About Me
My name is Graeme, and I'm an astrophotographer. Sounds a bit like a personal introduction in some kind of support group. You may laugh, but the truth is that astrophotography can easily become as addictive, as obsession inducing, not to mention as expensive as a serious drug habit. It's certainly not a pursuit to be undertaken if you're looking for something simple, relaxing, trouble-free or instantly gratifying as a means of filling your spare time.
So why do I do it? Well, there are a few reasons, but for anyone who knows me personally it won't be any surprise to learn that one of the main reasons is precisely because it's a challenge. I love learning new skills. I love problem solving. I love really getting into the details of how things work mechanically, electronically and logically, and this hobby gives me plenty of opportunities to do that. You could say that my decision to create this website is another example of choosing to learn to do something new just because I don't currently know how.
Another reason is simply that I'm fascinated by what can be seen out in space if we only make the effort to look. There are obviously opportunities to look up at the moon and planets and watch them with nothing more technologically advanced than human eyeballs, but this only barely scratches the surface of what exists in our Solar System, our Galaxy and far beyond into the unimaginable depths of our Universe. My real fascination is with the things that can't be seen with only our eyes. I am immeasurably grateful to the pioneers of the past, and also of the present day, who continue to find ways to make ever more precise optical systems and ever more sensitive cameras and all the other equipment that allows me to spend hours outside, often in the freezing cold, trying to make my telescope continue to point with arcsecond accuracy at invisible objects that keep moving across that sky. The precision required is roughly analogous to being able to hit a coin with a shot from a sniper rifle at a distance of around 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles.
My next reason is that the end results of all of the effort can be extraordinarily beautiful, and this is where the real reward lies. I must stress that I am nowhere near what I might describe as an expert astrophotographer, but there are some fantastically skilled people who are extremely generous in sharing their knowledge and experience with newcomers. I have been helped on so many occasions by complete strangers through various groups and forums to find ways to make my images look just a little bit better, and it's great to be part of a community that is so supportive and takes genuine pleasure in seeing other people succeed.
I am very fortunate to have an understanding family who accept the lunacy of my favoured pastime with rarely more than a gentle eye-roll as I frequently stand staring out the window, cursing the clouds and rain. All of my astrophotography is done at home in the garden, with varying degrees of success. Many evenings result in nothing more than learning another wrong way to do something, but every now and again I am rewarded with a finished image that becomes my new favourite. Those are the times when all seems right with the world.
About GH Astroimaging
The GH Astroimaging website is a place for me to showcase the images I produce, and to share some more detailed information about the objects that are depicted and the equipment and software used to capture and process the raw data into something that hopefully has some visual appeal.
It might be the case that on visiting the Image Gallery you see something that sparks enough interest to make you want to have a printed version. I can provide a range of printed items such as photo prints, canvas prints, prints on metal or acrylic, photo books, mugs, or virtually anything else you can think of that could carry a printed image, or if you prefer you can purchase high quality uncompressed digital image files for use as phone or desktop wallpapers. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements using any of the links at the bottom of the page.
All of the images in this website are subject to copyright restrictions and must not be downloaded, copied, shared, edited or reproduced in any way without the express written consent of GH Astroimaging. Failure to comply with this restriction is against the law and could result in legal action.
