Today we would like to introduce you to the astrophotographer Joachim Port.

Hi Joachim, how did you get into astrophotography?

First of all, thank you so much for allowing me to introduce myself and my now great passion here. How it all began! I've been taking photos since my early teens. Architectural, nature, landscape, and macro photography. Then, in 2016, I (more or less by chance) came across pictures in a magazine showing impressive galactic nebulae. A completely new field for me in photography, and also in terms of my knowledge. Thanks to my other passion, flying (I have a pilot's license), physics and the sky weren't unfamiliar to me, and I started exploring the possibility of photographing colorful nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters myself.

As I soon realized, it was a completely "different" kind of photography and image editing than anything I had experienced before. Sometime in November 2016 (it was bitterly cold), I went out into the field with a tripod, a Nikon D5300, a Tamron 70-200mm lens, and a cable release to make my first attempts at astronomy. The first learning curve and research question was: "Why do the stars appear as streaks?" So I started asking Google and searching for forums and groups. After a few days, I went back out into the field, and the 300 and 500 rule of thumb helped me capture the stars as perfectly round points in the image. I started looking into larger equipment and, after much deliberation, decided on a Skywatcher mount. The AZEQ-6 and a GSO 8" Newtonian telescope. Now the real problems began.

The theory of polar alignment, star hopping, altitude, equatorial position, azimuth, etc., was one thing… but practice was quite another. The telescope and the Newtonian had to make way for a stack of books, which I read, questioned, and sometimes even tried to put into practice over the following weeks. It didn't work as expected. I sought help from someone with the knowledge who could teach me something. I found someone who patiently supported me and showed me the theory in practice. A big thank you to Michael Quartz. The following months had their ups and downs, but I never considered giving up. Perseverance has always paid off. I was moving house, and the new garden allowed for a permanent pier.

No sooner said than done! The images improved, but so did the risk of a flawed result, as the objects became more challenging over time and the exposure times longer, making image processing more complicated and time-consuming. Here, too, I sought support and advice to help me along my learning curve. Equipment-wise, I upgraded to a modified DSLR, then a cooled astro camera… and a second and third followed. The GSO wasn't enough anymore, so I got a 10" f/4 Newtonian. Along with that, I acquired a 150mm Maksutov-Cassegrain with an 1800mm focal length and an Esprit 80ED eyepiece, along with Barlow lenses, a guiding tube, and so on. Eventually, you find your favorite. For me, it's the 10" f/4 Newtonian, which I then "tuned." Different focuser, velour lining, secondary mirror heater, etc. Two and a half years ago, I had a roll-off roof enclosure built around the pier, a decision I haven't regretted for a single moment, despite the cost.


For me, it's a luxury these days to be able to be completely spontaneous when I see the sky clearing and it's worth opening the roof and getting the system up and running within 10 minutes. My takeaway is: Get support, ask experienced astrophotographers for advice, don't hesitate to seek advice from reputable shops, and above all... don't do or buy anything you haven't researched beforehand or haven't considered for what you intend to use it. There's no point in buying a 10" f/4 Newtonian if you want wide-field views, and there's no point in buying an Esprit 80ED if you want details of nebulae or galaxies (well... except for M31 or M33). With that in mind, I wish you all much enjoyment with this exciting hobby, which can bring much joy with positive results, but also many disappointments with negative ones. And if you ever need support or have questions, feel free to ask. Because I'm happy to share what I know.