—— “Even though astrophotography is often considered a ‘solitary’passion, it is in fact very social when others help you through the toughest moments.”
Hello, my name is Paweł Radomski, I come from Poland and I still live here. I have had the great pleasure of doing astrophotography for almost 17 years. Besides taking pictures, I currently also conduct astrophotography post-processing trainings, which I lead individually as well as during various gatherings of enthusiasts like myself. After all this time, despite many ups and downs, I can say it was love at first sight.
My inspiration for astronomy goes back to when I was about eight years old. My parents gave me an album with descriptions of constellations of the northern sky. I remember sitting on a deckchair, staring at the sky, fascinated by those small bright dots against the black background. That fascination survived all the turbulence of growing up and adult life, and it blossomed almost 17 years ago when a friend and I realized that we both wanted to photograph the night sky. That’s how it all started, and it’s still going on—I hope for as long as possible.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to invite readers to visit my pages:
The people who had the greatest influence on me were my parents, who gave me the album with descriptions of constellations, and my friend, with whom I am still taking photos to this day. It would be remiss of me not to mention my wife, who—at a time when photography involved frequent trips outside the city—was patient and supportive enough to let me pursue and develop my passion.
I now use two astrophotography setups: one commonly referred to as the “traveler,” designed as a portable system that can be transported by plane, and the other, a stationary setup.
The traveler consists of: a SkyWatcher SWSA Gti with ASIAIR, mounted on a Benro tripod. Here, I most often use the WO RedCat51, lenses (Sigma A 135mm / 35mm / 50mm), as well as the SkyWatcher ED80 (which I use in a more stationary way). For imaging, I use the ZWO ASI 1600MM-C with a ZWO EFW filter wheel and a modified Canon 6D. As a guider, I rely on the robust ZWO mini guider scope paired with the ASI120MM.
The stationary setup is, of course, less “portable” and consists of:
Currently, I collect data in the south-eastern part of Poland, from a remote observatory that my friend and I have set up.
My adventure with astrophotography originally involved trips with my friend, often in extreme winter conditions, since I live in the heavily light-polluted capital. At the time, narrowband filters were a rarity, so I relied on my plot of land despite limitations from trees. Those were unforgettable nights under dark skies. Unfortunately, later greenhouse lights destroyed the darkness, forcing me to move my efforts back to the city. With narrowband filters, I successfully collected data from my own terrace for a few years.
Only two years ago, the opportunity arose to move my gear to a location where we gather twice a year with friends for an astro-meetup, and I took advantage of it.
Over the years in astrophotography, I’ve learned that every method of imaging has its pros and cons. Still, after spending more than a decade camping under dark skies regardless of the temperature, I now prefer to collect data from a remote observatory—for the simple reason that I can do it whenever the sky is clear.
Sometimes, I also take my smaller “traveler” setup, and together with my wife we go, for example, to La Palma Island, to enjoy a vacation and take advantage of the blessings of truly dark skies.
Of course, I still remember my very first astrophotography experience. I went outside the city with my newly acquired equipment, which consisted of a SkyWatcher HEQ5 equatorial mount, a 6” f/5 Newtonian OTA, and an unmodified Canon 40D. I was convinced that by moving the mount across the celestial sphere, I would be able to see galaxies and nebulae that I could photograph—how surprised I was to find out that this wasn’t the case!
Messier 109 was the first object I photographed (mainly because it was easy to frame). The 30-second exposures didn’t reveal much, but I was still incredibly happy with the result.
My very first photo was of a galaxy in Ursa Major—Messier 109—but it wasn’t the one that brought me the strongest emotions. It was late winter when my friend and I went north of the capital. We had rigged up a small lamp with a bulb painted red (not a solution I recommend), and we tried to aim the equipment at M42.
With the help of a finder scope and an eyepiece, we managed to locate it, mounted the camera (an unmodified Canon 40D), and set a 30-second exposure. When the exposure finished, a colorful image of the nebula appeared on the camera screen. I’d love to say how we started shouting completely forgetting that it was the middle of the night and that most likely we’d wake up the people in the nearby village. We even thought that, because of our excitement, the police patrol might show up—but nothing like that happened.
To this day, I remember those emotions from my first color photo of a nebula, and I deeply regret that “the first time” only happens once—because those feelings were absolutely phenomenal.
Astrophotography teaches patience, as well as an analytical and methodical approach to problem-solving. Back in the days when forums and online communities were not as developed as they are today, many solutions had to be invented and tested on your own. And what do I value most about it? The people. Together with a certain group of friends, we’ve formed a community of enthusiasts who are absolutely crazy about this hobby.
Some of us have been doing it for over 30–40 years, when the first photos were guided manually and recorded on photographic film, while others have only been at it a few years and are still persistently striving to get better. These people drive you forward, motivate you in moments of doubt, and lend a hand whenever you run into a problem—whether in image processing or with equipment.
If not for astrophotography, I most likely would never have met them. So astrophotography brings a lot into one’s life—besides patience, it brings fantastic and kind people you can always rely on. And at this point, I would like to express how much this group means to me and what an honor it is to be part of it. Thank you, gentlemen from “RODOS” (not the island, but the acronym of our group’s name).
Challenges are inevitable: cloudy skies can last for months. The frustration builds up, and when a clear night finally arrives, the equipment decides not to cooperate—unfortunately, that’s a common scenario. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, after every storm comes the Sun—and so it is here: eventually, that clear night does come, and in that moment, all the bad is forgotten.
When the nights are cloudy, there’s nothing you can do. You just have to wait until the sky clears—and, as I mentioned earlier, that may not happen for a very long time. During such periods, every astrophotographer falls into a kind of depression: you don’t feel like processing images, or you’re left with incomplete data. Thoughts about moving your equipment somewhere with far more clear nights inevitably start to appear.
Fortunately, we have communication channels with friends where one of us shares tutorials about processing techniques he’s been analyzing, another posts images from radio observations, a third talks about travels, and a fourth uploads archival photographs—so it’s impossible to get bored. Then, when a clear night finally arrives, everyone eagerly powers up their equipment… only to find that it doesn’t work. That’s when the phone calls start, and we work together to figure things out.
The key element here is —people: friends, companions, acquaintances—a mutually motivating bunch of enthusiasts. I believe that, even though astrophotography is often considered a “solitary” passion, it is in fact very social when others help you get through the toughest moments.
As for achievements, it’s hard to give a straightforward answer. I am a laureate of the international astrophotography competition Astrocamera, one of my photos was awarded Image of the Day on Astrobin, and my pictures often receive “Top Pick” and “Top Pick Nomination.” My images have also earned three Image of the Week titles from you (ZWO). Each of these recognitions is the greatest for me, because I put a lot effort to gain the result that satisfies me.
However, after some reflection, I must say that the greatest achievement is that my photos inspire other astrophotographers and serve as a reference point for what they wish to achieve. I also try to advise everyone who needs help—whether it’s in choosing new equipment or in the processing workflow. That, I believe, is what truly drives me to keep going.
My favorite regions of the sky are the molecular clouds in Cepheus and Perseus, full of dark nebulae. I believe these are among the most difficult objects to photograph and to render accurately. I’m not really drawn to the very popular ones. I want to show what is barely visible and rarely photographed. And when I do turn to well-known regions, I aim to reveal what others usually don’t.
Currently, I’m working on two long-term projects: one focused on the NGC 1333 region, and another that remains a secret for now. I hope the weather will allow me to finish them within two seasons.
For beginners in astrophotography, my advice is simple: don’t give up and keep taking pictures. Astrophotography is a sport for patient people, who learn from their mistakes—and you will make a lot of them. The more photos you take, the faster you’ll gain the knowledge needed for the next ones. Don’t have top-notch equipment? It doesn’t matter—use what you have. I personally know astrophotographers who squeeze the very last drop out of their DSLRs and still create fantastic work.
Remember—don’t give up, find people who will motivate you to keep going, and if you need advice, constructive criticism, or some guidance—write to pawel@astroscapes.eu I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
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My connection with ZWO began when their cameras first broke the market dominance of other companies by offering very good quality at a reasonable price. My very first product from ZWO was the ASI120MM guiding camera, which I still use to this day.Currently, I use ZWO ASI1600MM-C and ASI2600MM-C cameras, two EFWs, an ASI AIR Plus, two ASI120MM guiding cameras, a ZWO Mini Guider 30/120, and a ZWO Guider Scope 60/280.
What I like most about them is the ease of installation and configuration. On top of that, I also appreciate the design—because I really like the color red.
If I had to pick one product that made the biggest difference for me, it would be ASIAIR. It simplified starting sessions in the field, reduced the need to carry a laptop, and allowed me to power the setup with a compact power bank for a full night of imaging.
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