Who are your favorite YouTube influencers for astrophotography?

[Karl Perera]

Just wondering who are the most popular influencers on youtube for astrophotography and why you watch their videos.

Another related question is who are the best and why?

I'll give my selection a bit later in this thread.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I am not quite sure I understand your question.
I have watched many tutorial videos and read lots of articles but I cannot say any of the authors were influencers as none of them were promoting anything, unless you include the product that the tutorial was about but then I had searched for that product so I cannot say they had any influence on whether I had bought it or not.

Steve

[R26 oldtimer]

O tempora, o mores!

[Karl Perera]

By influencer I just meant popular person on youtube that presents videos about astrophotography.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

7 minutes ago, Karl Perera said:

By influencer I just meant popular person on youtube that presents videos about astrophotography.

I think you should remove the word Influencer from the OP tbh as that's not what you are wanting and I doubt many SGL members will have watched any content presented by them.

So now I understand then my particular favourite's are Adam Block and Trevor Jones (astrobackyard.com)

[900SL]

Trevor Jones is a balony merchant. Grade 1 influencer for WO, ASI, and Radian among others

[teoria_del_big_bang]

5 minutes ago, 900SL said:

Trevor Jones is a balony merchant. Grade 1 influencer for WO, ASI, and Radian among others

I stand corrected then, not looked for many years, mainly when I started but maybe I am just blasé as I never noticed any sort of suggestion to any particular brands, but then I never do.

Steve

[Lee_P]

I like Cuiv, lukomatico, and Visible Dark mostly. They're very genuine in their passion and I've learnt useful things from them. Shoutout also to AstroVagabond. I did a livestream with him recently and he's a lovely chap.

[scotty38]

8 minutes ago, 900SL said:

Trevor Jones is a balony merchant. Grade 1 influencer for WO, ASI, and Radian among others

I like his videos, well the ones where his wife is involved 🤣😍

[knobby]

astro biscuit ! Thoroughly entertaining 😂 

[Lee_P]

Just now, knobby said:

astro biscuit ! Thoroughly entertaining 😂 

Oh yes, his videos are really good. But I remember he posted here on SGL a while back and he was a little sharp toward other members, and that put me off him a bit.

[knobby]

Oh, hadn't seen that, maybe having a bad day.

[knobby]

Another entertaining one is Your favourite astro nerd, guaranteed to make you smile 😂

[newbie alert]

Stopped watching the ones that are making far too much money , and watching the manufacturers/ suppliers launching products at them is embarrassing... meanwhile prices have shot up... 

[Karl Perera]

I like Cuiv, very informative. I also find Trevor Jones was helpful when I was beginning but has become a bit repetitive now. Astrobiscuit is hilarious and very interesting. I have started to watch Adam Block as he is so knowledgeable. 

Any other suggestions? Boy do I regret using the word influencers!

 

[Ratlet]

Cuiv, asterobloke, patriotastro and lukomatico are about the only ones I watch that would qualify as influencers on the ap front.

Really enjoy refreshing views for visual and sketching related stuff as well has his talks with other astronomers and Mary McIntyre too her suggestion to sketch astrophotos is great.

Ed Ting is awesome for his reviews.  Very fair and balanced I think.  Clearly knows his stuff.

I think there is a bit of a split between who some of the influencers gear their channel towards.  Some pitch more towards the newbies, some towards more experienced and some try to walk the line.

I'm just sitting here hoping that someone will do something like Actual Astronomy Podcast but with videos.  Not them though. They need to keep doing the podcast.  It's the only thing that gets me through my 40 minute commute to work!

Edited January 1, 2023 by Ratlet
Corrected patriot astro

[ollypenrice]

19 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I think you should remove the word Influencer from the OP tbh as that's not what you are wanting and I doubt many SGL members will have watched any content presented by them.

So now I understand then my particular favourite's are Adam Block and Trevor Jones (astrobackyard.com)

I would rather give up wine than watch anything by an 'influencer.' The very word makes me want to throw the sofa through the window...

Regarding imaging tutorials, the questions I'd ask are:

Where are the images taken by this person and are they any good?  Rob Gendler, Adam Block, R Jay GaBany, JPM, RBA, Warren Keller and many others have no difficulty passing this test.

Does the person know what they are doing and why, or are they thrashing about grabbing this slider and that one?  The minute I hear, 'I just adjust these sliders till I get what I like,'  I switch off and both the sofa and the window start to feel nervous.

lly

[OK Apricot]

9 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

I would rather give up wine than watch anything by an 'influencer.' The very word makes me want to throw the sofa through the window...

Absolutely this. That word infuriates me. How self important of a person to designate themselves that way, and think they have some sort of say in your life. They're sellouts and nothing more. 

I don't feel like any channel out there is any of the above really, closest thing to it being videos that have been sponsored... I don't like that, but meh I can handle it. 

My favourites are Trevor Jones (my Mrs calls him backyard Trev) Cuiv and Dylan Odonnell, though he's been very quiet 😒. 

[Pompey Monkey]

No shouts for Dylan O'Donnell yet?

Maybe I just don't like to take stuff too seriously...

[CraigT82]

Only one I watch regularly is Jean Luc Dauvergne, a French planetary imaging maestro.

Occasionally I’ll search and watch videos on something specific that I’m trying to do, like how to do something in gimp or affinity or APP or whatever but I don’t generally watch or subscribe to any of the  Astro channels

[russ]

The ones i watch on a regular basis are:

Ed Ting, Trevor Jones and Astrobiscuit.

There are others i will watch if it looks good. But most are not comfortable in front of the camera and production values not on the priority list.

[Ian McCallum]

I've removed my YouTube subscription from some channels, based on their snotty attitudes towards others or simply because they have a heavy commercial slant to them. 

I'm still subscribed to Chris's Astro La Vista channel, Ed Ting, Jenham's Astro and Small Optics. 

[900SL]

Shout out to Astroblender. He's good

James Lamb does some very informative stuff. Cuiv too.

Lukomatico of course, good Yorkshire lad.

Astroaddict was very helpful when i first got started in imaging

Dylan used to be funny but has gone off the boil, too much placement on his channel now

And at the bottom end of my list, Widos astroforum. Dear noodly please just shut up, with sugar on top

Edited January 2, 2023 by 900SL

[FenlandPaul]

I suspect my interests are a little more niche here, but for widefield / landscape astrophotography I enjoy and recommend these channels (some include promoted / sponsored content, which I generally don’t mind so long as it’s still informative and transparent):

• Alyn Wallace (hugely passionate and talented landscape astrophotographer)
• Nightscape Images (an extraordinary volume of tutorials and “follow-along” adventures here)
• Night Lights Films (by Adrien Mauduit, who is almost certainly the best aurora photographer / timelapser in the world)

Having dabbled in making vlogs for YouTube in the past, I can vouch for how difficult it is to make these sorts of videos out in the field.  Very much hats off to these guys.