Hey There! I’m Chris – a UK based amateur backyard astrophotographer, thanks for visiting my website.
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Specialization: Narrowband deep-sky astrophotography
- Experience: 5+ years active imaging (2007 start, returned 2022)
- Equipment: Multiple automatic imaging rigs
## What I Photograph
I specialize in emission nebulae and galaxies, often using specialist narrowband filters to cut through light pollution.
All of my images are captured from my backyard in suburban Suffolk, England (Bortle 6 sky).
My focus is on long-integration, high-resolution imaging using multiple setups to maximize clear sky time in the UK climate.
## My Astrophotography Journey
I originally began dabbling in astronomy in around 2007, when a colleague showed me some images of Saturn that he’d managed to capture using a small Meade ETX telescope and a cannibalised webcam. This piqued my interest, and before long I’d borrowed a very wobbly Celestron Astromaster telescope that might brother had in a shed gathering dust and had taken a webcam to pieces to remove the IR filter.
Those early results are sadly lost, but it was enough to kindle an interest, and before long I’d purchased a modest second hand setup (a Vixen equatorial goto mount, a small 80mm refractor). I sent my Canon DSLR camera away to have the filters removed to make it more suitable for astrophotography I dabbled on and off for the next couple of years.
Having a young family and a relatively sizeable commute to work meant that I wasn’t really able to spend hours outside under the stars without detriment to my work and family life – it also turned out that I very much need 8 hours of sleep at night, and I really don’t like being cold – so not exactly the ideal hobby! The equipment was gradually broken down and sold and I had to content myself with enjoying the images that others were sharing on the web.
##A New Beginning
Some 15 years later, on a quiet afternoon in lockdown, I stumbled across some astrophotography content on YouTube watching content from people like Lukomatico and Astrobloke
I quite quickly went down a rabbit hole – and realised a couple of important things – I could now mount a small computer to the telescope and mount, which could then be remote controlled from the comfort (and more importantly warmth) of the house. I could also use an EAF (electronic automatic focuser) to ensure that as the night progressed the system could be automatically tweaked – the nerd in me was excited – could I build my own automated astrophotography setup?
April 2022 saw the bank balance take the first of many hits, and I purchased a modest imaging setup – a Skywatcher HEQ5 computerised GOTO mount, a Skywatcher ED80 refractor, a ZWO EAF and a ZWO183MC astronomy camera.
Early results were quite promising, way beyond anything I was able to capture during my first foray into the hobby, but I soon realised that I’d made a pretty major mistake in my quest to automate as much as possible to minimise the amount of time I had to spend outside in the cold! The camera I’d chosen didn’t have a proper cooling setup, so I was unable to produce a “library” of calibration files. This meant I’d need to be out with the scope each night to make sure I took a set of calibration files at the exact same temperature as the “light” images. Nothing a new camera wouldn’t fix however…
##Where we’re at
You’ll soon realise if you start to get interested in astrophotography that it’s very far removed from being a cheap hobby. Think horses, boats, sportscars – then you’re in the right ballpark!
Over the intervening years I’ve upgraded my equipment several times, and you can see a description of my current setups on my equipment page here.
I’m always happy to help fellow astronomers. The learning curve in this hobby can be extremely steep – so if you’re stuck with something feel free to reach out, I’d be more than happy to help if I can!