AP - Is it insanity?

[Astro Noodles]

My missus is concerned about my sanity in pursuing astrophotography as a hobby.

She said "When you said that you were going to take photographs of space, I thought you were going to take pictures of the moon and maybe some nice constellations."

Later she said "I don't understand why you have spent so much time, money, and disrupted both of our sleep to take pictures which are a hundred times worse than anything you can get on the internet."

And finally she said "it has gone way past the stage where I can even see the point in it."

Is she right, or missing the point? Or has the last year of lockdown pushed me over the edge?

P.S. Don't tell her I've posted this or I'm dead. 

[banjaxed]

I am sure it is the satisfaction you get when you achieve great images, but I don’t think my efforts would be anywhere near the quality our members get so I content myself looking at others achievements.

[PeterCPC]

I just think of it as a challenge. 🙂

[Astro Noodles]

2 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

I just think of it as a challenge. 🙂

Yeah, that's what I said but I just got a funny look.😄

[scotty38]

“What is the point?” Could probably be applied to most hobbies by those not interested in it. Train spotting is maybe a good alternative example when you could quite easily browse for pictures too.

[Kinch]

1 minute ago, PeterCPC said:

I just think of it as a challenge

Agree 100%. The satisfaction is in getting an image, that may not be an APOD, but is one that is, even just a little bit, better than the last one you did.

[david_taurus83]

Yes, we are all a bit mad. It has caused the odd argument in our house...

I'm still doing it though! 

[Astro Noodles]

5 minutes ago, scotty38 said:

“What is the point?” Could probably be applied to most hobbies by those not interested in it. Train spotting is maybe a good alternative example when you could quite easily browse for pictures too.

Well, It's just what she said. I think she gets the point of the obsessive pursuit of a goal. It's what I'm like ,and she wouldn't have stuck around for 25+ plus years if she didn't get it. She just thinks that this is the least attainable of all the madcap ideas I have come up with for hobbies down the years. 

I like this one because it is a bottomless pit - I won't run out of things to learn about, and then get bored of it.

 

[Astro Noodles]

2 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

Yes, we are all a bit mad. It has caused the odd argument in our house...

I'm still doing it though! 

Oh, don't get me wrong, this isn't a point of contention in our household. Our hobbies are very important to us. I just think she is a bit worried that AP is too good a source of fuel for my more obsessive characteristics. Perhaps if I bankrupted us in the process I would have some explaining to do. 😄

She just bought 1500 metres of Chinese silk, so I'm safe on the expenditure front for the moment.😁

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by Astro Noodles

[maw lod qan]

After being married for 41 years, my advice is smile, nod your head and say "yes dear!"

Then keep on doing what makes you happy!

But then I do occasionally sleep in the observatory!🤔

[Whistlin Bob]

Yes- it is nuts, for all the reasons you've outlined.

But it's not as daft as observing. At least with imaging you can capture the full beauty of the object, even if it's a pricey way to achieve worse results than a Google search. For most objects, observers catch a faint hint that's barely recognisable and then get all excited about it.

I say this as someone with a passionate love of both pursuits. I've been observing for 6 years now and imaging for 4, and it has enriched my life even more than it has emptied my bank account.

All a bit silly really, but I'm very happy with it.

[Astro Noodles]

4 minutes ago, Whistlin Bob said:

Yes- it is nuts, for all the reasons you've outlined.

But it's not as daft as observing. At least with imaging you can capture the full beauty of the object, even if it's a pricey way to achieve worse results than a Google search. For most objects, observers catch a faint hint that's barely recognisable and then get all excited about it.

I say this as someone with a passionate love of both pursuits. I've been observing for 6 years now and imaging for 4, and it has enriched my life even more than it has emptied my bank account.

All a bit silly really, but I'm very happy with it.

She really gets the observing - sometimes comes outside to look at the moon, or some doubles. Just the imaging that she thinks is mad. Perhaps when I get some better results I will appear less insane.

My brother is a keen photographer and when I told him what I was doing he just said "Good luck with that mate."

[scotty38]

1 hour ago, Astro Noodles said:

I like this one because it is a bottomless pit - I won't run out of things to learn about, and then get bored of it.

 

I only started this year  and before this had never even looked through a telescope and I’m 58..... One of the things I’ve repeated to my wife that I find so interesting is the sheer vastness of what’s involved let alone the actual subject. Take acquisition and just electronic focusing and that’s a subject in itself yet is one minor part of taking a picture. Then there’s the processing, take Pixinsight and then take WBPP, Adam Block has created 12 videos just on version 2 of this one process.

As I said my mind just boggles and can’t put into words the massive amount of information that’s there to be taken in if required, utterly fascinating.....

[CraigT82]

1 hour ago, Astro Noodles said:

1500 metres of Chinese silk,

Almost a mile of silk... What on earth is she making?! 

Edited May 22, 2021 by CraigT82

[scotty38]

1 minute ago, CraigT82 said:

Almost a mile of silk... What on earth is she making?! 

A road? 🤣

[Astro Noodles]

1 minute ago, CraigT82 said:

Almost a mile of silk... What on earth is she making?! 

Or maybe it is £1500 worth of silk. I'd better get my story straight as I'm bound to get quizzed on it at some point. 😁 Anyway, it is a lot of silk.

She makes handmade vintage silk lingerie and sells it on ETSY. It started as a hobby, but is gathering pace. Now she only works part time and spends the rest of her time in her sewing room making knickers.

[CraigT82]

3 minutes ago, Astro Noodles said:

Or maybe it is £1500 worth of silk. I'd better get my story straight as I'm bound to get quizzed on it at some point. 😁 Anyway, it is a lot of silk.

She makes handmade vintage silk lingerie and sells it on ETSY. It started as a hobby, but is gathering pace. Now she only works part time and spends the rest of her time in her sewing room making knickers.

Ah so a hobby that actually earns you money... that'll never catch on 😆

[wulfrun]

Folk spend a lot of time and money whacking a small, dimpled ball around some greenery to try and get it in a hole. Is that insanity? They consider it a challenge. People buy old rust-ridden vehicles, dragged out of a field or barn and then spend a fortune in time and money restoring them. Is that insanity? They consider it a challenge. I'm sure I could fill pages on "insane" things people do, for the challenge. Why is AP any more or less "insane"?

Presumably you consider it a challenge and enjoy it...or you'd pack it in.

On the other hand, asking the question on an astro forum is probably only going to get you some biased replies!

[bottletopburly]

Times I’ve bought stuff and wife says  I thought you said you have everything you need .

[BrendanC]

Personally I'd sell the wife and invest the money in some really tasty astro equipment. The kids too if you have any. But keep the dog. 

[cloudsweeper]

Never mind AP, visual only can be a bit bonkers.  I've got FIVE telescopes and TWENTY EIGHT EPs.  And you know what? - it's still not enough!  🤪

Doug.

[Andy ES]

5 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Never mind AP, visual only can be a bit bonkers.  I've got FIVE telescopes and TWENTY EIGHT EPs.  And you know what? - it's still not enough!  🤪

I got yet another parcel from FLO the other day and my lovely Mrs said, rather wearily, “Is that everything now?”

“nearly” I said but my head was saying “NEVER!” 😂

By the way you can have lots of fun peeling of your FLO “may contain clouds” stickers and putting them on your Mrs’ parcels 😂

 

[Astro Noodles]

2 hours ago, BrendanC said:

Personally I'd sell the wife and invest the money in some really tasty astro equipment. The kids too if you have any. But keep the dog. 

No. I couldn't do that. 😲 If I had kids or a dog, I would have sold them a long time ago.

[BrendanC]

4 hours ago, cloudsweeper said:

Never mind AP, visual only can be a bit bonkers.  I've got FIVE telescopes and TWENTY EIGHT EPs.  And you know what? - it's still not enough!  🤪

Doug.

[MKHACHFE]

I'm not really sure what she means by that, but I sold my XT8 just over a year ago and bought the cheapest DSLR canon sell and an entry level Star Adventurer mini. Now granted, I also owned my late father in law's 75-300mm lens, but it's only an f/5.6, so nothing special.

 

With this basic setup, I have achieved 100 times more than I ever expected as well as what some had told me I would in this forum. 

A year and a bit later, I only upgraded my mount to a star Adventurer 2i. A very modest step up. I feel absolutely no desire to spend any more on filters, coma correctors, faster lenses etc..

My point is that one can achieve amazing results with literally the cheapest setup. Are my images perfect? Nope. Do I care? Nope.

AP is, in my opinion and experience, FAR more rewarding than visual astronomy was. I'm sure that has a lot to do with my location though.

If I may toot my own horn, I feel I've managed to get amazing results in such a short time and with such entry level kit.

Have a look. 

https://mkhachfe.wixsite.com/marcsap

You absolutely do not need to go nuts with spending at first. 

This is all of course just my own personal opinion and experience.

 

Cheers