ANDROMEDA GALAXY with only a Camera, Lens, & Tripod

If you don't use Photoshop, watch the first the 19 minutes of this video and then switch to part 2a, 2b, or 2c, which cover other processing software:

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Links mentioned in the video:
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Supporting this channel:
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◦ You can use my referral code when buying subscriptions to Astrobin:
Existing accounts- Use Promo Code: NEBULAPHOTOS

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Gear used in this video:
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
01:20 Overview
05:46 1. Camera settings
12:57 2. Find a dark sky
13:18 3. Focus!
15:08 4. Find M31 and take your lights
16:24 5. Take calibration frames
19:16 6. Pre-processing (Deep Sky Stacker)
26:46 7. Post-processing (Photoshop)

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Music:
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Insomnia Pt. 1 by Meydän is licensed under a Attribution License.

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Social:
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Twitter: @nebulaphotos
Instagram: @nebulaphotosdotcom

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Affiliate programs disclosure:
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I am a member of the High Point Scientific, Astrobin, OPT, and Amazon affiliate programs. Product links in my video descriptions are typically affiliate links, which means, at no extra cost to you, I will make a commission if you click them and purchase something. I also have working relationships with the following companies/brands to receive products to test: QHYCCD, Hunt's Photo & Video. I do not review products for money and any brand deals will be fully disclosed. If you have any questions about any of this, please get in touch.

[sambuddhasamanta]

Sir I'm from india and due to our education system which concentrates mainly on marks and exams rather than applications and practicals, I find very little time for my hobbies, People like you and your work inspires me...

[SHINIGAMX]

I came here by random chance and stayed for like 2 hours analyzing every detail lol. I am not even related to your profession and I had no idea about this process, but it's just admirable the time, dedication, effort, and energy you put through to astonish us with such outstanding results

[HandbrakeBiscuit]

I travelled forward in time one hour just by watching this video.

[MaesHawkEye]

Can you see the passion sparkling in his eyes during the short introduction speech about time travel... Man this gave me chills. Being guided through my first steps in astrophotography by a so talented and so passionate person is just fantastic. Thank you for this !!!

[thewildgoose]

I've been a photographer for forty years and never knew anything about this!
You've just added another goal I'd hope to achieve before I eventually fall off this little rock.
Fascinating stuff and brilliantly explained.

[JillBHart]

This is one of the best astrophotography how-to videos on YouTube. It’s like a entry level course on astrophotography with an extra, advanced image processing class added as a bonus. He shows how to create amazing photos with equipment most photographers already have or can get used for a reasonable cost. The only exception to this is Photoshop, which is the focus of the last 20 minutes, but you can do much of what he describes using GIMP. Truly an excellent “must see” for anyone (like me) who wants to take their astrophotography to the next level.

[celestromel]

This is the best A-to-Z tutorial I have yet encountered! Congratulations and many thanks.

[Ken-cozd]

Great step-by-step tutorial. I accidentally shot Andromeda when I was messing around with long exposures last Sept with a Canon 5D2 and a 28mm f2.8 just before getting a bone marrow transplant. I was blown away when I realized how visible Andromeda was later on in Lightroom. Hard to believe that its home to a trillion stars. Thanks for showing us how possible it is to capture such awesomeness!

[isaacteal]

I jumped to the end at the start to see what kind of output you were able to achieve with stacking alone and then I had to watch the rest to find out at what point in the process you made a deal with the devil lol. From straight out of DSS and the initial stretch to the final image is an insane glow up! I’ll definitely be revisiting this to polish up my color balance and gradient minimizing techniques. Awesome work!

[vicinvesta]

This guys is amazing.Clear, calm, engaging and loaded with information presentation. It is hard to find a professor who would deliver at this level. Great. I am excited about doing it myself.

[gobit]

Man, that was mind blowing stuff. I really am speechless. The amount of time you took to first learn it yourself, then apply it in practice, not even taking into account the countless hours you spent on perfecting your technique, and then having the patience to make a detailed video for us. I've got mad respect for your passion sir. Thank you very much. I'm gonna try it after I find a suitable location for a dark sky.

[adiraj]

Omg this video is gonna be a lifesaver to my boredom in quarantine

This is the best astrophotography video tutorial out there. You covered almost every aspect needed to create this awesome photos. Thanks so much.

[BruceElliott]

Another one of the many great video tutorials from Nico of Nebula Photos!

I have just one remark, which has nothing to do with the main content of the video but just with the rotation of the galaxy image by 180 degrees. Nico is right, of course, when he says that there is no "up" direction in space, but that doesn't mean that the preferred orientation of Andromeda is completely arbitrary. The reason why you most often see it as in Nico's final image is that it give the impression that we're looking down at the disk of the galaxy from above, rather than looking up at it from below. That's just what our brains like so see, since we see objects that way more often. It's easier to recognize that the prominent dust lanes are in the foreground when you see it that way.

[rubindeleon]

Been watching you on and off for advice and white noise when I’m out at night it’s inspiring and it’s something I’m just in love with and I was fortunate asf to finally get into it

[adrianortiz]

Let me just say that not only did this video show what I CAN DO without a tracker but, also what I CAN do with the processing. Also, never did I realize what Dark, Light, Bias, and Flat were. You have explained so much for us. Thank you for this. I can't until I apply this to my photos.

[femanvate]

Excellent tutorial. This is so helpful, seeing the whole process explained clearly.
My camera however just gave me side eye, hearing the plan for 1200 shots tomorrow

[charlesmarley]

Just watched this through twice. You provide far more detail than almost any others I've watched and you do it methodically. Your post-processing methods will do more for my final product than almost all others I've watched. Thank you so much for this free

[optimusprime]

The most detailed explanation from start to finish hands down. Other astro photographers just show you their pictures but never show the process from beginning, software used, settings, equipment settings etc. You share your passion but also teach others.

[JessicaTG]

I know this particular video is a year old, but i stumbled across this page while glancing thru Astrobackyard and wanted to say Im impressed. Ive been doing this for years with different Canon dslrs, refractor telescopes and an 11" Celestron SCT on a CGX mount. I am the poster child for amateur astronomy with far better equipment than my talent deserves. i have spent years with thousands of different settings and set ups. Some pretty good, some not so much. This channel, and Nico explaining this is amazing. I watch these, and will have watch most many more times because this channel is like taking n astrophotography class in college. Seriously. Ive learned more in the past few weeks than i thought I ever wanted or needed to. The post processing you do and explaining it is invaluable to getting the best images. Thanks a million.