UnderSouthWestSkies : Witch Head Nebula

Sunday, 5 January 2025

Welcome to my new Astronomy/Astrophotography Blog

Hello I’m Steve, (PlymouthAstroBoy), and welcome to my blog for people new to astronomy and astrophotography; I’m a beginner too.

In this first blog post, a 5-minute read, I will

· Introduce myself

· Summarise how I have ended up writing this blog

· Outline briefly its intended aims and content

1. Who am I?

I don't know about you, but I always like to know a little about the people whose blogs I read. So, this is a little about me. You can skip over it, ignore it completely, read it in depth. Whatever works for you.

My Google profile says

“A retired Welshman displaced to wonderful Plymouth in SW England, I am a family man, former teacher, novice sailor and boat builder, astrophotographer and motorhomer. With a passion for all things to do with education, the sea and the skies above, I’ve a sense of adventure and an innate curiosity. I write three blogs. ‘Arwen’s Meanderings’ charted my learning to sail a self-built John Welsford designed ‘Navigator’ yawl. Look out for her accompanying YouTube channel www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy and regular contributions to the print magazine ‘Dinghy Cruising Journal’ as well as various on-line sailing blogs. ‘UnderSouthWestSkies’ follows my learning journey as I take up new hobbies - astronomy and astrophotography; so, a blog for beginner’s new to these hobbies, just like me. ‘Wherenexthun’, a co-written blog with my wife Maggie, shares how we ‘newbie motorhomers’ get to grips with owning ‘Bryony’ an ‘Autosleeper’s Broadway EB’ motorhome, and explores our adventures in her traveling the UK and other parts of Europe”.

My first attempt on the Witch Head Nebula during 2024

1. Why am I writing a new blog on astronomy and astrophotography?

A combination of factors led to this moment! Retiring early from teaching, purchasing ‘Bryony’; selling my beloved dinghy ‘Arwen’. All that stargazing whilst on motorhome sites scattered across the country got me thinking! Then unable to escape far during the covid lockdowns, my garden became my refuge – more time under night skies and time to develop my skills in photography. I needed some new hobbies as I was no longer sailing; astronomy and astrophotography seemed perfect contenders.

I don’t know about you, but starting any new hobby can be overwhelming. Starting two – astronomy AND astrophotography, definitely is. Throw in that I’ve only just mastered the basics of my canon 800D DSLR, and you can see that my current learning journey is exponential! I may have bitten off more than I can chew! I feel I am constantly on a never-ending journey of viewing YouTube videos, reading magazine articles on-line and in print and making copious notes which at times feels confusing. Exciting, yes but perplexing at the same time.

I started to simplify things for my own sanity. I suffer from memory and ‘retention’ issues, so checklists, simple step-by-step guides etc – I wrote them up in two A4 spiral notebooks. Other people began to ask me for them because it helped them on their journey and so I realised that perhaps it would be easier to write it all up as a regular blog accessible to all. I do still do add to my spiral journals though – that’s where the thinking starts each time.

Has it helped? Absolutely. Particularly the astrophotography side of things, which is where my real passion lies if I am honest. Capturing nebulae, galaxies, globular clusters and milky way images for the last three years has been an exciting, incredible learning journey of problem solving, profound thinking and upping my learning skills development frequently! I pride myself on being a lifelong learner; but this journey is a roller-coaster of emotions! Entertaining, frustrating, confusing, rewarding. Complex, technically challenging, at times baffling! But so much fun and reward.

M45 Pleiades taken at Wembury in South Devon 02/01/2025

1. What will be the content and aims of this new blog?

So, on this blog you will find themed posts ranging from 'beginner's guides' and 'how-to's' to 'equipment guides', 'imaging sessions' and 'post processing/editing tips' to name but a few. All are written with just the basics in mind – information, tips and steps to get us all up and running. I want to help and encourage others on their own learning journey in this exciting hobby by sharing my evolving experiences, knowledge, skills and progress milestones as I pursue mine. I'll regularly update individual blogs, sharing my successes and 'still need to get to grips with' challenges.

My intention is that this growing blog becomes useful, authentic, practical and relatable to your own experiences. It helps us pass through ‘beginner’ to ‘intermediate’ understandings, skills and knowledge. Essential to its success will be your participation, so come join me. Introduce yourself, share your images, tips, experiences and progress; ask questions. Get involved, so that we can grow a genuinely useful resource for all those new to these exciting hobbies. A safe place that fosters trust, genuine discussion, celebration and growth. After all, we are all united by the peace, awe, wonder and joy we gain from being out in our landscapes under the stars that shine their light towards us from so far, far away.