Astrophotography: 14 MUST KNOW Starting Tips! - YouTube

If you're getting started in astrophotography, I'm here to save you some time and frustration by learning from the mistakes of myself and others. Whether you're looking into getting a full blown camera in telescope setup or just starting out with a simple DSLR and tripod, I think this video will come in handy. The following advice and tips were compiled by myself and the hundreds of responses I got when I asked the astrophotography community, what's the one piece of advice you have for beginners? So get ready because the advice I have may surprise you.

如果你刚开始学习天文摄影，我可以通过分享我自己和其他人的错误经验，帮你省下时间和避免挫折。无论你是想要购买一整套天文望远镜和相机设备，还是只是用简单的单反相机和三脚架起步，我认为这段视频都会对你有帮助。以下的建议和提示是我自己整理的，并结合了我向天文摄影社区提问后收到的数百条反馈：你给初学者的一个建议是什么？所以请准备好，因为我的建议可能会让你感到惊讶。

Number one, astrophotography is more than just deep sky imaging. You need to choose an area of interest. I know that you want to do it all, planets, galaxies, nightscapes, meteor shower time lapses. But you should narrow down your interest to focus on the equipment and techniques that are most important to achieve your goals. To me, astrophotography usually means deep sky images of galaxy and nebulae. To others, it's a nightscape of the winter constellations rising above a snow-covered mountain. Astrophotography is a close-up of the surface of Mars, a wide-angle shot of the Milky Way and everything in between. This is why it's difficult to provide broad astrophotography tips that apply to all aspects of the hobby. You need to decide which area of the hobby interests you most because the equipment needed varies wildly depending on the one you choose. I generally stick to tracked, long exposure images through a telescope in the backyard. A pet peeve of mine is when people generalize astrophotography into just one aspect and then make rules that confuse beginners. Taking a photo of the moon using your smartphone through the eyepiece of the manual Dobsonian telescope is still astrophotography, just in its simplest form. So pick an area of interest early on, don't try to do it all.

第一，天文摄影不仅仅是深空成像。你需要选择一个感兴趣的领域。我知道你想做所有的事情，包括行星摄影、银河系拍摄、夜景摄影、流星雨延时摄影。但是你应该缩小你的兴趣范围，专注于那些对实现目标最重要的设备和技术。对我来说，天文摄影通常意味着拍摄星系和星云的深空图像。对其他人来说，天文摄影可能是在雪山上升起的冬季星座的夜景。天文摄影可以是火星表面的特写，也可以是银河系的广角拍摄，以及介于两者之间的一切。这就是为什么很难提供适用于所有天文摄影方面的广泛建议。你需要决定哪个领域最吸引你，因为所需的设备会因选择的领域而有很大差异。我通常在后院用望远镜拍摄跟踪的长曝光图像。让我恼火的是，有些人把天文摄影简单化成一个方面，然后制定一些让初学者感到困惑的规则。用智能手机通过手动Dobson望远镜的目镜拍摄月亮也是天文摄影，只不过是最简单的形式。因此，尽早选择一个感兴趣的领域，不要试图全都做。

For me, that's deep sky imaging through a telescope in the backyard because it's the most practical way for me to continue enjoying the hobby. For you, maybe that's wide-angle, nightscapes and Milky Way photography where a travel-friendly lightweight system makes more sense. Number two, become obsessed with your own progress. If you're like me, all it takes for you to stay motivated is to make progress towards your goal. It's a simple concept, but it's difficult to sustain at times. It can be very small steps, but always forward, not back. The reason I say this is because you need to appreciate your own personal progress, not someone else's, to stay excited about astrophotography. The game of astrophotography is best played on the court, not the sidelines, because only you will know the true meaning and pride you have behind each photo.

对我来说，在后院通过望远镜拍摄深空影像是最实用的方式让我继续享受这个爱好。而对你来说，可能是拍摄广角、夜景和银河系照片，因为便于旅行的轻便系统更适合你。第二，要对自己的进步着迷。如果你像我一样，只需要在朝着目标前进时就能保持动力。这是一个简单的概念，但有时很难持续。步骤可以很小，但要始终向前，而不是后退。我之所以这么说，是因为你需要欣赏自己的个人进步，而不是别人的，才能对天文摄影保持兴奋。天文摄影这项游戏最好是在场上进行，而不是在场边观望，因为只有你自己能理解和感受到每张照片背后的真正意义和自豪感。

Will the average Joe see your photo and say, that's unbelievable. Lots will, but others will say, I've seen better or you could have just found a better picture online. The difference is, this image was captured by you, someone that didn't even know how to use a telescope a few months ago. You spent the time perfecting your craft to capture and share an object that you chose. You watch the image get better and better over time as you collected more and more light on the object. Comparing your latest version of a deep-sky target with one you previously took is a real eye-opener. You should be very proud of the progress you've made. Astrophotography is not for the dabblers, it takes grit to get to the finish line. Which brings me to my next point.

普通人看到你的照片会说，这太不可思议了。很多人会这样说，但也有人会说，我见过更好的，或者你可以直接在网上找一张更好的照片。区别在于，这张照片是由你拍摄的，而几个月前你甚至都不知道如何使用望远镜。你花时间完美你的技艺，选择一个物体去拍摄并分享。随着你在这个物体上收集越来越多的光，看到图像逐渐变得越来越好。这次拍摄的深空目标和你之前拍摄的对比，是一个让人眼前一亮的经历。你应该为你的进步感到非常自豪。天体摄影不是为随便玩玩的人准备的，它需要毅力才能完成。我想说一下下一点。

Number three, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Astrophotography in all aspects is hard. Expect to fail several times. Expect to get frustrated and discouraged. This is not a hobby you walk into and get immediate results. So if that's the game we're playing, adjust your expectations accordingly. Celebrate any amount of progress, because it truly is an amazing feat. You balanced your rig, you focused your camera. Maybe you set everything up and didn't get a single picture. But you will next time, because you now know a pivotal step of the process through experience that you now know forever. The steep learning curve of astrophotography is the barrier to entry.

第三点，如果这件事容易，人人都会做。天文摄影在各个方面都很难。你可能会多次失败，感到沮丧和灰心。这不是一个你能马上看到成果的爱好。所以，如果我们要玩这个游戏，请调整你的期望。庆祝任何一点进步，因为这确实是一个了不起的成就。你平衡了设备，调整了相机对焦。也许你准备好了一切却连一张照片都没拍到。但你下次一定能拍到，因为你现在已经通过经验了解了一个关键步骤。天文摄影的陡峭学习曲线就是入门的门槛。

And why I respect anyone that has chosen to take the challenge on. We are a different breed and it's why what we do makes us extraordinary. Number four, take online advice with a grain of salt. There are some amazing resources out there to learn astrophotography on your own. YouTube, Facebook, groups, Reddit, forums. The problem is there's a lot of conflicting advice out there. And a lot of the guys that like to hang out there can be a little opinionated. My wife Ashley recently got started in astrophotography herself. And I cringe at the idea of her posting a question about her sky watcher mount in one of the forums. And someone's saying, you got the belt mod done, right? You regreased the worm gear? You regreased the worm gear? Don't even bother using it until you've done that or your guiding will be terrible. Throw out all of your subs that aren't 0.3 arc seconds per pixel or less. That's the kind of information that scares people away from our hobby for good. The scary part is many people read the hive mind expert advice and start telling others about it as if it were true. I've even read outrageous stories about myself written online by a stranger. The internet is a weird place. So like I said, take everything with a grain of salt and realize that some of the opinions and beliefs out there aren't always true. Instead, reach out to an individual astrophotographer who's around your skill level or better yet a little ahead of you and kick ideas off of them. Unlike the anonymous faceless keyboard warriors, they don't have the incentive to manufacture drama for attention or boast about their experience. There's a good chance you'll make some lifelong friends through these authentic connections as well.

我尊重任何敢于挑战的人群。我们是一类不同寻常的人，这就是为什么我们所做的事情让我们显得格外出色。第四点，线上建议要慎重对待。网上确实有一些很棒的资源可以自学天文摄影，比如YouTube、Facebook、群组、Reddit、论坛等等。但问题是，那里有很多互相冲突的建议，而且那里的很多人都相当固执己见。我的妻子Ashley最近也开始学习天文摄影。我想到她在某个论坛上发布一个关于她的天文望远镜支架的问题，而有人会说：“你做了皮带改装吗？给蠕虫齿轮重新上了油吗？没有的话就别用，否则导引会很糟糕。丢掉所有没有达到每像素0.3角秒以下的照片。”类似的信息会使人们彻底远离我们的爱好。更可怕的是，许多人看了这些群体智慧般的专家建议后，就真的开始把它们当成真理告诉其他人。我甚至读到过一些陌生人在网上编写关于我的离谱故事。网络是个奇怪的地方。所以，我说，要对一切持怀疑态度，意识到外面有些观点和看法并不总是正确的。相反，试着联系一位与你技术水平相当或稍好一些的天文摄影师，与他们交流想法。与那些匿名的键盘侠不同，他们没有制造戏剧性事件或夸耀自己经验的动机。通过这些真实的联系，你还有很大机会结交到一些终生的朋友。

Number 5, your tracking mount is really important, so get a good one. Beginners like to focus on the camera and telescope used for a photo they see shared online. What telescope did you use? Is the most common question I get when someone sees one of my astro photos for the first time on Twitter or Instagram? The telescope is essential, yes, but it's the equatorial tracking mount that makes it all possible. Whether it's a small star tracker or a full-blown computerized go-to equatorial mount, you can make your life a lot easier by choosing one that's known to be reliable. The basics like polar alignment and balance may seem obvious, but I still see beginners getting this wrong early on and blaming their equipment. Take the time to understand exactly how your tracking mount works and its limitations. This will be your platform for almost every type of astrophotography you do. Once you're comfortable with consistently setting it up properly and polar aligning it, you are free to experiment with new camera settings, filters, and techniques. Aim for a motorized equatorial telescope mount, not an alt-as, that has a listed maximum payload capacity well over the weight of your current imaging gear. If it's only 11 pounds like this one, no problem. There are still plenty of configuration possibilities available. I really like the Skywatcher Star Adventurer Star Tracker, the beefier EQ6R Pro, and most recently the super portable ZWO AM5. Look at what others are using and the imaging system they have riding on top. If they consistently pump out great images using it, that's a pretty good sign.

5号，你的跟踪支架非常重要，所以选一个好的。新手常常关注出现在网上的照片所用的相机和望远镜。“你用了什么望远镜？”是我在推特或Instagram上分享天文照片时最常被问到的问题。望远镜当然重要，但真正让一切成为可能的是赤道跟踪支架。不论是小型星轨跟踪仪还是全功能的电脑化赤道仪，选择一个可靠的跟踪支架可以大大简化你的工作。 基础的极轴对准和平衡似乎显而易见，但我仍然看到初学者在早期阶段犯错误并且责怪他们的设备。花时间充分了解你的跟踪支架的工作原理和局限。这将是你进行几乎所有天体摄影的基础平台。一旦你能自如地搭建和极轴对准，你就可以自由地尝试新的相机设置、滤镜和技巧。 建议选择一个电动赤道望远镜支架，而不是天顶仪，而它的最大承重能力最好远超过你当前的拍摄设备的重量。如果像这个只有11磅的，也没问题，还有很多配置可能性。我个人很喜欢Skywatcher Star Adventurer星轨跟踪仪、更强大的EQ6R Pro，以及最近的超便携ZWO AM5。看看别人用的设备和他们的成像系统。如果他们能够持续拍出好照片，那就是一个不错的信号。

Number 6, don't start with a long focal length telescope. A long focal length, anything over 1000mm really, means a higher native magnification. So when you attach a camera to it, this is the field of view that you will get. If you're used to camera lenses, 300mm is considered to be a long telephoto lens. But telescopes take this to the extreme. A popular choice for astrophotographers starting out is the Celestron C8-SCT, a telescope with a focal length of over 2000mm. Don't get me wrong, this is a great scope, but I believe it will make that first tracked long exposure image of a galaxy or nebula harder to achieve. But high magnification is good, right? We want a photograph, planets up close, or small galaxies. Well we do, but the learning curve goes way up when you're pointed at a very small area of the sky. It makes alignment, finding objects, and accurate tracking more difficult, simply because it literally magnifies any tiny errors you've made along the way. Instead, start wide and give yourself a break. A compact refractor telescope in the 400mm range is ideal and it will make everything easier. No matter which camera you use, you should now be able to find and focus on the brightest stars in the sky and begin your first tracked long exposure image.

第六点，不要一开始就用长焦距的望远镜。因为长焦距（通常指超过1000毫米）意味着更高的原始放大倍率。当你将相机连接到这种望远镜时，得到的视野会非常狭窄。如果你习惯了相机镜头，300毫米就已经算是长焦镜头了。但望远镜会将这一概念推到极致。入门的天文摄影师通常会选择Celestron C8-SCT，这款望远镜的焦距超过2000毫米。别误会，这确实是一款很棒的望远镜，但我相信它会让你拍摄第一张追踪长曝光的星系或星云照片变得更加困难。高倍放大不就是好的吗？我们是想拍摄近距离的行星或小星系。但当你对准天空中非常小的区域时，学习曲线会急剧上升。对准、寻找目标和准确追踪变得更加困难，因为任何细微误差都会被放大。相反，你可以先从较广的视野开始，给自己一个缓冲。一个焦距在400毫米左右的小型折射望远镜是理想的选择，这将使一切变得更加容易。不管你使用哪种相机，你都应该能够找到并聚焦天空中最亮的星星，开始你的第一张追踪长曝光照片。

Once you have mastered the process using your wide field setup, increasing magnification and focal length will be a lot more approachable. Number 7. Get ready for image processing. If you're a daytime photographer and already know your way around Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, great. But even then, you'll still have to make a massive shift in the way you go about editing your photos. The process of creating an astro photo is a lot more than just creative edits to enhance color, contrast, and clarity. It's image stacking, it's hours of integration, calibration frames, and learning the art of pre-processing. I know that some beginners have very little experience with image editing software going in. For these folks, it's going to require a lot of time and energy to get up to speed. Just like the image acquisition portion, the processing side of things can be a lot more enjoyable if you have realistic expectations going in. I personally love the image processing side of astro photography and I think eventually beginners will too.

一旦你掌握了使用广角设备的流程，提升放大倍数和焦距将变得更加容易。第7点，准备好图像处理。如果你是一个白天的摄影师，已经熟悉Adobe Lightroom和Photoshop，那很好。不过，即便如此，你仍需要在编辑照片的方式上进行重大调整。制作一张天文照片的过程远不止是增强颜色、对比和清晰度的创意编辑。它包括图像堆叠、数小时的整合、校准帧，以及学习预处理的艺术。我知道一些初学者对图像编辑软件几乎没有经验。对于这些人来说，需要花费大量时间和精力来快速上手。就像图像采集部分一样，如果你一开始就有现实的预期，处理过程也会更加愉快。我个人非常喜欢天文摄影的图像处理部分，我相信最终初学者也会喜欢上它的。

There's something about spending a few hours really digging into your data and revealing that hidden beauty within it that is both satisfying and rewarding. There are many great tutorials here on YouTube for whatever software you're using. I've created a beginner-friendly image processing guide that aims to save a lot of time and frustration for you and I've linked it in the description. Just remember that when you make a choice for the image editing software, you'll want to stick with it. I recommend starting out with Adobe Photoshop and gradually applying new techniques as you learn them in Pics and Site to your workflow. That's what I did. Number eight, the weather is cruel and you will obsess over it.

花上几个小时深入挖掘你的数据，揭示其中隐藏的美，既令人满意又值得回味。YouTube 上有许多关于各种软件的优秀教程。我制作了一份面向初学者的图像处理指南，旨在为你节省大量时间和减少挫败感，链接已经放在描述中。记住，选择图像编辑软件时，最好坚持使用一种。我建议从 Adobe Photoshop 开始，逐步将你在 Pics 和 Site 上学到的新技巧应用到你的工作流程中。我就是这样做的。第八，天气是无情的，你会为之着迷。

I personally check three to four weather apps multiple times per day. I've been doing this for 10 years now and it is not healthy. Hold on, I haven't checked the long-term forecast in a few hours. It's still terrible. Clear outside, the clear-sky chart, astrospheric, they're all pretty good. But unless you live in the desert and or shoot remotely, you're going to experience lots of cloudy nights. They're often timed out for when a new piece of equipment arrives or when you're particularly excited to continue or start a new project. It's probably the most devastatingly helpless part of astro photography and it will hurt. Even worse is when a clear night is coming up but you have real-life plans that you can't get out of. Work nights, birthday parties, sporting events, these will all be clear nights.

我每天多次检查三到四个天气应用程序。我已经这样做了十年了，这并不健康。等一下，我有几个小时没查长期天气预报了。还是糟糕透顶。Clear outside，clear-sky chart，astrospheric，这些应用都挺不错的。但除非你住在沙漠里或者在偏远地区拍摄，否则你会遇到很多多云的夜晚。经常会赶上新设备到货或你特别想要开始或继续一个新项目的时候。天文摄影中最让人无助的一部分可能就是这个，它真的会让人感到受伤。更糟糕的是，当一个晴朗的夜晚即将到来时，你却有一些无法推脱的日常安排。工作夜晚、生日派对、体育赛事，这些都是晴朗的夜晚。

Out of all the abuse we take as astro photographers, I think dealing with weather is the worst. However, it gets easier to stomach when you commit to astro photography as a lifelong journey. So you missed O'Reilly in this winter. He will be back next year. I promise you that and you'll be ready.

作为天文摄影师，我们经历的所有挑战中，我觉得应对天气是最糟糕的。然而，当你把天文摄影当作一生的追求时，这种困难会变得更容易忍受。所以，你错过了今年冬天的奥赖利星，但他明年会再次出现。我向你保证，到时候你会准备好的。

Number nine, astro photography is expensive and there's no way around it. Photography in general is already expensive but astro photography takes it one step further. Even if you have a budget in mind, you will go over it and over and over. As a full-time astro photographer, it's a little easier to justify my expenses now. But when I started, I purchased my first telescope mount on the old credit card and said to myself, if I don't get this thing to work, I'm out of grand. It's a nice incentive to get it all running. Now, I don't want to scare you away if you have a limited budget and you want to get in the game. Used gear, smaller setups, older cameras, you can do so much with this type of equipment. And I bet it will be a lot more rewarding using this type of gear compared to someone that just buys their way to the top. If you're looking for a specific number, I'm going to say that it's going to be really tough to build a deep sky imaging kit for under $2,000. And this will be a smaller scale system for wide field targets. But if you're thrifty and hungry, I bet you could put together one for even less.

第九点，天文摄影很贵，而且无可避免。摄影本身已经很贵了，而天文摄影更是进一步提高了成本。即使你心中有预算，你也会超支，再一次次超支。作为全职天文摄影师，我现在更容易为我的支出辩护。但刚开始时，我用信用卡买了第一个望远镜支架，对自己说，如果这个东西不能用，那我就白花了一大笔钱。这也成了激励我用心学习并让设备运作起来的一大动力。 但如果你预算有限，又想进入这个领域，我不想吓跑你。二手装备、小型设备、旧相机，这些设备同样能让你大展身手。而且，我敢打赌，使用这种设备取得成果会比那些一掷千金的人更加有成就感。如果你需要具体的数字，我会说要想组建一套深空摄影设备，低于2000美元是很困难的。而这种价格只能支撑一个较小规模的系统，适用于广角目标。但如果你精打细算且充满干劲，我相信你甚至能花更少的钱把一套设备组建起来。

Number 10, the social media sharing, joys and let downs. Now I don't know what your plans are for your images when they're done, but chances are you want someone to see them. You can print them out to hang them on your wall, you can post them on your personal website, or you can share them on social media and watch those likes come rolling in, right? Well, sometimes, but the social media landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. And astrophotographers are using feed the algorithm tactics to get more eyeballs on their work. This is all cool with me, but just remember that hitting an arbitrary number of likes on your image has nothing to do with how good it is. Yes, of course, it feels good when others appreciate your work. But if that's what you need to enjoy the hobby, I don't think it's going to work. Follow astrophotographers with a particular style that you enjoy for inspiration. And don't get too hung up on likes and views. It sounds obvious, but it can really get in your head and it is not why you started this hobby. I've recently got into printing large high resolution photos of my work to display in my home and eventually for sale. The process has been refreshingly different from my usual way of dressing up an image to share it on a phone screen.

第十点，社交媒体分享的喜悦和失落。我不知道你完成照片后有什么计划，但很可能你希望有人看到它们。你可以把它们打印出来挂在墙上，也可以上传到个人网站，或者分享到社交媒体上，期待获得大量点赞，对吧？嗯，有时候是这样，但在过去几年里，社交媒体的环境发生了很大变化。天文摄影师们使用了一些算法“养料”策略，来吸引更多人关注他们的作品。这些对我来说都挺酷的，但记住，达到一个随意设定的点赞数量与照片的质量没有关系。当然，当别人欣赏你的作品时，你会觉得很高兴。但如果你需要这些来享受这个爱好，那么我觉得这可能行不通。跟随你喜欢风格的天文摄影师寻找灵感，不要太在意点赞和浏览量。这听起来显而易见，但它真的会影响你的心态，而这并不是你开始这个爱好的初衷。我最近开始把我的高分辨率照片打印成大幅展示放在家里，最终可能会出售。这个过程与我通常在手机屏幕上分享图片的方式大不相同，令人耳目一新。

Number 11, Get Out There And Shoot I can't believe I have to say this one, but Alan Dyer is right. Stop watching YouTube videos and just get outside in practice. Don't try to over prepare yourself with too much information and nail your first attempt. It just won't happen. When you're out there in the field, you'd be surprised at how different everything feels and what sticks and what didn't. If your expectations are set to just have a night of experimentation and learning, you will enjoy every minute of it. This is exactly the way I got hooked on astrophotography, trial and error with my camera and telescope in the backyard. Just got to get out there and start taking pictures. They will get better. I've found that a lot of the experts in the Facebook groups and forums take very little if any actual photos themselves. You can have all the answers, but until you're executing on the advice you give, you haven't even really started.

第11点，走出去拍摄 我都不敢相信这一点还需要说，但艾伦·戴尔是对的。别再看YouTube视频了，赶紧出去实际操作练习。不要试图通过获取太多信息来让自己准备得万无一失，然后一鸣惊人。那是不可能的。当你身处实际环境中时，你会惊讶地发现，所有事情的感觉都完全不同，有些东西你记住了，有些则没有。如果你只是抱着试验和学习的心态度过一个夜晚，你会享受每一分钟。我就是这样迷上天文摄影的，在后院里用相机和望远镜反复试验。只要走出去开始拍摄，照片会越来越好的。我发现很多在Facebook群组和论坛里的专家们几乎很少，甚至根本不拍摄实际照片。你可以有所有的答案，但直到你把自己给的建议付诸实践，你其实还没有真正开始。

Number 12, dark skies make a big difference. If you've only ever shot from a light polluted city, you may be surprised at how much of a difference dark skies make. It's not just that the quality and detail of your images will be better. It's that the entire process seems to become easier and more enjoyable. You are no longer fighting against the light pollution of a washed out sky and trying to find ways around it. You can see more stars in the sky and even deep sky objects. The images you capture there will be easier to process and you will need less overall integration time to create an amazing image. Any chance you get to set up your camera and telescope under a dark sky, take it. I like to go on astro adventures with my wife Ashley on New Moon weekends. We'll look at the light pollution map and book an Airbnb last minute when we're certain that the forecast will be clear. Make those dark sky trips count and go after the fainter targets while you're there.

第12点，暗夜天空带来很大不同。如果你一直在光污染严重的城市拍摄，你可能会惊讶于暗夜天空带来的巨大差异。拍摄的图像质量和细节不仅会更好，整个过程也会变得更轻松更享受。你不再需要对抗那种被光污染冲淡的天空，寻找办法来应对它。你可以看到更多的星星，甚至是深空天体。在这样的环境下拍摄的照片更容易处理，而且所需的总曝光时间也更少，就能创建出惊人的图像。任何有机会在暗夜天空下架起相机和望远镜的机会都不要错过。我喜欢在新月的周末和我的妻子Ashley一起去进行星空冒险。我们会查看光污染地图，并在确定天气预报晴朗时，临时预订一个Airbnb。尽可能充分利用这些暗夜天空的机会，去捕捉一些更微弱、更遥远的天体。

Number 13, don't be afraid of the dark sky. This one sounds like a joke but it's seriously something to consider if you're new to the hobby. If you're not used to spending a night outside alone in the dark, it can be a little freaky out there. If you've set up at a dark sky spot away from home that is truly dark, which is exactly what you want by the way, you will hear every stick break, every rustle in the bushes. In question why every car that drives by is out so late. You need to be in the right mindset to stick it out or you'll completely freak out and pack up and go home. A word to the wise here, a small stereo or your phone playing classic rock music can really help ease the tension. That's my routine anyway.

第十三条，不要害怕黑暗的天空。这听起来像个玩笑，但如果你是新手，确实值得注意一下。如果你不习惯在外面独自度过黑夜，那里可能会让你有点害怕。如果你选择了一个远离家、真正漆黑的观星地点，这其实是你想要的，但是你会听到每一根树枝断裂的声音，每一片灌木丛中的窸窣声，还会质疑为什么每辆经过的车都这么晚了还在外面。如果你的心态不对，就会完全被吓到，然后收拾东西回家。在这里给个小建议，一台小音响或手机播放经典摇滚音乐可以有效缓解紧张情绪。这就是我的惯例。

Number 14, join your local astronomy club. I know, I know you're a lone wolf that likes to figure things out on your own. You're resourceful, you can learn anything you want online. That's me too. But you will save a year's worth of struggle by hanging around the astro photographers in your local astronomy club. And trust me, there will be a die-hard pack of them. I'm talking in-person hangouts with people that geek out just as much as you do about photographing space. One-on-one advice based on the gear you currently own from someone that's been there. This is precisely how I managed to complete that incredible, rare accomplishment of taking a tracked, guided exposure of a deep sky object through my telescope. Sometimes you just need a responsive guide or mentor to walk you through the steps in person. I think that I, through the screen on YouTube, cannot do for you some final thoughts.

14号建议：加入当地的天文俱乐部。我知道，你是一个喜欢独自摸索的独行侠。你很有办法，可以在网上学到任何东西——我也是这样。不过，和当地天文俱乐部的天文摄影爱好者们交流，你会省去一年的努力。相信我，他们肯定有一帮死忠粉。我说的是那些和你一样痴迷于拍摄太空的人的线下聚会。你会得到一对一的建议，基于你现在拥有的设备，由有经验的人传授给你。这正是我如何通过我的望远镜完成了一次不可思议的、极为罕见的深空目标跟踪拍摄。有时候，你真的需要一个可以实时回应的向导或导师亲自带你一步步进行。我认为，通过屏幕上的YouTube，我无法为你做到这一点。

Astrophotography is a hobby you can enjoy for a lifetime. Don't rush the early stages because you're impatient for a result. Some of my favorite memories in this hobby are from that first summer when I got started and the early victories I achieved. Photographing the night sky in any form is a challenge and it's something that most people will never get to experience. Enjoy the process, the crushing lows, the short-lived highs. The pictures that leave you speechless and the ones that make you want to sell your telescope. It's the journey to the image that makes it fun. Life is too short to spend it on the sidelines watching and critiquing others. Get out there. Capture. Create. Inspire. This is where the true joy of astrophotography lies. Trust me.

天文摄影是一项可以享受一生的爱好。不要因为急于得到结果而匆忙度过初期阶段。在这项爱好中，我最喜欢的一些记忆来自于我刚开始的那个夏天以及我取得的早期成功。拍摄夜空无论以何种形式都是一项挑战，这也是大多数人一生中无法体验到的事情。享受这个过程吧，包括那些令人沮丧的低谷和短暂的高峰。那些让你惊叹的照片以及那些让你想卖掉望远镜的照片。正是这通往照片的旅程让它变得有趣。生活太短暂，不应该只是坐在一旁观看和评论他人。走出去，捕捉，创造，启发。这才是天文摄影的真正乐趣所在。相信我。