I have noticed quite a number of forum posts regarding the accuracy of the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTi initial GOTO operation and thought I would give my method of setting up the Star Adventurer to produce the best GOTO operation.

A few months ago, I placed an order for the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi, the latest in their Star Adventurer series of star trackers. After using the Star Adventurer 2i Pro package let’s see if upgrade to the GTi has met my expectations.

Programs like Sky Guide, Sky Safari or Stellarium can help you find objects but with a manual star tracker and DSLR or Mirrorless camera how can you be sure you’re pointing at the correct part of space, especially with long focal length lenses?

I have always been fascinated by the night sky. As far back as I can remember I have been interested in the stars,. In this post I detail how I have started combining my love of astronomy with photography..

There are always questions asked about which is the best mode to use your camera, should you use Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual or Program mode. In this post I detail my favourite mode.

In the last blog post I discussed the calibration of my workflow from computer monitor to printing in order to get consistent and predictable colours for my final images. In this post I have looked further at the camera calibration part of this process using a number of commercially available colour checker charts and software profilers.

When I started out in photography I relied upon film laboratories to process negative or slide film to get the appropriate output, either prints or mounted slides. Once the image was taken in the camera the actual processing was beyond my control but in general there was good agreement between my memories of the scene and the actual image. Step forward in time to digital image capture and home printing. Like many people the images coming from my printer weren’t showing the same as the images on my computer screen. They were dark, lacking in vibrancy and quite often disappointing.

Many photographers dream have having the perfect collection of lenses that will enable them to get the perfect shot. When it comes to telephoto lenses, however, you never seem to be able to get in tight enough to your subject and always crave that extra reach. The wealth of internet wisdom currently suggests that post capture cropping provides superior results to using teleconverters. While I can see the logic behind these claims I did wonder whether there was any limit to how much cropping would be acceptable so decided to test it for myself

The Search for the Perfect Tripod Head - Tripods are very personal things and what suits one person may not suit another. With that in mind though there are some general considerations that apply to all photographers, whether beginner or advanced. In this article I talk through how I believe I have finally created the perfect combination of tripod legs and head that allows me to get the majority of images I take.

Another photoshoot at the Westlakes Science and Technology Park at Moor Row near Whitehaven. This time the company wanted photographs for use to produce marketing materials for a new laboratory / workshop within the facility.

A request for an environmental portrait of a colleague for use in an article for a professional body journal, in this case the Institute of Physics. The photo needed to illustrate the work that was being carried out by a recently graduated member of the team sharing her experiences of starting out in the nuclear industry.

I received a request to provide a series of photographs of equipment for use in a marketing campaign. Previous photographs were not inspiring and a more minimalist, high tech result was needed.

This photograph was taken during a stunning sunset at Whitehaven harbour in August 2010. The image shows the Millennium Wave lit up in neon blue against the rich orange sky. The Millennium Wave is an iconic sculpture along the length of Whitehaven’s Lime Tongue Quay reaching the 40m tall Crow’s Nest mast.

I received a request from VT Nuclear Services to go to a local playgroup to take photographs of a donation in support of their work with local children. Haile Playgroup, near Egremont in West Cumbria, were awarded a donation of £700 towards the purchase of a climbing frame and safety mat for children in the under 5 group.

A photoshoot at the Westlakes Science and Technology Park at Moor Row near Whitehaven. The company wanted photographs for use to produce marketing materials for the work undertaken within the facility.