6 Hot Tips for 1% BETTER Astrophotography!

I'm back with actual useful and helpful information for astrophotographers looking to level up in their astro journey. Watch me learning in real time and special thanks to High Point Scientific where you should spend all your money with the referral commission link below because I'm saving up for a dog to fill the void in my soul but because of lockdown they cost a million dollars now.
Support the channel by buying Dylan's Telescopes, Cameras & Equipment using the links below!
EQUIPMENT LIST
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Celestron 11" Edge HD Telescope
USA : bit.ly/3JB95JE
Celestron RASA F2 11" Telescope
USA : bit.ly/3Jy4Ezl
International : amzn.to/3ABsVBz
QHY268M Mono CMOS Camera
USA : bit.ly/33u4k5w
Skywatcher EQ8Rh Pro Mount
USA : bit.ly/3gTdWJX
AUS : bit.ly/3dxdRv1
NexDome Observatory by Sidereal Trading (Australia)
www.siderealtrading.com.au
Celestron RASA 8" F2 Telescope
USA : bit.ly/3GTUwiU
International : amzn.to/3G4nlbP
Celestron NexYZ 3-Axis Smartphone Adapter
USA : bit.ly/351K2ki
International : amzn.to/3g20wLd
Celestron CGX Mount
USA : bit.ly/3BtPVCF
Lunt40mm Solar Telescope
USA : bit.ly/3sP8KMX
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro Pack
USA : bit.ly/3uUVw3O
International : amzn.to/3ABLAwQ
ZWO ASI 174MM (Planetary / Solar Camera)
USA : bit.ly/3uXpEM8
International : amzn.to/3rXqJAj
ZWO ASI 120MM (Guide Camera)
USA : bit.ly/352iBXg
ZWO ASI 1600MM (Deep Space Camera)
USA : bit.ly/3HVtvg1
International : amzn.to/3rXqJAj
Celestron 0.7x reducer for 11" Edge HD
USA : bit.ly/3gTDJSy
Celestron 0.7x reducer for 9.25” Edge HD
USA : bit.ly/3sNyY2o
Celestron 9.25” Edge HD
USA : bit.ly/3LISupw
Canon 6D mkII DSLR
International : amzn.to/2CbiVER
Tokina 16-28mm Lens
International : amzn.to/3fdFJCo
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Full Frame
International : amzn.to/3G9kjmP
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
International : amzn.to/3H9yPfA
Support my alcoholism by getting some Star Stuff stuff MERCH:
/ @dylanodonnell
Dylan’s links
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PATREON : / dylanodonnell
WEB : deography.com
FACEBOOK : / dylanodonnell
TWITTER : / erfmufn
INSTAGRAM : / dylan_odonnell_
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SPOTIFY : open.spotify.com/artist/3npvC...
Intro Music - "Moving the Ocean (Aerologic Edit)" by Blastculture.

[@maxdemian6312]

You're the best slightly-below-average photographer I've seen

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha thanks Max!

[@thesilentastrophotograper6594]

Me who can't even get 3 hours on a target: I like your funny words magic man.

[@Top-Code]

Me who can’t even get 1 hour on a target: What’s the signal mean in signal to noise?

[@peterlaubscher3989]

Great to have you back, Dylan. We've missed you! Agreed. As one gets older, and hopefully wiser in this hobby, you learn that it is not a sprint but a marathon, gathering those hours of building blocks we call pixels to create a great image. SL 17 looks great - well done with a superb set of images.

[@caput_in_astris]

It’s pointless… Yes, and that’s why it’s precious. Imaging the sky just for the poetry, just to get a flavor of the infinity… And probably why I am so addicted to it 😀

[@halloduda8142]

"The total integration time of this image is quite massive" . 11.6 hours. And here I sit with my 50 hours of the heart nebula :D

[@DylanODonnell]

Lol yeh well.. you're clearly crazy ;)

[@halloduda8142]

@@DylanODonnell There were 7 days straight of good weather during a new Moon. I head no choice. I only stacked the data and didn't do any processing due to a lack of time. But I can already tell that the 15 hours of Ha won't need a lot of noise reduction :D

[@DylanODonnell]

@@halloduda8142 Haha I can imagine! Nice work.

[@reidchandler6486]

50 hours? I just finished 23 hours on Andromeda LRGB.. Took over a month due to weather. Glad I planned 9 nights off during the new moon to complete!! 🙃

[@cdh79]

I just took 2 1/2 hours of the Crescent nebula.. took me about 2 years thanks to the f&$#ing weather

[@Froobyone]

I feel like the day is 1% better because this video appeared. I'm going to have to take off 3% however, because you made me want an EQ8 when my EQ6 is in my eyeline and it knows what I'm thinking.

[@honestozzy244]

Been a while, mate...a joy to have you back, as your astro-videos are, by far, some of the most creative (and informative!) ever on KZbin. As for me, my #1 tip for better Astrophotography is: WIN THE LOTTERY! 🍾 (Or sell a kidney 😵‍💫)

[@fazergazer]

The Jupiter and Saturn images you flashed up there are f’ing AMAZING!!

[@masterzerak7300]

Great video, Dylan. You're absolutely hilarious. I love your dry deadpan approach to humor. And you're by far my favorite (slightly below average) astrophotographer...

[@DylanODonnell]

I appreciate that Zerak! 😆

[@brianschumacher8751]

Great Info Dylan. Thank you for all your hard efforts!

[@lilithgaither9603]

Glad to see you posting again!

[@HelenasAstrophotography]

Uh-Maze-ING photos Dylan! Awesome vid :)

[@donovand.6704]

I'm so glad you're in Australia imaging everything I can't. As always, love the work you do.

[@sjgonline]

One of your best videos! Thank you

[@richardgracews6]

Another great video thanks Dylan

[@marinaamgad5781]

Good to see ya back mate! :)

[@terrylovejoy3147]

I totally agree on working on a single target to hone your processing and tweak the telescope. Good tips btw :)

[@GarnettLeary]

Great video. Solid tips. Enjoyed the humor. I can actually laugh out loud. Enjoyed the whole thing.

[@MrGp3po]

I thoroughly enjoy your videos and always learn something new. Slowing down and doing "projects" is difficult. Sometimes, I feel like a kid in a candy store and just have to shoot everything. LOL I remember being thrilled with capturing even the most lame images of DSO and laugh when I look back on them. Improvement is always gratifying. Thanks

[@1966wasp]

Dylan keeping it real cheers man.

[@antipodesastro667]

Glad you’re back Dylan! Beautiful images! 🤩

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks VDA!

[@wngimageanddesign9546]

LOL! Great intro and explanation of the pandemic fiasco in the fewest words! :)

[@simpleastrophotography1301]

my mans said "below average". I'm not even on the scale then XD

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

Awesome video and images as always!

[@philippefenain4405]

I know people love your humour and the nonsense videos you sometimes produce, but definitely I love more when you provide such useful, smart, advanced pieces of information like you have done today. Many thanks ! Nice to see you back !

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks! My analytics agrees with you 😆

[@philippefenain4405]

@@DylanODonnell 😉

[@kenobi1873]

This is the best, most informative and most entertaining astrophotography channel bar none! Fantastic

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey thanks Kenobi :)

[@kyleestvanik4922]

Really putting yourself out there for that hair gel sponsorship, aren't you? Also, great vid as always!

[@robinbennett3531]

I love the intro ....perfect length

[@Ms_Dana]

Your way above average, your too humble lol you are my favorite Astro channel

[@enigmaticfool]

Goddang it I absolutely love these first 2.5 minute and I hope it keeps going as good. I’m so entertained.🤣🤣

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha oh good... I always worry I'm pissing people off with my first two minutes of intro and rambling before getting to the point 😆

[@AndyofAstro]

Great to see your videos again, even if they are totally only 1% (that much?!) better! I wish my pics were 0.5% as good as these!

[@jamesdougan8789]

g`day dylan great video and final shots .

[@zaphus]

Welcome back Dylan! Great tips in there, apparently I'm a 'stamp collector' astrophotographer myself - I am going to have to try commiting more time and throwing away more images. Also great to see how those Helix 20min subs worked out for you, they look great!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thx mate!

[@tannergerstner1524]

Your "slightly below average" images are still fantastic! And... way better than mine... Great video and thanks for continuing to support the amateur astrophotography folks!

[@srikanthmeg]

I became a slow astrophotographer recently and I am very satisfied with the results. I don't compare myself to others because this is a hobby I enjoy but I use them as a reference mostly your images, lol

[@astrojw1039]

What improved images for me. 1: Improving post processing methods, I find the proper histogram makes a big difference, also different ways to use pixel math. 2: The telescope, I bought a Tak FSQ 106EDX4 this scope coupled with the ASI 6200 really is something. I can discern detail even with the 530mm scope, similar to the EdgeHD 1100 with a reducer. Yes minute details are more evident in the Edge, since your magnified, however the overall detail is something. The last thing that I am looking forward to, is the AP1100 due here in a week or so. The HDX110 (EQ8) has this issue with the RA and perfect balance, it likes east side heavy, if its balanced it gets goofy. The AP1100 I also plan on going unguided, did get the absolute encoders on that. The plan is to dual image as well, to speed up data collection. Either way Dylan, all the little stuff adds up more than the obvious stuff. Editing can make or break an image as well, especially if you have good base data.

[@tmrdarkstar85]

Dylans tips and tricks work. Although Dylan i do Dark frames usually twice a year. Winter and summer due to the change in outside ambient air temp. Summer I can not cool the camera to -20 more like -12 but winter time I can easily achieve -20 so I take a set of darks for fall and winter and a set for spring an summer. Flats need to be done nightly especially if you are rotating the camera.

[@AstroParkAstrophotography]

I've been trying to follow tip #1 personally. The night sky isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so I've been trying to take my time on targets. If I miss out on a particular one, there's always next year. You had some amazing images in this video (especially the planets)! If all of that was done with a 1% quality increase, then I'm sure that 2% would be exponential!

[@jimbundy8449]

All joking aside those are great and spot on tips Dylan! I as well started using calibration frames with my RASA 11 and as you say mainly for the vignette correction in my images. The Sky Watcher EQ8-Pro Rh was so well worth the money, I had a Celestron CGE Pro Mount and it was hit and miss at times but this thing is dead on every time, I have a observatory but always break my stuff down every night and with the ZWO ASIAIR Pro it makes polar alignment, focusing, plate solving so fast that I’m shooting usually after 10 to 15 minutes. It’s amazing the difference in astrophotography from years ago 😳 Awesome images Dylan 👍🏼 Keep up the good work!

[@DylanODonnell]

Sounds like you've got it nailed.. great rig.. and yeh such a cool mount huh!

[@brinkoo7]

Great video... im still here with my new RASA 11" trying to sort out my flats... and taking on like 3 targets a night LOL

[@brianbishop83]

Glad to see the lab coat back. That last vid had me worried.

[@dirkfierce2525]

Please don't ever stop using that intro (or a version of it as I know you change it up some). It was one of the first things that enticed me to head down the rabbit hole.

[@DylanODonnell]

Thx I agree! It’s the anchor to the whole show now!

[@TK-th9vu]

I think your acute perception of how to create better images puts you miles ahead of other amature astro-photographers. Really quite brilliant Dylan!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks TK!

[@michaelklages4367]

Best intro speach ever

[@brandonrunyon]

Look, I've seen your work... and I really recommend everyone start out with an 8 inch dob and the book "Turn Left at Orion"...

[@KopLamp]

Woah! Your Helix image is amazing. I shot it too a week ago, but had the telescope almost horizontal when it went through it's highest point in the sky (yeah yeah ... Northern Hemisphere I know). I will try to have the video about shooting "The Eye Of God" out next weekend... For now I am still recovering from producing the video I released last Sunday: shooting SHO with an OSC camera. Celestron EdgeHD trying to be like Hubble... ;)

[@LogansAstro]

Excellent collection of images. All very good points for improving images (and unfortunately many of them painful on the wallet - don't I know it ).

[@Lank871]

That guide graph flex

[@jimblackwell3754]

I’m not a slow astrophotographer or a fast one either…..I must be a half-fast astrophotographer 🧐. Seriously, great video. Welcome back!

[@jefflucas_life]

Damn Dylan! Helix Nebula is awesome!

[@fazergazer]

That helix shows that faint structure so well Dylan

[@Microtonal_Cats]

1:40 Well done. The only proper use of Solo Tinkling Minor Key Piano is irony. This was as ironic as it was genuinely touching.

[@johnalexandermcbryde9788]

yaaaaaah! your back! all is now well in the world, even if we are all going to die 🤗

[@donaldkasper8346]

EQ8RH-Pro mount, $10,500. Here is CA USA, 10% tax, $1050, total, $11550. Thanks for the heads up on this tip. So you are saying, in essence that with just $50,000 you can improve your astrophotography. Well, I would hope so.

[@jayt2266]

Dylan any chance we can get a video about what all the specs on astro cameras mean in layman's terms and why chose one over the other? As well as a processing tutorial for both color and black and white cameras? Didn't see these in your library, unless I missed them....which is entirely possible. Thanks and keep up the educational and entertaining videos...a great combination!

[@DylanODonnell]

Great idea!

[@Mobius3c273]

I really want to come to Australia one day to see the skies. Perth looks good for a start...post Covid of course.. and if I'm still alive. Uk has been shite this year... cloud cloud cloud

[@cdh79]

flats are important to remove the vignetting during image processing, only to add it back as an instagram filter later..

[@tobbler0ne]

Its a lovely feeling when you are done processing and look at the finished image and feel that you have become a better astrophotographer! Then you upload the image to Instagram/facebook where it gets totally butchered and the feeling is gone..

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha truth.

[@jeffreypicard6022]

Finally, the mad scientist hair is back!

[@RichardLaurence]

I had a strange and guilty thrill when you said ‘stamp collecting’🤔

[@DylanODonnell]

Hehe it's true though. Messier catalog is just Pokemon for adults.

[@JethroXP]

I've already fully embraced calibration frames, maintaining a Master Bias, Dark library and taking Flats after every session. But Tip #3 has been the big game changer for me, and it requires serious discipline. You aren't wrong when you say be brutal. I captured 60 subs last night on a target, and only kept 16. I think part of that can be attributed to driving my mount to it's limits, so I can throw some money at part of the problem, but the discipline required to let all those subs go has to be maintained. I started out feeling like every sub was sacred (Hat Tip: Monty Python) but you really showed me that less is more.

[@DylanODonnell]

Well said!

[@AstroLaVista]

I literally comply with nothing on this list and it shows lol Entertaining as always and definitely at least a 2% improvement ;)

[@christosdalamagas5017]

Dylan you're an astrophotography beacon for the rest of us. 9 months in this hobby and i give many thanks to you for what i've learned. I'm struggling with a goto dob and short exposures though but what the hell! I'll do my best till the next upgrade. Thinking about getting a field derotator for alt-az AP instead of an eq mount and a new ota. Some big observatories use them. What do you think?

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey glad I could help! I think equatorial is the way to go but that's just me. I fiddled with a wedge on the alt-az for a while but it was a bit fiddly.

[@miklostothhorgosi8293]

Why did you didnt use a Direct drive mount Dylan? Greetings from Hungary!

[@liveinthesunshine3018]

my next target is to get sub second tracking. consistently. Should be possible on an EQ6RPro. Great images Dylan and the percentile improvement shines through

[@DylanODonnell]

Oh definitely with that mount. You'll shit it in :)

[@liveinthesunshine3018]

@@DylanODonnell yeah well my 1 percentile improvement then will be going from being shit at it, to it in :)

[@tamartin7001]

He is developing into the eccentric scientist ... just check the hair! thanks StarStuff, always enjoyable and down to earth advice

[@SydneyDunk]

I’ve only been in this for ~6 months, and I’ve already come to most of these conclusions too. You forgot tip #7 though (although implied by your gear): money. Lots and lots and lots of money.

[@Avanteesh_Astro206]

great Video! before People Say The You need To spend More Money to get Better Images, That is True, But. But More Expirence and Processing Depth Can Always Give You better Images. Nice Video dylan🔭👍🏻

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks mate :)

[@bullshitvendor]

welcome to AUKUS! from now on everthing will become better, even amateur astrophotographers

[@DylanODonnell]

Nuclear subs !

[@quandilfaitnoir7796]

I cannot use flats on all my photos anymore, sometimes with the imx294 sensor and narroband filters gives me weird reflexions and completelys screws up my image. I guess ill have to save for an qhy 268 :(

[@dmccallie]

Can you explain your observatory roof flat method a bit more? How do you get even illumination onto the inside roof of the observatory? Where do you put the light source(s) that avoids shadows and gradients? Thanks, I love your work and these videos!

[@DylanODonnell]

I just put the little LED white light below the scope/roof looking up .. it's a curved roof so it illuminates fairly evenly :)

[@EricMilewski]

Damn! I wish I could 'slow down' But I live in Vancouver, Canada and between Sep to May I'm lucky to get a single clear night in a month or two or more sometimes :(

[@kchajchadak8971]

Meet Mr. Dylan O' donnell. With best hairstyle! Actually shows his real life work load!( doesn't even have a single sec. To groom his hair) 😂😂😂😂😂anyways he is one of the best . Cheers

[@DylanODonnell]

It was groomed 😂

[@kchajchadak8971]

@@DylanODonnell perfect style!!!! #messyhairdontcare !!! 😂😂😂😂. I honestly love your work 😁😁😁😁😁you are one of my biggest inspiration 🙃

[@slzckboy]

Anyone of a similar age ( me 47 :( ) remember the cartoon Ulysses 31 .. there was an episode on the character Sisyphus and his endless punishment with the boulder.. That always resonated with me for some reason lol.... I was a strange kid.

[@Miguel_Noppe]

That's some nice daadaa right there !

[@astrojourneyuk]

Are the dislikes from the visual astronomers? I think this was a fantastic video, yet again. Funny and informative and with the best sponsor ads!

[@Astronurd]

Nothing wrong with visual astronomy. I do both and when I’m not imaging there’s nothing better than stargazing with my 12” Dobsonian

[@Astrospacegeek]

Tiktok makes me rage.....Those pixels at the end are very good 🤣

[@gavin5326]

damn those photos are beautiful!

[@stevepecket2535]

Best intro ever 🤣

[@dinmavric5504]

Whats the point? I ask myself that question whenever I have issues setting up or when I don't get the results I want.

[@DylanODonnell]

I feel that.

[@runswithscssors]

Welcome back! Was beginning to wonder where you disappeared to.

[@DylanODonnell]

thx mate :)

[@alanrockowitz379]

The Sisyphus part really made me laugh--thanks for that. What do you use to evaluate your subs? I use subframe selector too, and I have a formula which I use to evaluate my subs, and toss the rest. It doesn't use absolute numbers, but rather relative ones like If the eccentricity is within 2.5 standard deviations of the mean, etc etc.. So having said that, how do you tell if one night is better than another?

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks! See my video on "Use Less Data" it explains how I'm using SubFrameSelector :)

[@alanrockowitz379]

@@DylanODonnell Thanks, I'm watching that one again. Also, in that video you wonder why it takes so long to output your selected frames to another folder using SS. I'm on a Powerbook and sending 150 frames somewhere only takes like 30 seconds tops. And it's WAY faster when I'm using my external SSD. Just FYI--not sure what your bottleneck is.

[@martynh5410]

I threw away all my bad data and……. Now I have no data! Also, all my stars are green, a color that “doesn’t exist in space”….

[@DylanODonnell]

Hahaha

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Dylan: "There all looking at your photos on f***ing TikTok." Me: I feel attacked.

[@DylanODonnell]

Hahaha

[@oldies7436]

Dylan, any chance for a tutorial on star reduction you mentioned in this video?

[@DylanODonnell]

Good idea.. I will when I get good enough at it :)

[@matej.mlakar]

@@DylanODonnell +1 for a star reduction tutorial. It is difficult to find a good one, which it includes PI and Photoshop like you are showing it.

[@peitaoyan1000]

To reduce bloating stars/nebulae centre try using HDRMultiscaleTransform and bring down brightness using curves or stretch using arcsin stretch/masked stretch in combination with the standard histogram stretch, You'll be able to bring out all the faint details while retaining the colour in brighter areas.

[@DylanODonnell]

Great tip .. I need to explore this further!

[@denniswilde2013]

Nice video good tips. You referred the the equivalent camera to the QHY 268m as the ZWO 6200. You really meant the ZWO 2600. The 6200 is a full frame 62 megapixel camera.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yeh there was a very quick *caption at that mistake 😆

[@denniswilde2013]

@@DylanODonnell apologies, I missed the caption.

[@derekderek2570]

Glad you're doing okay! I'm sorry this is all happening in AUS right now but if it starts getting you down, don't forget... everything is meaningless and we're all going to die.

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks.. it get's me through :)

[@stevendrexler6138]

Wish I had seen the link before I dropped a grand at HPS!

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha oh well

[@tyson281]

dylan i got ur bintel ad on a nebula photos video. wanted to share

[@DylanODonnell]

Hah that's cool.. I'll let their marketing team know. Oh, that's me!

[@marcocambray7725]

Funny intro tks

[@wadeprunty]

Hey Dylan, which filters are you using?

[@DylanODonnell]

Baader highspeed 2" and some pretty ordinary broadband RGB 2" .. atik I think. cheap broadband is fine. spend money on the narrow bands.

[@NoahsAstrophotography]

Amazing images and video Dylan! A few of those tips really stood out to me, definitely can relate to the flats one 😅 Dont really have much of a choice though because I unfortunately have some problems with flats and my Zwo asi294mc pro. Anyways, really really like that Helix nebula pic of yours! Absolutely love the pastel colors, definitely my favorite color palette for sure :)

[@thenoisyelectron]

The more I think of it, The more I realize sisyphus was a genius. "If I keep pushing this boulder, people will think i'm busy and not bother me".

[@Theniccolo20slime]

I missed you Dylan

[@DylanODonnell]

I missed you too

[@starsips]

Good video

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks Rowan!

[@HockeyHomeBrewski]

Great video, and tunes! Thanks for sharing and good luck with the teaching career. You get some tax money back for that at least, right? Lol. We had to do that last year. I feel bad for the single parents with multiple kids and an employer who doesn’t care. Now they need to get the young kid vaccines figured out we’ll be golden, or as good as it is going to get. Have a great day

[@BrianH1313]

Wow, you speak so highly of your government. Nice tips. I see you where able to keep up the mad scientist hair.

[@DylanODonnell]

Heh my hair was nice for like, 1 video out of 120, then lockdown began.

[@caviestcaveman8691]

@@DylanODonnell make sure when your government calls you that you answer in 5 min and send them a selfie so they know that you are who you say you are and are locked away in your home.....just wait for the cops to come knocking on your door.....keep the faith! We will conquer this!

[@mgmcd1]

You opened with “everything is meaningless.” Way to switch it up. 🤓 Glad to see you back. Got me some breakthrough COVID while you were away. I cannot recommend it. Great pictures, btw.

[@DylanODonnell]

Damn, hope you’re ok man!

[@mgmcd1]

@@DylanODonnell it’s just a flesh wound 🤓

[@donaldkasper8346]

QHY268M. $2400. Here is CA USA, 10% tax, $240, total $2640. Wonder is shipping is free?