Krzysztof Gaudy’s 20-Year Journey from Backyard to Remote Astrophotography

Imagine being so captivated by a book you found as a child that it ends up shaping your entire life’s passion. For Polish astrophotographer Krzysztof Gaudy, that was exactly how it all began. What started with a childhood fascination for space has evolved into a two-decade-long journey through the world of astrophotography—one that has taken him from film cameras and backyard sessions in Bortle 4 skies to a remote observatory in the Spanish mountains.

A Spark Ignited by a Forgotten Book

“My passion for the sky started when I was a small child,” Krzysztof recalls. “My parents bought an astronomy album. I found it by accident—and when I saw the pictures of the objects in that book, the colours, the shapes… I was absolutely fascinated.”

That early wonder never left him. Nearly 20 years ago, Krzysztof began his astrophotography journey using a film camera and manually tracking the sky with a telescope—an experience many in the digital age can only imagine. Since then, his techniques and equipment have evolved dramatically, but the curiosity that drives him remains the same.

Finding Beauty in the Invisible

For Krzysztof, astrophotography is more than a technical pursuit—it’s a form of expression. “It combines science with art,” he says. “It allows us to show the world around us in a very effective way—a world that is invisible to the human eye, but real and incredibly fascinating.”

“The greatest achievement is hopefully ahead of me 🙂 For now, probably I am most proud of my M33 image. I was taking the frames during only selected nights with great seeing and as for small 130mm refractor I was able to get the amazing details I think. “

When the Backyard Is No Longer Enough

For years, Krzysztof captured his images from his backyard in Poland. But when a new streetlight was installed just meters from his home, turning his once-dark site into a light-polluted frustration, he made a decision: remote astrophotography.

Now, his entire setup—featuring an Esprit 120 refractor, ASI2600MM camera with Antlia 3nm filters, and ZWO’s AM5 mount—is housed at a remote telescope hosting facility in Nerpio, Spain. He controls everything from Poland. Among all the celestial targets, Krzysztof’s heart belongs to the objects around Sagittarius, especially the Trifid Nebula (M20)—the same one that first caught his eye in that childhood book.

The Tools That Transformed His Experience

Like many astrophotographers, Krzysztof has faced his fair share of challenges. “I’m not the tinkerer type,” he admits, citing technical difficulties as the most frustrating aspect of the hobby. That’s why ZWO’s gear has made such a significant impact on his workflow. “You just buy it, plug it in, and it works as it should… 10 years ago, that wasn’t standard behavior for astro equipment.”

His favorite ZWO product? The AM5 mount. “Probably moving to the AM5 was my greatest astro relief,” he says with a smile. “It always works like it should. I struggled with other mounts before. Now, I have no plans to change it.”

Looking to the Future: Collaboration and Innovation

As Krzysztof sees it, the next frontier in astrophotography lies in collaboration—where multiple observers pool hundreds or even thousands of hours of data to go deeper than ever before. He’s actively seeking out such opportunities and hopes to contribute to discoveries that may reveal previously unseen objects.

Advice for Beginners

When asked what advice he’d give to newcomers, Krzysztof’s answer is simple: don’t give up. “Your first results probably won’t be impressive. But publish your image, ask for help, wait for feedback, then take another image and repeat the process.” He also offers a word of caution about modern tools: “AI can be tempting, but often it creates artifacts and ruins the photo. I use AI tools—but very carefully.”