Astrophotography

Discover astrophotography - the art of capturing the night sky - from beginner-friendly tips to advanced imaging techniques. Below you’ll find gear guides, step-by-step tutorials, and recommended celestial targets, all based on real-world experience.

Whether you're shooting from a balcony in a light-polluted city or traveling to dark-sky sites, astrophotography is one of the most rewarding hobbies out there. This category brings together everything I’ve learned from over a decade of trial and error, camera tests, gear setups, and long nights under the stars.

I believe that anyone can enjoy astrophotography — no PhD or $5000 rig required. You’ll find that most of my tutorials are created with accessible gear, and almost every shot on this page was taken by me — often under far-from-perfect conditions.

All photos and tutorials here are created by Paweł Białecki, an amateur astrophotographer based in Poland.

Getting Started with Astrophotography

If you're new here, start with the basics. These guides will walk you through what equipment you actually need (and what you don’t), how to find your first targets, and how to avoid the most common beginner mistakes — including the ones I made.

Best Astrophotography Targets (by Season & Object)

Not sure what to photograph tonight or this season? This section helps you find the most rewarding objects in the night sky — from bright nebulae and galaxies to the Milky Way and even comets. You’ll also learn how to plan your sessions based on the time of year and your gear.

How-To Tutorials & Camera Settings

Ready to take your skills to the next level? Here’s where you’ll find more technical guides: stacking, background removal, color balancing, and post-processing workflows I personally use on macOS. Whether you're using a DSLR or a telescope, these techniques will help you get more detail out of your data.

Deep-Sky Object Imaging Guides

Photographing deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae may sound intimidating — but it’s absolutely doable. These posts break it down by object and method, showing you how I approach each target using DSLR setups, telephoto lenses, and tracking mounts.

Equipment Reviews & Field Tests

I don’t do generic Amazon-style reviews. Every piece of gear listed below has been tested under real conditions — cold nights, polar alignment challenges, and long exposure sessions. If it’s here, I’ve used it in the field, and I’ll tell you exactly what worked (and what didn’t).

Special Events & Photo Stories

Sometimes the sky surprises you — a rare eclipse, a comet that suddenly brightens, or just a perfectly clear night. These posts document those moments. They're part tutorial, part photo diary, and fully real: straight from my camera to this site.

More Astrophotography Tips, Gear, and Stories

Still exploring? These extra posts include bonus tips, niche accessories, and lesser-known targets. If you've already gone through the main sections above, this is where you'll find more hidden gems — gear I didn't expect to love, objects I revisited, and lessons learned along the way.