Hi Richard, what an excellent giveaway from SkyWatcher, and yourself. I'd love to win this, but even if I don't, I'm sure whomever does will get amazing use out of it. I currently live in the middle of Australia, in Tennant Creek, and wow, the night skies are epic out this way. I've been playing with astro photography a few years, it's something I enjoy, but when I want to see amazing images, or gwt inspired to keep having a go, I reckon your channel is the only place I ever look. Cheers again for the many educational and inspirational vlogs
would love the tracking mount, i have been researching barn door DIY solutions but not too impressed with the work involved and my ability to make one. im in Brisbane northside and i really want to get some tracked night shots of the glasshouse mountains. thanks Richard for all your videos that inspire all of us to give it a go.
Wow, what a wonderful prize. For me it is all about trying to take my nightscape photography to the next stage, yes I have a long way to go and lots to learn
Hi Richard gr8 to see you again you've got some beautiful shots going on there question dose Bendigo have an art gallery?? You are cleaning out your walls ready for new shots to go up. We are now comming into your quiet time for astro but you are busier than ever.
Wow, another great show, now having a smaller star tracker would help were I like to go, top of mt Ngungun,wild horse. I have found other trackers way to heave for my hike up these hills. I used a star trackerfor milky way over Burra homestead. May e a workshop with one would help. Calanda time again this year went quick.
Thanks Richard Your videos are always full of information and just love the end results of all the photographs , would love to win the sky watcher pro .
Oh wow! Your photos are stunning. I've just started my astrophotgraphy journey [at 60+] and would love it if my photos looked half as good as yours. Thank you so much for step by step guides. You make it all look so easy. I love experimenting, and even though I'm just starting out in astro, I'd love a Star Adventurer Mini Pro Pack. The possibilities are endless. I would love to do a workshop with you. Now, just to get down from NSW.
Another cracking video Richard for Saturday morning start. Thank you Richard and SKywatcher Australia. I would love to get this small tracker to use for my night sky photography..
Looking forward to your exhibition Richard, i’d love to be able to take images half as good as yours. Love these Panorama, if only 🙂. I’ll keep watching and practicing when I can. Paul
These images are literally out of this world! I would love a star tracker! Next April I am doing a trip thru central Australia, along the Nulabor then up the west coast. A great opportunity for some dark skies and some spectacular scenery ❤
Wow, Richard! Your astrophotography is absolutely stunning! The level of detail you capture is mind-blowing. 🌌 With a new star tracker, i imagine the incredible shots I could achieve like yours- so many mesmerizing celestial wonders to share. Keep up the fantastic work! 🔭📷"
What a wonderful offer. I would love to advance my night sky photography here in New Zealand. I am up to stacking and star trails but would love to start real tracking to get the most out of my images. All the best for your exhibition - your images are amazing and so inspirational.
Wow.. that's an awesome giveaway Richard!.... I've just started my nightscape photography journey & have been following along with your adventures & learning a lot from you. Thank you for sharing your experience & passion!
You have inspired me to look up to the stars and try to capture the beauty, hopefully with a Star Adventurer Mini I can capture it for more than 20 seconds👌
Hi Richard, With watching your channel over the last few years I know it’s not really about the gear, it’s about the stars and that’s where your passion and excitement for our wonderful Southern Hemisphere skies shines through. The SkyWatcher Star Adenturer Mini would be a valuable addition to my Astro kit bag as the tracker I have used for the last three years can be very temperamental like the Benro you mentioned and I’d be really happy to have the SkyWatcher Mini tracker to help my workflow.
A cracking selection of images Richard, but your big pano @ 9:40 had a real wow factor for me 👏. I'd love to visit your exhibition in Bendigo and meet you in person, but the round trip from here in the UK is a bit of a jaunt! I do hope that you'll get to show us around here on the channel?
I'm doing astrophotography for a few years as a hobby. I learned a lot from your channel. I mainly love the challenge of overcoming gear's limits! A tracker would keep me busy for months! And hopefully I can take some good shots with it. Thanks for runnings this channel!
Hey Richard, long time viewer (cliche), but I don't comment much as I'm always watching on my appleTV to make the most of the images you & other photography vloggers put up. So I'll take the time to thank you for your content & help pushing me to get out & point my camera upwards to our southern skies. It's just so nice having a southern hemisphere perspective & of course I learn something everyday, & of course being on a Z7ii everything you say is directly applicable to my gear - bonus. Not having any tracking gear at all, of course this would be a huge step up for my images. We love your good mate Will from Skywatcher, very generous of him & you. All the best for your calendar this year, looks great.
So hoping to win the star tracker. I think having a star tracker will improve my milky way shots and as I'm planning to go to Tassie next year it would be a great bit of kit to learn. Learning panoramas is something I'm really keen on trying and I've never thought of shooting with my 85mm or 50mm, but after seeing that 85mm photo Richard I am going to give it a go. Regardless if I am the lucky winner or not, at your recommendation I'll definitely be buying one. Good luck with the exhibition, I'm sure you'll be a huge success. Love your work 😊
Thanks Richard for having a RUclips channel based in Australia to start with. I have spent years now being interested in Astrophotography, and have enjoyed watching your channel and following your tutorials on Nightscape Photography. Not only has your channel guided me on the start of my Astrophotography journey, but it has also inspired me to do better, look at compositions more thoughtfully and most of all, enjoy the experience! I have been dealing with some health issues recently as well that had put a stop to my enjoyment of this pastime, but hopefully now after the last procedure, can work on getting back into getting out there. I would definitely be using the Skywatcher Mini to create Milky Way images up here in Northern Qld, as there are many opportunities up here for stunning landscapes with a Milky Way backdrop. The ease of setting up the tracker, as you have demonstrated through your tutorials, makes it a “must have” piece of kit to add to my equipment arsenal! Thanks again for your knowledge and expertise, and keep those travel series videos coming. The Tasmanian adventure recently was fantastic!
Love watching your videos Richard. The inspired me to start trying untracked nightscapes with some light painting with a second hand 14mm Samyang and an old EOS 60d. So rare we get the opportunity to participate in competitions down under! and i would love to have the opportunity to play with a star tracker!! Thanks for all the tutorials, they really give some nice tips to get started in this hobby. Fingers crossed !!
Great video Richard. Very generous of Sky Watcher and you to give away a Mini Pro Pack. It will make a great addition to someone's "astro toolbox". Look forward to finding out your exhibition dates as a drive down could be on the cards. I am impressed with what you have been doing with the Benro. Hope you get the unit back soon. Cheers
I'm also waiting on a replacement polaris! Your shots are gorgeous and inspiring cant wait to get it back! Now winter is over here in aus looking forward to getting out into clear warmer nights!
Wow, what a generous offer from Sky Watcher. I would love to be considered for the offer of a Sky Watcher mini, would love to be a little more inspired to get out & take more Astro images & the simplicity, portability & improved functionality of the mini would be perfect for providing this motivation…thanks again Richard
Beautiful images, as always! Unfortunately, I live in California so don't qualify for give-a-way, but would had used it so I could use an 85mm in which I would have to do pans. Did you use the star reduction software in your image of the windmill? Love it and thinking on buying the software! Let me know when you come out to California, we can go out to Mono Lake, Death Valley and Alabama Hills! Chow!
All your photos are glorious with something special about each one and I actually end up pretty breathless by the end. I thought Tasmania wouldn't be topped but here we are back home with an array of stunning captures. Oh my! I always try to pick one and I don't know if it's the 'touch of moonlight' or 'the bitumen road' or the 'dead tree and cows' or... Thank you so much, Richard.
Loved the story and images as usual. Thank you for keeping us updated. I would love to be able to take tracked skies. The Benro sounds exciting, but I would not contemplate a purchase of one until the issues people are having have been resolved as it would be such a big layout in money for me. Wishing you well with your exhibition which I would love to see but of course being in NZ that won't be possible. Till next time thanks again Richard.
Thank Richard for photography inspiration, I'm getting back into photography after a long break. And astro/ nightime has taken more of an interest lately. Thanks for the great tuition on the way you take and edit photos. Cheers Richard.
Hi Richard. I would love the Star adventurer mini. I am early on my journey through astro photography and totally mesmerised by the skill. The sky I recently experienced through the Simpson desert would of been a blast to shoot the with the Adventurer mini but happy to say I did get a few stacked images anyhow. Love your work mate. Thanks
Wishing you the greatest success on your gallery show my friend! Wish I could attend and have the chance to meet you. One of these days possibly we can have a cuppa & biscuit together. Hope your Polaris issues get straightened out. Those images are look spectacular! 14mm and 85mm are stunning!
Wow ! awesome images again Richard, great that your Benro Polaris is getting sorted as it must have been very frustrating not switching on properly. Finally getting some clear nights out here in NZ so getting a bit of practice in with my Sony A7R ii and 20mm lens, purchased a second hand Tracker but it wasn't in the condition that the owner stated but am getting it sorted. The Star Adventurer Mini Pro Pack sounds like like a wonderful gift for someone, it would be nice and light for backpacking up Mount Ruapehu out here. I want to get up there for some shots later in the year. Be over your way 14th October to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat with the Two Mad Photographers then hire a car and spend two more weeks tripping around the outer Brisbane area as my wife knows it well. I will be purchasing another calendar, the last one was a beaut too ! Cheers
Thank you for the inspirational work you do , information loaded videos that are so easy to follow . It’s so nice to get the mojo back and feel excited about trying something new ! Definitely would love to give tracking a go and see new possibilities of what it can offer , nothing better than a new learning curve :)
Thanks for the information library you put out each week. It will be great to see you for your exhibition. Making the drive from Adelaide hills. Cant wait to see some prints up close. Cheers Paul
Good on you Richard. I love the prints you showed. I would certainly love the star tracker to be able to get easily noise free shots. I have been enjoying taking night shots and am greatly encouraged by your videos.
Hi Richard. Thankyou so much for all your amazing videos. You have taught me so much, and I am truly grateful for what you do. I would love the Star Adventurer Mini, so I can get out in the cold South Island of NZ nights and get the results you get !! Thanks heaps. Nick.
Hi Richard 😊I have been watching your videos on night scape and light painting for some time now and have learnt so much,inspirational! Thank You. A star watcher mini would be a great addition to assist in getting better photos of the night sky 😊PS Totally enjoyed your trip around Tasmania
I luv your videos Richard and especially the tutorial videos. I am very early into the learning curve on astrophotography and especially landscape photography. I'm like a kid walking into a candy store, I want to try all new things about this hobby (all the time). I find the learning curve really enjoyable, all the ups and all the downs, so when I go away I want to have a small portable sky tracker unit I can tuck away in my luggage, I'll even sacrifice clothing space to get it in, ha.. Happy Days Ahead!!
The Star Adventurer would be a lovely upgrade on my homemade Barn Door tracker, better than turning the screw to try to keep the stars in the middle. Good luck to the winner.
Moved to Australia from Denmark a year and half ago and are living in a rural area where the darkness at night is unreal, no light pollution compared to the places i have tried to take photos at home of the night sky, been following for quite a while and always been interested but never fully dived into yet but id like to give it a go in a proper way, keep up the good work
Hi Richard, I love your videos and have learned a lot. I am getting into Aurora's and Milkyway photography. I particularly like the light painting you have been doing. Thanks for the wonderful videos
Love your work and videos love to add to this to my partners kit as his passion is photography and just getting into astro photography and enjoys every video you post
Hi Richard, your channel has been a great help when I get out of the city to indulge my photography. Winning the Benro Polaris would be a great tool for getting those panoramic shots. I really struggle to manually pan and stitch the images. Someone will be a lucky winner!
Hi Richard, as always, great video. I was out with friends on the weekend shooting the milky way south of Canberra. One friend actually had a Sky Watcher mini setup and allowed me to use my camera on it. The clarity achieved was amazing. I would love a Sky Watcher mini myself to be able to take my astro photography to the next level.
hi< i have watched every eposode you have ever made. i would love to track the night sky and try my own hand at what you have achived. a tracker would change my life. Thank you for all your totorials. simon.
Hi Richard, I'm fascinated by the night sky and have been trying to capture the Milky Way, I'm trying to emulate some of the stunning images you create - A Star Tracker would be a missing link to help me achieve the wonder I see.
Your photography has driven me to want to shoot nightscape absolutely love your work ... I would use this tracker to up my game ... keep up the awesome work!
Thank you Richard for such fantastic videos, and I absolutely love your photos. I have never thought about star trackers, I thought it would be too hard. But watching your videos you have inspired me to improve and maybe explore getting a star tracker. It would be lovely to own one and improve my night photography. Thank you.
Awesome pictures, and thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge through your videos. With a tracker, I could try to take my photos to the next level. Thanks
Wow, that's some results your getting there Richard, 85mm photos are amazing but I have to say the two shots at the end and the one of your house are my choices here, just great scenes really. As for the Star Adventurer giveaway, that's a generous prize indeed. Never used one myself and would feel a bit intimidated by it to be honest...my photography skills are, how would you say, developing. Sad but intentional pun there. Someone is going to be a happy camper though, great prize. Good luck with your exhibition.
Richard - You have great shots of the Milky Way from your Benro Polaris. My buddy in Las Vegas has had his for awhile and frankly the performance was not great and it took several software updates to get it to work properly. Your photos are inspiring. I hope to make it to your part of the world soon.
Hi Richard Great follow up video on the Benro Polaris Astro tracker. I am very much an avid follower and always appreciate the excellent content you take the time to share with us. I love TEC in Astro photography and very much like your self I really enjoy a good MW pano. I have now ordered my Benro Polaris Astro and can’t wait to tackle the TEC. Looking forward to see more from you when you get yours back . Thx for everything keep up the great work 👍
@@nightscapeimages.richard I am going to be shooting on the canon R5 and Astro mod HA 6D. I will be looking to see if they have updated the ability to read RAW images, also being able to view images on the camera. The 3 main lenses I will be using are canon 16-35mm f2.8 L, Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM ART Lens my go to Pano lens, finally samyang 14mm manual lens but have concerns as this probably won’t work with the app. And advise you may have would be well received. I will share my findings as I go as well. Delivery is scheduled for the beginning of October
I suspect that all your lenses will be fine, but I don't think you'll be able to see the screen on your camera and phone at the same time . .same issue I have with my Nikons. I wouldn't suggest trying to send RAW files to the Benro app. I'd set the camera to shoot RAW and small size jpegs. The jpegs will be read by the Polaris and the Raws are what you use to edit later on. @@markpenberthy619
Hi Richard I thoroughly enjoyed your recent Tasmanian adventures and hope to get there one day myself I think adding a Sky Adventurer Mini to my kit would be a great advantage to getting better astro photos and hopefully a step closer to the fantastic images you create
Well done Richard, another great video. Looking forward to your upcoming exhibition in Bendigo. Also a shout out to the Star Adventurer Mini reps for donating said tracker for a lucky person to win. I've only just dabbled in Astro photography shooting single images but would love to use a tracker. Keep up the good work.
Great images as always Richard, glad the Polaris is coming together for you. Have to admit sitting around having a cuppa while it is working is definitely one of my favourite aspects of it. 😄
As always your pictures are beyond excellent!! Unfortunately I'm from the United States (Idaho) so I'm not eligible. I'm always impressed with your work.
Beautiful set of images Richard, the 85mm looks amazing. The Star Adventurer Mini would be an awesome piece of kit for travelling. Wishing you well with the exhibition 🙂
Gorgeous images once again Richard 👌🌌 very generous giveaway but unfortunately I’m in the UK and it’s a bit far to attend your event 😂 some beautiful framed examples, hope it goes well 👍
Hi Richard, have been watching your channel for a few years now. Really enjoy them, especially your trips around Tasmania. It was your videos that prompted me to do one myself. I've been trying my hand at astro photography on and off for some time with some success, but living on the east of Melbourne means I need to travel a fair distance to get dark skies. The Star adventurer mini would give me more options when it comes to nightscape photography
Hi Richard, awesome tracked shots. I thought Tassie was fabulous but outdone by your own backyard. Would love the opportunity to try a tracking mount for my bush trips out west 😎
I've been following and enjoying your channel for a while. I live in a very dark area with little light pollution and great night skies and have been wanting to get into astrophotography and night images. It would be awesome winning the Star Adventurer Mini!
Thank you for the offer for this giveaway! I have just started exploring astrophotography and would definitely use this to continue my development. I just mapped all of the spots that you visited in SA for inspiration and am planning a trip to visit some of the spots to continue to develop my skills. Would love to have this to bring on the trip. Thank you for the inspiration and the videos.
great shots mate, i was surprised at how small the sky watcher mini is, it would be great for just having in the car in case you happen upon a nice scene out on a night drive like that one you got on the side of the road, very handy bit of kit indeed.
Stunning work, Richard. I don’t own a tracker but the idea of going on a new learning curve to get the best astro images I can with the help of a tracker is a very exiting thought.
Great to see you getting some good results from the Polaris Richard, hopefully you get it back soon with the switch issue resolved. I love shooting tight panos at 85mm, especially at this time of year with a low horizontal core. The detail of captured is breathtaking.
G'day Richard. Great images, big fan fan your work. I used to be based in Shepparton and if I knew you where in Bendigo I would have come and checked out your work there. Having the mini would be a great addition to my kit. I currently use the star adventurer 2i for deep sky astro and when I want to do any nightscapes I can be a pain to dismantle everything and pack it all down to transport it all to a location. That being said I have recently started my own photography website and I want to add more nightscape images of my local area to add to and promote my website. The mini I guess would help streamline the acquisition of those shots. Keep up the good work and clear skies.
Hi Richard, I'm just starting out in Astrophotography... camera and lens only at the monent. Been eyeing those Star Adventurer Minis, they look the shiz. Would love to add it to my kit. Cheers.
Hey mate, another great video, I've been using the move shoot move for a while now and would love the massive upgrade to the sky watcher mini pro! Keep up the great work 🙌🙏
YES my friend, I can see how you suffering from only being able to photograph in a bordle class 4 environment (from your house) and you tell that to someone who lives in a class 7 zone. I don't even want to get all gloomy. It could be worse. 😂😂😂 But excellent shots as always. Simply superb. Greedings from Switzerland.
Thanks so much for watching my friend. There are large portions of Australia that have very little light pollution and I feel blessed every day for that fact.
Hi Richard , your work is just outstanding. Pano is just amazing . You videos are very educational and inspirational . It motivates me to go out . Star Adv Mini seems like a cool compact device- very using to carry around and would definitely improve my photography. You should plan to do Astro workshop in NZ too . Thanks
Hi Richard, your photos just seem to get better and better! The panos were terrific, I am glad that you are getting to grips with the Benro Polaris. I now wish I lived in Australia, then I could visit your exhibition and maybe win a SA ( I already have one, so it's not so bad ). I was surprised to hear you use MS ICE, I used this in the past and found it to be very good on astro panos but recently I couldn't find it, I thought MS stopped offering it. I recently tried Hugin, also free and works very well. One question to your last photo, I understood this to be a sigle image with tracking for 61s. If so, how did you get the foreground so sharp ? Normally with tracking the foreground is blurred and needs to be taken seperately without tracking. A couple of days ago I took some nice MW shots in the alps. Tonight I will revisit the location and do a small pano. I will send you the results per PM tomorrow.
Thanks so much for watching as always David. I also heard ICE was discontinued but I found a spot to download it. The foreground is a separate single image.
G'day Richard, I've been using the another very basic tracker, which is a real pain to set up in the Southern hemisphere with random results, the Sky Watcher Mini would revolutionise the workflow for me. The calendar turned up in the mail and looks fab . Can't wait to next year to get it up on the wall 👌
G'day Richard. Love to hear someone mention MS ICE. I really miss the old Photosynth days. Beautiful shot, and you probably never had to get out of your jammies!
Another great. Idea with images that are exquisite
Hi Richard, what an excellent giveaway from SkyWatcher, and yourself. I'd love to win this, but even if I don't, I'm sure whomever does will get amazing use out of it. I currently live in the middle of Australia, in Tennant Creek, and wow, the night skies are epic out this way. I've been playing with astro photography a few years, it's something I enjoy, but when I want to see amazing images, or gwt inspired to keep having a go, I reckon your channel is the only place I ever look. Cheers again for the many educational and inspirational vlogs
Thanks so much for your great support.
would love the tracking mount, i have been researching barn door DIY solutions but not too impressed with the work involved and my ability to make one. im in Brisbane northside and i really want to get some tracked night shots of the glasshouse mountains. thanks Richard for all your videos that inspire all of us to give it a go.
Thanks so much for watching.
@@nightscapeimages.richard also ordered one of your wonderful calendars..
Thank you @@spud4242
Wow, what a wonderful prize. For me it is all about trying to take my nightscape photography to the next stage, yes I have a long way to go and lots to learn
We are all on a learning curve David.
Hi Richard gr8 to see you again you've got some beautiful shots going on there question dose Bendigo have an art gallery?? You are cleaning out your walls ready for new shots to go up. We are now comming into your quiet time for astro but you are busier than ever.
Thanks again for watching. Yes Bendigo has a few galleries. I'm keeping out of trouble.
Wow, another great show, now having a smaller star tracker would help were I like to go, top of mt Ngungun,wild horse. I have found other trackers way to heave for my hike up these hills. I used a star trackerfor milky way over Burra homestead. May e a workshop with one would help. Calanda time again this year went quick.
Yes time does move quickly doesn't it Phil. Seems like yesterday we were out on the farm.
@@nightscapeimages.richard a great time and good people, good fun
Thanks Richard Your videos are always full of information and just love the end results of all the photographs , would love to win the sky watcher pro .
Thanks heaps for watching.
Oh wow! Your photos are stunning. I've just started my astrophotgraphy journey [at 60+] and would love it if my photos looked half as good as yours. Thank you so much for step by step guides. You make it all look so easy. I love experimenting, and even though I'm just starting out in astro, I'd love a Star Adventurer Mini Pro Pack. The possibilities are endless. I would love to do a workshop with you. Now, just to get down from NSW.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments Libby. Just enjoy the journey .. it is a wonderful way to spend your nights under the stars.
Marvellous images as usual Richard. Glad to hear the calendar is out, I’ll put my order in for a couple again this year. Thanks.
Thanks so much Brad.
Another cracking video Richard for Saturday morning start. Thank you Richard and SKywatcher Australia. I would love to get this small tracker to use for my night sky photography..
You're a legend Virat
Looking forward to your exhibition Richard, i’d love to be able to take images half as good as yours. Love these Panorama, if only 🙂. I’ll keep watching and practicing when I can.
Paul
Thanks for watching Paul.
These images are literally out of this world!
I would love a star tracker! Next April I am doing a trip thru central Australia, along the Nulabor then up the west coast. A great opportunity for some dark skies and some spectacular scenery ❤
Thanks so much for watching Lynne. That sounds like a wonderful trip.
Wow, Richard! Your astrophotography is absolutely stunning! The level of detail you capture is mind-blowing. 🌌 With a new star tracker, i imagine the incredible shots I could achieve like yours- so many mesmerizing celestial wonders to share. Keep up the fantastic work! 🔭📷"
Thanks so much for watching.
What a wonderful offer. I would love to advance my night sky photography here in New Zealand. I am up to stacking and star trails but would love to start real tracking to get the most out of my images. All the best for your exhibition - your images are amazing and so inspirational.
I very much appreciate your comments, thanks for watching.
Wow.. that's an awesome giveaway Richard!.... I've just started my nightscape photography journey & have been following along with your adventures & learning a lot from you. Thank you for sharing your experience & passion!
Thanks so much my friend.
You have inspired me to look up to the stars and try to capture the beauty, hopefully with a Star Adventurer Mini I can capture it for more than 20 seconds👌
Thanks so much for watching.
Richard you have taken Nightscape photography to the next level with these images.
Love all of the images.
Thanks as always Julie
Beautiful photos, I love your photos Richard, and the Benro Polaris is a great tool, much success for your Photographic exhibition for November
Many thanks indeed Mario
Would love a mini for its portability and ease of use! Thanks again for all the videos you put out!
Thanks so much for watching.
Hi Richard,
With watching your channel over the last few years I know it’s not really about the gear, it’s about the stars and that’s where your passion and excitement for our wonderful Southern Hemisphere skies shines through. The SkyWatcher Star Adenturer Mini would be a valuable addition to my Astro kit bag as the tracker I have used for the last three years can be very temperamental like the Benro you mentioned and I’d be really happy to have the SkyWatcher Mini tracker to help my workflow.
As always I very much appreciate you watching Carl.
A cracking selection of images Richard, but your big pano @ 9:40 had a real wow factor for me 👏. I'd love to visit your exhibition in Bendigo and meet you in person, but the round trip from here in the UK is a bit of a jaunt! I do hope that you'll get to show us around here on the channel?
Thanks for your kind words Paul
I'm doing astrophotography for a few years as a hobby. I learned a lot from your channel.
I mainly love the challenge of overcoming gear's limits! A tracker would keep me busy for months! And hopefully I can take some good shots with it.
Thanks for runnings this channel!
You're very welcome, I appreciate your comments.
Another great vid Richard we are about to start doing outback trips with our van and a Star Watcher would add another dimension cheers 🍻
Thanks for watching Terry
Absolutely stunning pictures! Great work
Greetings from Germany
I very much appreciate you watching.
Hey Richard, long time viewer (cliche), but I don't comment much as I'm always watching on my appleTV to make the most of the images you & other photography vloggers put up. So I'll take the time to thank you for your content & help pushing me to get out & point my camera upwards to our southern skies. It's just so nice having a southern hemisphere perspective & of course I learn something everyday, & of course being on a Z7ii everything you say is directly applicable to my gear - bonus. Not having any tracking gear at all, of course this would be a huge step up for my images. We love your good mate Will from Skywatcher, very generous of him & you. All the best for your calendar this year, looks great.
Thanks heaps for watching my friend.
So hoping to win the star tracker. I think having a star tracker will improve my milky way shots and as I'm planning to go to Tassie next year it would be a great bit of kit to learn. Learning panoramas is something I'm really keen on trying and I've never thought of shooting with my 85mm or 50mm, but after seeing that 85mm photo Richard I am going to give it a go. Regardless if I am the lucky winner or not, at your recommendation I'll definitely be buying one.
Good luck with the exhibition, I'm sure you'll be a huge success. Love your work 😊
Thanks Sharon, that's really kind of you.
Might have so see if I can make it to Bendigo :). This mount would be a great start to a hobby I have wanted to dip my toes in for a long time
Thanks heaps for watching.
Thanks Richard for having a RUclips channel based in Australia to start with. I have spent years now being interested in Astrophotography, and have enjoyed watching your channel and following your tutorials on Nightscape Photography. Not only has your channel guided me on the start of my Astrophotography journey, but it has also inspired me to do better, look at compositions more thoughtfully and most of all, enjoy the experience! I have been dealing with some health issues recently as well that had put a stop to my enjoyment of this pastime, but hopefully now after the last procedure, can work on getting back into getting out there. I would definitely be using the Skywatcher Mini to create Milky Way images up here in Northern Qld, as there are many opportunities up here for stunning landscapes with a Milky Way backdrop. The ease of setting up the tracker, as you have demonstrated through your tutorials, makes it a “must have” piece of kit to add to my equipment arsenal! Thanks again for your knowledge and expertise, and keep those travel series videos coming. The Tasmanian adventure recently was fantastic!
Thanks so much for your wonderful support. I hope you get better soon.
Love watching your videos Richard. The inspired me to start trying untracked nightscapes with some light painting with a second hand 14mm Samyang and an old EOS 60d. So rare we get the opportunity to participate in competitions down under! and i would love to have the opportunity to play with a star tracker!! Thanks for all the tutorials, they really give some nice tips to get started in this hobby. Fingers crossed !!
Thanks so much for watching Dean, really appreciate it.
Great video Richard. Very generous of Sky Watcher and you to give away a Mini Pro Pack. It will make a great addition to someone's "astro toolbox". Look forward to finding out your exhibition dates as a drive down could be on the cards. I am impressed with what you have been doing with the Benro. Hope you get the unit back soon. Cheers
Thanks so much Tony. Exhibition is November 3-5 2023
I'm also waiting on a replacement polaris! Your shots are gorgeous and inspiring cant wait to get it back! Now winter is over here in aus looking forward to getting out into clear warmer nights!
Thanks so much for watching.
Wow, what a generous offer from Sky Watcher. I would love to be considered for the offer of a Sky Watcher mini, would love to be a little more inspired to get out & take more Astro images & the simplicity, portability & improved functionality of the mini would be perfect for providing this motivation…thanks again Richard
You're very welcome my friend.
Beautiful images, as always! Unfortunately, I live in California so don't qualify for give-a-way, but would had used it so I could use an 85mm in which I would have to do pans. Did you use the star reduction software in your image of the windmill? Love it and thinking on buying the software! Let me know when you come out to California, we can go out to Mono Lake, Death Valley and Alabama Hills! Chow!
Thanks as always for your kind comments Kerry. Yes I did use StarXterminator on those shots.
All your photos are glorious with something special about each one and I actually end up pretty breathless by the end. I thought Tasmania wouldn't be topped but here we are back home with an array of stunning captures. Oh my! I always try to pick one and I don't know if it's the 'touch of moonlight' or 'the bitumen road' or the 'dead tree and cows' or... Thank you so much, Richard.
Your comments are very much appreciated Joan, thank you.
Hi Richard good to see benro are comming to the party to fix your base
Loved the story and images as usual. Thank you for keeping us updated. I would love to be able to take tracked skies. The Benro sounds exciting, but I would not contemplate a purchase of one until the issues people are having have been resolved as it would be such a big layout in money for me. Wishing you well with your exhibition which I would love to see but of course being in NZ that won't be possible. Till next time thanks again Richard.
Thanks for your great ongoing support Les.
I would love to see your exhibition; can you create a post showing us who are not in Australia? I just purchased my calendar!!
Thanks so much for watching. The exhibition will be in Bendigo, Central Victoria
Thank Richard for photography inspiration, I'm getting back into photography after a long break. And astro/ nightime has taken more of an interest lately. Thanks for the great tuition on the way you take and edit photos.
Cheers Richard.
I really appreciate your support Richard, thanks for watching.
Awesome Richard.
The Sw mini would be a great addition due to its portability. Love the calendars🤩
Thanks so much Derek
Hey Mate I would really love the Min skywatcher as it would get me out at night more to shoot the Core. I never do enough of it. Have a good one
Thanks heaps for watching Steve
Hi Richard. I would love the Star adventurer mini. I am early on my journey through astro photography and totally mesmerised by the skill.
The sky I recently experienced through the Simpson desert would of been a blast to shoot the with the Adventurer mini but happy to say I did get a few stacked images anyhow. Love your work mate. Thanks
Thanks for your kind words, appreciate you watching.
Wishing you the greatest success on your gallery show my friend! Wish I could attend and have the chance to meet you. One of these days possibly we can have a cuppa & biscuit together. Hope your Polaris issues get straightened out. Those images are look spectacular! 14mm and 85mm are stunning!
I really appreciate that John, thanks heaps.
Wow ! awesome images again Richard, great that your Benro Polaris is getting sorted as it must have been very frustrating not switching on properly. Finally getting some clear nights out here in NZ so getting a bit of practice in with my Sony A7R ii and 20mm lens, purchased a second hand Tracker but it wasn't in the condition that the owner stated but am getting it sorted. The Star Adventurer Mini Pro Pack sounds like like a wonderful gift for someone, it would be nice and light for backpacking up Mount Ruapehu out here. I want to get up there for some shots later in the year. Be over your way 14th October to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat with the Two Mad Photographers then hire a car and spend two more weeks tripping around the outer Brisbane area as my wife knows it well. I will be purchasing another calendar, the last one was a beaut too ! Cheers
Thanks so much Royce, really appreciate your support.
Thank you for the inspirational work you do , information loaded videos that are so easy to follow . It’s so nice to get the mojo back and feel excited about trying something new ! Definitely would love to give tracking a go and see new possibilities of what it can offer , nothing better than a new learning curve :)
I appreciate your support my friend. Unfortunately the competition has concluded.
Thanks for the information library you put out each week. It will be great to see you for your exhibition. Making the drive from Adelaide hills. Cant wait to see some prints up close. Cheers Paul
That's very kind of you Paul. Thanks for watching.
Good on you Richard. I love the prints you showed. I would certainly love the star tracker to be able to get easily noise free shots. I have been enjoying taking night shots and am greatly encouraged by your videos.
I really appreciate you watching Colin
Hi Richard. Thankyou so much for all your amazing videos. You have taught me so much, and I am truly grateful for what you do. I would love the Star Adventurer Mini, so I can get out in the cold South Island of NZ nights and get the results you get !! Thanks heaps. Nick.
I really appreciate that Nick.
Hi Richard 😊I have been watching your videos on night scape and light painting for some time now and have learnt so much,inspirational! Thank You. A star watcher mini would be a great addition to assist in getting better photos of the night sky 😊PS Totally enjoyed your trip around Tasmania
Thanks again for your great support.
Hi Richard another great video, I especially liked the 85mm images, such great detail. Clear skies 🖖
Thanks Gavin
I luv your videos Richard and especially the tutorial videos. I am very early into the learning curve on astrophotography and especially landscape photography. I'm like a kid walking into a candy store, I want to try all new things about this hobby (all the time). I find the learning curve really enjoyable, all the ups and all the downs, so when I go away I want to have a small portable sky tracker unit I can tuck away in my luggage, I'll even sacrifice clothing space to get it in, ha.. Happy Days Ahead!!
Thanks so much for watching Karl
You have got the Polaris mastered Richard in these images. Excellent results with all of the lenses. 👍😎👌
Thanks so much Geoff. It's still away at present. .so the wait is on.
The Star Adventurer would be a lovely upgrade on my homemade Barn Door tracker, better than turning the screw to try to keep the stars in the middle. Good luck to the winner.
Haha, yes I remember those days as well Bob.
Amazing work. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate the time you take to make these videos.
You're very welcome
Moved to Australia from Denmark a year and half ago and are living in a rural area where the darkness at night is unreal, no light pollution compared to the places i have tried to take photos at home of the night sky, been following for quite a while and always been interested but never fully dived into yet but id like to give it a go in a proper way, keep up the good work
Thanks so much for your comments Thomas.
Hi Richard, I love your videos and have learned a lot. I am getting into Aurora's and Milkyway photography. I particularly like the light painting you have been doing. Thanks for the wonderful videos
I'm really pleased you find the videos helpful Paul. Thanks for watching.
Love your work and videos love to add to this to my partners kit as his passion is photography and just getting into astro photography and enjoys every video you post
Thanks heaps Karen, really appreciate that.
Hi Richard, your channel has been a great help when I get out of the city to indulge my photography. Winning the Benro Polaris would be a great tool for getting those panoramic shots. I really struggle to manually pan and stitch the images. Someone will be a lucky winner!
Thanks so much for your support Brian
Loving your videos Richard. Would love to use a sky tracker on some of the old homesteads and huts around Canberra and into the dark national parks
Good stuff Dave, thanks for watching.
Hi Richard, as always, great video. I was out with friends on the weekend shooting the milky way south of Canberra. One friend actually had a Sky Watcher mini setup and allowed me to use my camera on it. The clarity achieved was amazing. I would love a Sky Watcher mini myself to be able to take my astro photography to the next level.
Thanks so much for watching Mark
hi< i have watched every eposode you have ever made. i would love to track the night sky and try my own hand at what you have achived. a tracker would change my life. Thank you for all your totorials.
simon.
That's very kind of you Simon, thank you.
The mini looks like an excellent tool to tour the country finding fascinating nightscapes to photograph.
It is a great tool Craig
Hi Richard, I'm fascinated by the night sky and have been trying to capture the Milky Way, I'm trying to emulate some of the stunning images you create - A Star Tracker would be a missing link to help me achieve the wonder I see.
Thanks for your kind words Philip
Your photography has driven me to want to shoot nightscape absolutely love your work ... I would use this tracker to up my game ... keep up the awesome work!
Thanks so much for watching.
I’d love to get one of the star adventurer minis! Been getting into Astrophotography and this would be an ideal tool to push that forward!
Yes it's a great piece of gear.
Thank you Richard for such fantastic videos, and I absolutely love your photos. I have never thought about star trackers, I thought it would be too hard. But watching your videos you have inspired me to improve and maybe explore getting a star tracker. It would be lovely to own one and improve my night photography. Thank you.
I'm really pleased to hear that Suzanne. Thanks for watching.
Love the photo you took on the way home from the shep camera club. I was lovely to meet you at the club meeting.
It was a great night.
Awesome pictures, and thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge through your videos. With a tracker, I could try to take my photos to the next level. Thanks
Many thanks for watching.
Wow, that's some results your getting there Richard, 85mm photos are amazing but I have to say the two shots at the end and the one of your house are my choices here, just great scenes really. As for the Star Adventurer giveaway, that's a generous prize indeed. Never used one myself and would feel a bit intimidated by it to be honest...my photography skills are, how would you say, developing. Sad but intentional pun there. Someone is going to be a happy camper though, great prize. Good luck with your exhibition.
I really appreciate your support, thanks for watching.
Richard - You have great shots of the Milky Way from your Benro Polaris. My buddy in Las Vegas has had his for awhile and frankly the performance was not great and it took several software updates to get it to work properly. Your photos are inspiring. I hope to make it to your part of the world soon.
Thanks so much for watching Joel. The Polaris can be quite fickle . .it needs to be treated with kid gloves sometimes.
Might have to visit Bendigo a little earlier than planned to catch your exhibition.
November 3-5 2023
Hi Richard
Great follow up video on the Benro Polaris Astro tracker.
I am very much an avid follower and always appreciate the excellent content you take the time to share with us.
I love TEC in Astro photography and very much like your self I really enjoy a good MW pano. I have now ordered my Benro Polaris Astro and can’t wait to tackle the TEC.
Looking forward to see more from you when you get yours back .
Thx for everything keep up the great work 👍
Thanks so much for watching Mark. I'll be keen to see how you go with the Polaris.
@@nightscapeimages.richard
I am going to be shooting on the canon R5 and Astro mod HA 6D. I will be looking to see if they have updated the ability to read RAW images, also being able to view images on the camera.
The 3 main lenses I will be using are canon 16-35mm f2.8 L, Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM ART Lens my go to Pano lens, finally samyang 14mm manual lens but have concerns as this probably won’t work with the app. And advise you may have would be well received. I will share my findings as I go as well.
Delivery is scheduled for the beginning of October
I suspect that all your lenses will be fine, but I don't think you'll be able to see the screen on your camera and phone at the same time . .same issue I have with my Nikons. I wouldn't suggest trying to send RAW files to the Benro app. I'd set the camera to shoot RAW and small size jpegs. The jpegs will be read by the Polaris and the Raws are what you use to edit later on. @@markpenberthy619
Hi Richard
I thoroughly enjoyed your recent Tasmanian adventures and hope to get there one day myself
I think adding a Sky Adventurer Mini to my kit would be a great advantage to getting better astro photos and hopefully a step closer to the fantastic images you create
Thanks so much David
Overseas. So no problem I hope someone will have the pleasure to use your giveaway. Still curious about Benro Polaris
Yes it is a curious gadget. I'll continue my testing.
Well done Richard, another great video. Looking forward to your upcoming exhibition in Bendigo. Also a shout out to the Star Adventurer Mini reps for donating said tracker for a lucky person to win. I've only just dabbled in Astro photography shooting single images but would love to use a tracker. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
Great images as always Richard, glad the Polaris is coming together for you. Have to admit sitting around having a cuppa while it is working is definitely one of my favourite aspects of it. 😄
Yes that's my favourite part as well Eric.
As always your pictures are beyond excellent!! Unfortunately I'm from the United States (Idaho) so I'm not eligible. I'm always impressed with your work.
Thanks heaps for watching Manny
Beautiful set of images Richard, the 85mm looks amazing. The Star Adventurer Mini would be an awesome piece of kit for travelling. Wishing you well with the exhibition 🙂
Thanks as always Dennis
Gorgeous images once again Richard 👌🌌 very generous giveaway but unfortunately I’m in the UK and it’s a bit far to attend your event 😂 some beautiful framed examples, hope it goes well 👍
Thanks as always for watching Garry, really appreciated.
I've always wanted to be able to perform tracked imaging. The Mini would allow me to emulate some of your amazing shots. I love your work so much
Thanks so much for watching Andrew
Hi Richard, have been watching your channel for a few years now. Really enjoy them, especially your trips around Tasmania. It was your videos that prompted me to do one myself. I've been trying my hand at astro photography on and off for some time with some success, but living on the east of Melbourne means I need to travel a fair distance to get dark skies. The Star adventurer mini would give me more options when it comes to nightscape photography
Thanks so much for watching David, really appreciated.
wow that pano over the trees along the country road is STUNNING. I'd love to be able to produce something like that.
Thanks so much for watching.
Hi Richard, awesome tracked shots. I thought Tassie was fabulous but outdone by your own backyard. Would love the opportunity to try a tracking mount for my bush trips out west 😎
Thanks for watching.
I've been following and enjoying your channel for a while. I live in a very dark area with little light pollution and great night skies and have been wanting to get into astrophotography and night images. It would be awesome winning the Star Adventurer Mini!
I really appreciate you watching my friend.
I love going camping and taking photos of the night sky, being able to use the tracker would let me go to the next level
Yes it sure would Leigh, thanks for watching.
Thank you for the offer for this giveaway! I have just started exploring astrophotography and would definitely use this to continue my development. I just mapped all of the spots that you visited in SA for inspiration and am planning a trip to visit some of the spots to continue to develop my skills. Would love to have this to bring on the trip. Thank you for the inspiration and the videos.
Thanks for watching Adam, really appreciate it.
This would be an absolute dream to win. I have been wanting a tracker for so long since seeing the results you can capture. fingers crossed
Many thanks for watching Alex
great shots mate, i was surprised at how small the sky watcher mini is, it would be great for just having in the car in case you happen upon a nice scene out on a night drive like that one you got on the side of the road, very handy bit of kit indeed.
Yes it's really handy indeed.
Stunning work, Richard. I don’t own a tracker but the idea of going on a new learning curve to get the best astro images I can with the help of a tracker is a very exiting thought.
Really appreciate you watching Mitch
Great to see you getting some good results from the Polaris Richard, hopefully you get it back soon with the switch issue resolved. I love shooting tight panos at 85mm, especially at this time of year with a low horizontal core. The detail of captured is breathtaking.
Thanks as always for watching Greg
Richard, what are the dates for your exhibition? If I can, I will try and come.
Hey Dave, it's November 3-5 2023
G'day Richard.
Great images, big fan fan your work. I used to be based in Shepparton and if I knew you where in Bendigo I would have come and checked out your work there.
Having the mini would be a great addition to my kit. I currently use the star adventurer 2i for deep sky astro and when I want to do any nightscapes I can be a pain to dismantle everything and pack it all down to transport it all to a location. That being said I have recently started my own photography website and I want to add more nightscape images of my local area to add to and promote my website. The mini I guess would help streamline the acquisition of those shots.
Keep up the good work and clear skies.
Thanks for checking out the video Dean, really appreciate it.
Hi Richard, I'm just starting out in Astrophotography... camera and lens only at the monent. Been eyeing those Star Adventurer Minis, they look the shiz. Would love to add it to my kit. Cheers.
Thanks heaps for watching.
Lovin the channel..... the Tasmania vids were excllent. :)
Hey mate, another great video, I've been using the move shoot move for a while now and would love the massive upgrade to the sky watcher mini pro! Keep up the great work 🙌🙏
Many thanks for watching.
YES my friend, I can see how you suffering from only being able to photograph in a bordle class 4 environment (from your house) and you tell that to someone who lives in a class 7 zone. I don't even want to get all gloomy. It could be worse. 😂😂😂
But excellent shots as always. Simply superb. Greedings from Switzerland.
Thanks so much for watching my friend. There are large portions of Australia that have very little light pollution and I feel blessed every day for that fact.
Hey Richard. Love your work. Just starting out and the mount would get the images flying!
Thanks so much for watching Chris
Hi Richard , your work is just outstanding. Pano is just amazing . You videos are very educational and inspirational . It motivates me to go out . Star Adv Mini seems like a cool compact device- very using to carry around and would definitely improve my photography.
You should plan to do Astro workshop in NZ too .
Thanks
I very much appreciate your kind comments.
Hi Richard, your photos just seem to get better and better! The panos were terrific, I am glad that you are getting to grips with the Benro Polaris. I now wish I lived in Australia, then I could visit your exhibition and maybe win a SA ( I already have one, so it's not so bad ). I was surprised to hear you use MS ICE, I used this in the past and found it to be very good on astro panos but recently I couldn't find it, I thought MS stopped offering it. I recently tried Hugin, also free and works very well. One question to your last photo, I understood this to be a sigle image with tracking for 61s. If so, how did you get the foreground so sharp ? Normally with tracking the foreground is blurred and needs to be taken seperately without tracking.
A couple of days ago I took some nice MW shots in the alps. Tonight I will revisit the location and do a small pano. I will send you the results per PM tomorrow.
Thanks so much for watching as always David. I also heard ICE was discontinued but I found a spot to download it. The foreground is a separate single image.
Love those images and particularly the 85mm ones. Would love the tracker to take longer exposures and lift my results significantly.
Thanks for your great support Dianne.
G'day Richard, I've been using the another very basic tracker, which is a real pain to set up in the Southern hemisphere with random results, the Sky Watcher Mini would revolutionise the workflow for me.
The calendar turned up in the mail and looks fab . Can't wait to next year to get it up on the wall 👌
Thanks so much Steve
G'day Richard. Love to hear someone mention MS ICE. I really miss the old Photosynth days. Beautiful shot, and you probably never had to get out of your jammies!
Haha, well it was a bit chilly in the back yard ..!!! Appreciate you watching.
The image at 9:08 is stunning Richard, they all are. Looking forward to trying to get to your exhibition in November cheers Jason
Thanks Jason @@DrPawfection