astrophotography for the Amateur Tips, links and the Astrophotography Exposure Calculator*FREE*
• GALAXY PHOTOGRAPHY website of the astrophotographer Jason Ware
• GALAXY PHOTOGRAPHY-(Deep Sky) Astrophotography for Amateurs tips
• Astro-Photography Mailing List (APML) Archives Mailing list you can subscribe to
• DALE IRELAND's Astronomy Page another well-known astrophotographer
• Gordon Garradd's Astronomy Page amateur astronomer/astrophotographer in Australia
• Astronomical Images-Deep Sky Astrophotography Website of the well-known Jerry Lodriguss, astrophotographer with some good tips
• Amateur Astrophotography and CCD Image Links Lots and lots of links
• Sky and Telescope - ImagingSky and Telescope's astrophotography home
• ATM BarnDoor Project how-to make a barn door astrophotography tracker
• A Smart "Barn Door" Drive for Astrophotography
• Making a "Barn Door" Tracking Mount for Astrophotography
• Astronomy links-astrophotography equipment many links for building barn door trackers

*french links*

• L'activation de films pour l'astrophotographie article by Michel St-Laurent
• Le petit FTP illustré - Site FTP site of our Quebec CCD astronomers
• Photographie conventionnelle article by Damien Lemay
• Techniques d'astrophotographie conventionnelle avec films en utilisant un télescope

By Marjolaine Savoie - Dorval Astronomy Club

ENTRANCE | HOME | MEMBERS || SCHEDULE | |DIRECTIONS | LINKS

SKY THIS MONTH | HOME (français)