This book provides a thorough introduction to and exploration of deep sky astrophotography for the digital photographer. With over 280 images, graphs, and tables, this introductory book uses a progressive and practical style to teach readers how to image the night sky using existing, affordable equipment. The book opens with a brief astronomy primer, followed by chapters that build progressively to explain the challenges, offer solutions, and provide invaluable information on equipment choice through image capture, calibration, and processing in affordable software. The book's focus ranges from how to image sweeping vistas and star trails using only a camera body, lens and tripod, to more advanced methods suitable for imaging galaxies, clusters, nebulae, and stars. Other features of the book include: Real-world assignments showing how and when to use certain tools and how to overcome challenges and setbacks Practical construction projects Evaluations of the most recent developments in affordable hardware and software Exploration on how sensor performance and light pollution relate to image quality and exposure planning Ground-breaking practical chapters on lucky imaging and choosing and using the latest CMOS cameras Written in an accessible, easy to follow format, this comprehensive guide equips readers with all the necessary skills to progress from photographer to astrophotographer.

This book provides a thorough introduction to and exploration of deep sky astrophotography for the digital photographer. With over 280 images, graphs, and tables, this introductory book uses a progressive and practical style to teach readers how to image the night sky using existing, affordable equipment. The book opens with a brief astronomy primer, followed by chapters that build progressively to explain the challenges, offer solutions, and provide invaluable information on equipment choice through image capture, calibration, and processing in affordable software. The book's focus ranges from how to image sweeping vistas and star trails using only a camera body, lens and tripod, to more advanced methods suitable for imaging galaxies, clusters, nebulae, and stars. Other features of the book include: Real-world assignments showing how and when to use certain tools and how to overcome challenges and setbacks Practical construction projects Evaluations of the most recent developments in affordable hardware and software Exploration on how sensor performance and light pollution relate to image quality and exposure planning Ground-breaking practical chapters on lucky imaging and choosing and using the latest CMOS cameras Written in an accessible, easy to follow format, this comprehensive guide equips readers with all the necessary skills to progress from photographer to astrophotographer.

Photo Techniques Magazine stated: "All our readers need to know about this very useful book." Indeed, there is no other compendium that is as in-depth as this for the beauty and magic of fine-art black-and-white photography. With 560 pages and over 1,000 illustrations, Way Beyond Monochrome starts with conceptual lessons of composition and takes you through image capture, exposure, controlling tonality, variable-contrast paper, archival printing, mounting, framing and presentation with simple concepts to an advanced level. This new edition has been completely revised and heavily expanded, adding over 250 pages to the original edition with new chapters on print mounting, spotting, framing, digital negatives, utilizing digital technologies for alternative processes, and fabulous do-it-yourself projects. Overall, the authors have created a thoroughly researched, technologically sound yet aesthetically pleasing, inspirational bible for monochrome photography. New to this edition: almost double the content a new section discussing the path from visualization to print, illustrating the interaction between eye and brain, explaining the rules of composition and when to break them to produce photographs with impact a new section on presentation including hands-on mounting, matting, spotting, and framing image capture has a more in-depth focus, now covering pinhole photography and digital capture now includes making and printing with digital negatives a new section discussing the pros and cons of typical image-taking and image-making equipment plus new do-it-yourself projects, including many darkroom tools and an electronic shutter tester a useful collection of templates, to copy, cut-out and take with you in your camera bag or use in the darkroom an appendix with all the recipes to make your own darkroom chemicals from scratch all illustrations improved and updated improved index with 1,400 references

Photo Techniques Magazine stated: "All our readers need to know about this very useful book." Indeed, there is no other compendium that is as in-depth as this for the beauty and magic of fine-art black-and-white photography. With 560 pages and over 1,000 illustrations, Way Beyond Monochrome starts with conceptual lessons of composition and takes you through image capture, exposure, controlling tonality, variable-contrast paper, archival printing, mounting, framing and presentation with simple concepts to an advanced level. This new edition has been completely revised and heavily expanded, adding over 250 pages to the original edition with new chapters on print mounting, spotting, framing, digital negatives, utilizing digital technologies for alternative processes, and fabulous do-it-yourself projects. Overall, the authors have created a thoroughly researched, technologically sound yet aesthetically pleasing, inspirational bible for monochrome photography. New to this edition: * almost double the content * a new section discussing the path from visualization to print, illustrating the interaction between eye and brain, explaining the rules of composition and when to break them to produce photographs with impact * a new section on presentation including hands-on mounting, matting, spotting, and framing * image capture has a more in-depth focus, now covering pinhole photography and digital capture * now includes making and printing with digital negatives * a new section discussing the pros and cons of typical image-taking and image-making equipment * plus new do-it-yourself projects, including many darkroom tools and an electronic shutter tester * a useful collection of templates, to copy, cut-out and take with you in your camera bag or use in the darkroom * an appendix with all the recipes to make your own darkroom chemicals from scratch * all illustrations improved and updated * improved index with 1,400 references

The Astrophotography Manual, Second Edition is for photographers ready to move beyond standard SLR cameras and editing software to create beautiful images of nebulas, galaxies, clusters, and the stars. Beginning with a brief astronomy primer, this book takes readers through the full astrophotography process, from choosing and using equipment to image capture, calibration, and processing. This combination of technical background and hands-on approach brings the science down to earth, with practical methods to ensure success. This second edition now includes: Over 170 pages of new content within 22 new chapters, with 600 full-color illustrations. Covers a wide range of hardware, including mobile devices, remote control and new technologies. Further insights into leading software, including automation, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight Ground-breaking practical chapters on hardware and software as well as alternative astrophotography pursuits