First Attempt at Imaging - 5th August 2009

[Celestron_130EQ]

This is my first ever attempt at imaging. Ever.

Here are some pictures that I have taken of the moon with my Celestron Astromaster 130EQ. The camera I used was just a 7 mega pixel point and shoot camera and the results (I believe!) are astonishing seeing as I just held the camera up to the lens as well as the telescope being a 5" f/5 newt.

As you can see from the photos i have edited them. Am I right to or should i just have left them as they were?

Any ideas to improve quality or criticism is highly apreciated.

P.S I have picked what i believe to be the best 5 as i do not know how to add in a link to my album on my profile page.

[Herakles]

Extremely well done , esp' with it being you're first attempt.

Full Moon is not an easy ( esp first time ) target.

I REALLY like the fourth one mate.

[Starflyer]

Great images, much better than my first attempts - well done

[Paxo]

I like the 4th one as well. As already said, the full moon is not the easiest of targets and you have done an excellent job in capturing it.

As you have already discovered through the actual process of picture taking and subsequent editing you can get vastly different results from one image to the next - there is no right way to do it - it's your interpretation of what you are capturing that counts, as for editing, all you are doing is drawing out detail that is already there, improving how an image is presented through cropping to some degree, theres no problem in any of that, most people would assume some editing wil have been done anyway.

When imaging some of the DSO's which have vastly diffrent light intensities across them (M42 for example) most of the better images are composites taken at several different exposure levels all cleverly edited together to show the bright core and outer nebulosity at there best together in the same image - is this a problem - no, it's an interpretation of an object, it would also get pretty boring if they all looked the same!

Keep at it, I'm sure there will be a few howlers along the way, but many more very good images as well, and you've made an excellent start.

Steve..

[Celestron_130EQ]

Thanks everyone for all your comments they are highly appreciated.

I am very pleased with the outcome esp after editing them.

Cannot wait to go back out and take some more pictures!

[beamish]

Xlnt shots, like 'em all, actually finding it hard to pick a winner !

Well done !

[rawhead]

Brilliant set of images for your first time out

Cheers

Jon

[Celestron_130EQ]

Here is the album that contain those 5 images plus other pictures.

Stargazers Lounge - Celestron_130EQ's Album: Moon

[barkis]

Very well done. You have a talent for it.

Ron.

[steppenwolf]

Really well done for a first attempt - isn't post processing fun, you can achieve so many different result but which is the right one? You could debate this forever .... For my money, I love no. 4