Daily Mail- "stunning nebulas from garden shed"

[Zakalwe]

There'll be an astrology website somewhere with people ranting about how journalists can't get their terminology right: "We're in the business of making serious predictions about peoples' futures, not taking daft photographs!"

James

Surely they would have seen it coming?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/derek-acorah-psychic-cancels-unforeseen-circumstances_n_3424190.html

:grin: :evil:

[reddoss]

I've heard of it, too.  I believe there's even some software that will ruin your images in such a manner should you wish to do so

Noel Carboni's 'Astronomy Tools' photoshop plug-in is software that can add diffraction spikes to your images  http://www.prodigitalsoftware.com/Astronomy_Tools_For_Full_Version.html

I have not used this function myself (though the rest are very useful).

Having started my imaging career with a SW 10 inch Newtonian don't mind diffraction spikes. As long as they are produced naturally by spider veins they look quite nice to me. However I  do not care too much for computer generated ones. 

[Dave_D]

does make you think though... if he went to all that expense getting a frac setup, why add diffraction spikes?

why not just get a newt. i dunno... just my opinion but if i had a frac, i'd want my images to look like they were taken with a frac and vice-versa

although... 'It cost £400, which was expensive at that time. Since I bought it three years ago I have had five different ones' does sort of imply he has, or has had other scopes...

[JamesF]

Yes, my suspicion is that the images shown were taken before a "kit upgrade".

James

[swag72]

I think that it's a shame that people seem so happy to slate the guy for what he's achieved - Whether some of it is artistic Daily Mail licence or not, that's not going to be the imagers fault. He's clearly proud of his images and that's that. Why do people feel the need to be so derisory towards what he's achieved?

[Luke]

Congrats to him. I'd be rather chuffed to have my images in an article, and nice to see it reaching the general public. Top-rated comment says:

"Absolutely stunning, a joy to view and a good article; more of these please DM!"

Well done, Tommy! I hadn't even seen Saturn in a scope at the age of 31.

[Zakalwe]

I think that it's a shame that people seem so happy to slate the guy for what he's achieved - Whether some of it is artistic Daily Mail licence or not, that's not going to be the imagers fault. He's clearly proud of his images and that's that. Why do people feel the need to be so derisory towards what he's achieved?

I agree with this Sara. The chap is probably delighted to get his name into the papers for doing what he loves doing (I know that I would be!). He'll have had no control over what the final edit looked like and is probably writhing with embarrassment at the way its been reported (see the link to the  Western Daily Express that I posted earlier).

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I think it is a great achievement. Regarding the conservatory photo, he may not have the luxury of a fixed observatory, and was asked to set the kit up in the conservatory for the shot. The diffraction spikes show around two stars, and may be either real, taken with an earlier Newtonian (or little 6" RC), or may have been added in processing. Maybe the newspaper guys thought them pretty and selected that version anyway.

[Scott]

I just hope this fella doesn't find this thread.

[reddoss]

Some astro-imagers with refractors or catadioptric scopes often use fishing line or string to make a cross hairs on the front of the dew shield to produce diffraction spikes in their images.

[buzz]

Don't get me wrong - good luck to him and I hope he is chuffed to bits. I'm only thinking he will be annoyed if the portrayal by the paper makes him appear anything less than genuine. I know I would be annoyed. If papers cannot do simple things like quote people correctly, what is to stop them using images and editorial that do not stand scrutiny.

[Pete Presland]

I also agree with this Sara and Zak. its great to see somebody getting amateur astroimaging into the papers and getting some credit.

as for the reporting of the story  in a previous life (before returning to astronomy) i qualified for the Wimau world masters (darts) and my local papers photographer had me standing with my back to the dartboard pretending to through a dart in the wrong direction   so i guess we all have different ideas about how to report a news story.

all that said i have seen more than enough stunning images on here to show me wahts possible from anyones backgarden.

[RobH]

Well said Sara.

What a bunch of negative sourpuss elitist comments earlier in this thread.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Completely wrong too......it's easy enough to do images like these with a bit of time and skill, and there's nothing at all wrong with adding diffraction spikes if you want to....nowhere have I seen a law saying you can't, and I personally have a 6 inch refractor that cost more than a small car that I use, and sometimes add spikes to that if I feel like it....each to their own. The last time I looked most of us were imaging for our own enjoyment, not doing serious science.

Good luck and congratulations to the chap I say.

[Tommy B]

I am the subject of article on the daily mail site. The story was syndicated and I had no control over the papers it was featured in.
I've been a member of this site for years and can attribute much of what I have learned to many people here so It's a real shock that I should see such negative and ignorant comments, but I am very thankful to those who have defended me.
The reporting in the papers has been terrible, and pretty much everything that was written besides my age and name is false and changed from paper to paper.
I got into astrophotography to connect myself to the universe and that connection feels a little infected now. I have not made use of the last few clear nights as a result.

I do not have an obsersvatory, or even a shed! The photo of me was taken in that conservatory because it was raining outside (not the place to setup expensive electronic equipment).

Let's clear up the 'Star Spikes' issue.
I originally started taking astrophoto's with a Skywatcher 200p newtonian and a canon 1000d dslr. This obviously produced star spikes from the secondary mirror vanes and it was an effect that I loved. A year later when I switched to an Equinox 80 refracter I was dissapointed at losing the spikes so set about reproducing them using homemade vanes. This did not work to well so now I occasionally use software to add them in. I am an artist and a photographer, not a scientist and will often enhance things to increase the visual and emotional response to my work. Besides, whether your spikes are produced using physical vanes or software, both are artificial effects!

Thanks again to all those who had the brains and strength of character to see through the nonsense.

[wuthton]

I am the subject of article on the daily mail site. The story was syndicated and I had no control over the papers it was featured in.

I've been a member of this site for years and can attribute much of what I have learned to many people here so It's a real shock that I should see such negative and ignorant comments, but I am very thankful to those who have defended me.

The reporting in the papers has been terrible, and pretty much everything that was written besides my age and name is false and changed from paper to paper.

I got into astrophotography to connect myself to the universe and that connection feels a little infected now. I have not made use of the last few clear nights as a result.

I do not have an obsersvatory, or even a shed! The photo of me was taken in that conservatory because it was raining outside (not the place to setup expensive electronic equipment).

Let's clear up the 'Star Spikes' issue.

I originally started taking astrophoto's with a Skywatcher 200p newtonian and a canon 1000d dslr. This obviously produced star spikes from the secondary mirror vanes and it was an effect that I loved. A year later when I switched to an Equinox 80 refracter I was dissapointed at losing the spikes so set about reproducing them using homemade vanes. This did not work to well so now I occasionally use software to add them in. I am an artist and a photographer, not a scientist and will often enhance things to increase the visual and emotional response to my work. Besides, whether your spikes are produced using physical vanes or software, both are artificial effects!

Thanks again to all those who had the brains and strength of character to see through the nonsense.

Well said!

And well done for getting our hobby into the papers. It's probably a sad fact that if the piece had been factually correct to the finest detail it would have made pretty dull reading for most people.

[ChrisLX200]

Sounds about right Tommy, and after seeing some pictures in the papers recently about the Perseids where they show star trail photos and described them as meteor showers I tend to give them zero credibility for accurate reporting. Be happy in what you do and achieve, ignore the critics who cannot accomplish what you have done.

ChrisH

[swag72]

Hi Tommy, I'm sorry to hear how this experience has bothered you. I was saddened at the small mindedness that was demonstrated earlier in this thread and to that end reported it to Admin as unacceptable as well as going against the friendly nature that is generally so prevalent on SGL.

Please don't take to heart the comments made. Unless we are capturing data for scientific reasons then you are an artist, you shouldn't have to defend any of your processing.

Don't let anyone pull you down. Stay true to what you enjoy doing.

Onwards and upwards Tommy. Regardless of the factual nature of the article you should be proud that you even had the opportunity to show off your images. Well done and stick at it.

[Sp@ce_d]

As I've seen this thread develop I have wondered about the high probability of it being an SGL member involved. I feel rather sick about the way it started to go... On SGL too. Thank goodness the sensible arrived. I wondered if it was a thread about me would I have the guts to stand up & say so regardless!

Tommy, you've confirmed exactly what I and others suspected cos that's how the media works! Please don't be put off, we do this for OUR enjoyment. Sharing with like minded people is a bonus that adds to the PLEASURE.

Congratulations, many would love to get their images published, a great achievement in my book.. Onwards & upwards Tommy don't look back

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Astrobits]

I haven't commented previously in this thread but I would just like to support Tommy and say the shots shown were magnificent and I hope we see some more of your work soon.

On the subject of newspapers,  many years ago I attended a course on starting your own business and the lecturer said that all businesses needed advertising and the best way to get free advertising was to send your story to the newspapers. So to demonstrate how easy it was to get a story into the newspapers he recounted that in a previous class they had invented an outrageous and wholly untrue story and sent it in to the local paper. The paper printed it without any checking of the facts. This "local story" was then taken up by a national paper again without any checking of the facts.

'Nuff said.

Nigel

[PhotoGav]

Tommy, I'm horrified to read that this thread has dampened your enthusiasm... Please don't let it do that. It was only silly gossip I'm sure. Your pics are wonderful and as others have said, it's great to see them in the public eye. I look forward to seeing further images from you soon!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ncjunk]

What a wonderful thread, a shining example of the good and bad side of forums all in a neat package.

Well done Tommy B some nice work there and a nice reply as well.

I rather enjoyed reading the start and thinking I wonder if he's on here and then that wonderful moment I got to his reply.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

[Earl]

Looks hocum to me.

Hubble pallette. ... no way did he go from 400quid scope to that rig in a couple of years without doing some serious lottery wins.or some serious thuggery.

That atik camera is worth more than my whole rig.

I don't think there is an amateur scope in uk that can capture that detail in a few nights unless he imaged all night and slept all day .

the stacking and processing would add a week too.

Peice of cake to do. not hard at all.

[Davey-T]

Big up Tommy, keep the faith, everyones entitled to their opinion even people who don't know what they're talking about 

Dave

[Zakalwe]

I am the subject of article on the daily mail site. The story was syndicated and I had no control over the papers it was featured in.

I've been a member of this site for years and can attribute much of what I have learned to many people here so It's a real shock that I should see such negative and ignorant comments, but I am very thankful to those who have defended me.

The reporting in the papers has been terrible, and pretty much everything that was written besides my age and name is false and changed from paper to paper.

I got into astrophotography to connect myself to the universe and that connection feels a little infected now. I have not made use of the last few clear nights as a result.

I do not have an obsersvatory, or even a shed! The photo of me was taken in that conservatory because it was raining outside (not the place to setup expensive electronic equipment).

Let's clear up the 'Star Spikes' issue.

I originally started taking astrophoto's with a Skywatcher 200p newtonian and a canon 1000d dslr. This obviously produced star spikes from the secondary mirror vanes and it was an effect that I loved. A year later when I switched to an Equinox 80 refracter I was dissapointed at losing the spikes so set about reproducing them using homemade vanes. This did not work to well so now I occasionally use software to add them in. I am an artist and a photographer, not a scientist and will often enhance things to increase the visual and emotional response to my work. Besides, whether your spikes are produced using physical vanes or software, both are artificial effects!

Thanks again to all those who had the brains and strength of character to see through the nonsense.

Well said.

I thought that you would have had no control over the final copy and that you might have been frustrated with it.

Well done though for getting into national press! You must have been chuffed to bits? And in a way you've gone towards educating the target market of those rags.

Keep up the good work fella, your pictures are cracking!

[DaveS]

As one of the doubters I have to put my hand up and apologise wholeheartedly to Tommy, I should have seen through the rubbish "journalism" of the Wail.

Now going to have some humble pie for my tea.