A good book on AP

[sophiecentaur]

I do like to use a book as a basic source of information and I want to get hold of something to keep by the bed and improve on my meagre AP skills. However, there are sure to be some publications that are not much use  (door stops) and some that are really good. Can anyone recommend a book that is not too elementary but also not too jargon filled at the same time. I know about using a DSLR and how to get the best out of conventional pictures with Photoshop but it would be good to have a list of suitable subjects for starters.

Any ideas?

[swag72]

Making Every Photon Count is something of an imagers bible - I really rate it. Another book that I have used almost equally as much is Ron Wodaski's the New CCD Astronomy, but that's not got much info on DSLR's.

Forums are also great places to learn......... People are always happy with help and advise. If you look on the imaging board for example you can see the images that people are taking and with what kit. It tends to run in cycles accoring to what is around, so you can really get a feel for what is achievable at any given time.

[kendg]

+1 for  Making Every Photon Count

Another book I like is "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide" Dyer/Dickinson

[michaelmorris]

Another +1 for Making Every Photon Count.  Advanced Guide to DSLR Astrophotography by Jerry Lodriguss is brilliant Electronic book about the subject that includes some superb video tutorials on image processing.

http://www.astropix.com/agda/agda.html

[Droogie 2001]

I purchased Phillips Astrophotography with Mark Thompson amongst other books (+1 Making Every Photon Count) and enjoyed its easy going pace. Some of it I knew already but as I was getting to grips with a new CCD it proved a useful resource.

It has a good beginner to intermediate detail on DSLR, CCD, Planetary as well as post processing the output of these forms of capturing.
If you are looking for dedicated post processing techniques then I think that's harder to pin down. The software and subject is so vast that no one book could hope to do it all justice so this is where the Internet, Forums and You Tube come into their own.
99% of my research comes from the last three.

[sophiecentaur]

Thanks for the recommendations chaps. I have order Making Every Photon Count, which seems to have your universal approval.