Image Entries for CWAS

[sjastro]

I wonder how much interest there is....

I would never consider submitting images.

Regards

Steven

[Alchemy (Clive)]

i voted no because the standard is so high, i am specifically talking about my preferred interest of deepsky imaging at focal lengths of 1000mm plus

...... in my personal opinion if you dont have megabucks worth of gear you dont have much of a shot

yes sure i could use the GRAS scopes, but i prefer my own gear and enjoy the aspect of doing as much as i can in my own backyard, i dont denigrate those who do pay for services offered by these setups,Im going to prattle a bit here as its raining and i cant work outside at the moment. Take a look at the Astros recently, probably not as prestigious as the CWAS.... but i bet they will give more attention to CWAS as noticed in recent threads.

And in those that i would enter i refer to the recent Astros ( and i did note that an ED80 won the cluster section...well done) Nebula section taken out by Martin Pugh with a lovely image taken with some formidible equipment 11 megapixel CCD, 12.5 inch RC, Adaptive optics, Paramount plus whatever, ... now not to take away from the ability of the imager but you add to his skills the top level gear... forget it its chalk and cheese.... id be embarressed to have my image sitting next to his , Sure i would put a pic up at the snake valley overnighter, but thats a different level. mike won 2nd and given some of the images he put up here hes way above me.
Galaxies section... same deal. Martin with a delicious shot of 1365, plus he got 2nd as well.
Wide field taken out with a tak 150 plus tak mount and 11 megapixel CCD

This was just for a star party where you either had to turn up or be a member of a particular society.

Back to the CWAS , nope not a hope , if you want to impress anyone other than the locals astrophotography is $$$$ game .... jase can argue all he likes about the processing, the fact is that anyone who has a chance in this comp already has processing skills .... its the serious end gear, if some one gets 24 inch rcos stuff like the yanks than theyre in the front row.... heck you dont even get an image in the Astronomy Mag unless its taken with a 20 inch RCOS. Now Australia is a bit behind the Americans but even here on IIS the bar has been raised as Leon put it in a thread not so long ago.

Having seen the images that Mike sidonio , Jase, peter put up recently , im not even in the same game.

i do enjoy what i do but im just playing on the local footy team not for the National league.

[Ric]

I would enter but that would only happen when my images are of a class that's worthy of being noted. Dont' hold your breath waiting guys, it won't be any time soon.

I see these awards as a great way to showcase our top notch talent that we have here in Australia and they deserve every bit of recognition

Cheers

[Terry B]

No
I'm not in the league an don't have the money or desire to be.

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Nope, Im happy to let others do all the hard work for me to enjoy on the internet

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Maybe next time.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Yes!
I would love a CWAS Wooden Spoon!

Saw the Astro winners in AS&T while buying my lotto ticket (Takahashi Voucher!) this morning.

Clive, take heart old son, Mikes 2nd place was a Milky Way widefield taken with equipment accessible to many of us.
His first place Jupiter was a cracker too, and I think there was a lunar pic there too - sorry fuzzy brain syndrome

Well done to all.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by Terry B

No
I'm not in the league an don't have the money or desire to be.

desire to be...Got that!

the money...

[Bassnut (Fred)]

You might have noticed that last year Peter Ward did very well with a DSLR and standard lens, and quite a few other DSLR shots got a place too.

[Alchemy (Clive)]

For some reason widefield AKA lens stuff, apart from the fact i dont have a good APO lens .... just doesnt really do it for me, i have the planetary stuff like mike (got the filter wheel and high quality RGB) but despite that i go for the deep sky stuff.... i just find that seeing the pic youve just taken with the close up detail..... just does it for me when that sky is dark its a no brainer .... go the longer focal length
unfortunately thats where the pughs, jases sidonios wards etc hang out


im not grumbling i really enjoy what i do and have my own little display of pics in my office.

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Maybe next time.

Ditto

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Well Clive, I know where your at there, im no Wide Field fan iether (but can appreciate a really good WF image). I dont want to bring up that hory old "Relative to gear" saga again but if one is inclined to bust a gut trying to beat the best in a comp (and competition is not to everyones taste of course) one should keep in mind.

1/ Top shelf gear always gets better, but so does the rest, the relative difference is much the same, and is arguably drawing closer.

2/ David Malin is aware of the gear issue and deliberately encourages innovation over gear. eg Peter Wards DSLR mages, this years "star trails" award, and the "inovation" award.

3/ My old soap box, megadata and carefull processing can produce images better than the gear list would suggest, although there is a down side, a permanent installation is just about a given.

4/ Just for a comp, rent time on top gear, this sticks in the throat for many, but $100 odd would produce the kind of image youd frame, show off to friends and enter comps with, again not for everyone but doable, and a lot less $ per image than the guys who own the stuff, trust me, I know

I think the main reason for guys not entering comps is, they dont feel like it (fair enough), or they lack confidence or imagination or the balls to bother.

Hey, ive never won anything in a comp, but still try .

[sjastro]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Well Clive, I know where your at there, im no Wide Field fan iether (but can appreciate a really good WF image). I dont want to bring up that hory old "Relative to gear" saga again but if one is inclined to bust a gut trying to beat the best in a comp (and competition is not to everyones taste of course) one should keep in mind.

1/ Top shelf gear always gets better, but so does the rest, the relative difference is much the same, and is arguably drawing closer.

2/ David Malin is aware of the gear issue and deliberately encourages innovation over gear. eg Peter Wards DSLR mages, this years "star trails" award, and the "inovation" award.

3/ My old soap box, megadata and carefull processing can produce images better than the gear list would suggest, although there is a down side, a permanent installation is just about a given.

4/ Just for a comp, rent time on top gear, this sticks in the throat for many, but $100 odd would produce the kind of image youd frame, show off to friends and enter comps with, again not for everyone but doable, and a lot less $ per image than the guys who own the stuff, trust me, I know

I think the main reason for guys not entering comps is, they dont feel like it (fair enough), or they lack confidence or imagination or the balls to bother.

Hey, ive never won anything in a comp, but still try .

Fred,

Your response highlights some of the elements why I don't participate in such events.

Astroimaging is too much of an art form at the expense of science. I put far less emphasis on image processing, as a result my images may have less of a wow factor but are probably closer to reality. I don't feel very comfortable processing an image that ends up looking as if it was taken with a 4 metre telescope.

If there was a competition where there was more emphasis on the raw data (ie the only manipulation allowed would be to shape the histogram), I'd be the first in line to submit images.

Regards

Steven

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Steven

Dont agree there, processing is a critical part of the Astrophotograhy experience, if only to counter technical difficulties (darks, flats, stretching etc), but then again I think I see you agree with that much.

Im only talkng about other processing required to enter a comp (if you feel so inclined), in which case you do (or not) whats required to get noticed. Its got nothing to do with art or science, just the comp. If you feel your style of image presentation is not suitable, for that comp, then sure, you wouldnt be interested in entering, although for example David Malin, in his video, states he dislikes overprocessing, and looks for a natural effect.

[Zuts]

If it ever stops raining i might have a go ..................

Paul

[Alchemy (Clive)]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Well Clive,....

I think the main reason for guys not entering comps is, they dont feel like it (fair enough), or they lack confidence or imagination or the balls to bother.

.

bit of editing there....

dont feel like it...... if i thought i had a look in yes i would enter
lack confidence...... probably in this case yes
balls..... i asume you mean try anyway even if you know you cant win... dont see the point if you dont have a chance even a slight one.

i would only put in an entry through my 12 inch scope because thats what i like doing. it would be like turning up to a formal occasion in a pair of jeans and a T shirt.

i will leave it to others at this time, you might see me enter a more local competion, where more of the crowd is wearing jeans and t shirts.

i might add that regardless of the vote statistics theres lots of imagers here at IIS, very few will enter for much the same reason.

[Outbackmanyep]

I reckon the CWAS awards are quite high in standards although it doesn't matter how much equipment or money you have i reckon its the processing that wins awards!

They should bring in an award for film astrophotography users as there can be some really nice images still coming from 35mm film.

Everyone aspires to have "that" image to appear on covers of mags and such, but you know, if you don't send them in, how will you know how well you have done?

Send an entry in if you think its a good image! Gotta be in it to win it!

[Outbackmanyep]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Hey, ive never won anything in a comp, but still try .

Hi Fred!
I saw some of your images at NACAA, im at a loss as to why you've never won an award! Your images are quite spectacular and there are not a lot of narrowband imagers out there!
Good luck with it!

[Bassnut (Fred)]

LOL thanks, I know why (ive been told), overprocessing, DM esppecially doesnt like that. I tend to go for "WOW, but-dont-zoom-in arty-farty effect" and NB is certainly not to everyones taste, even many of the top shelf guys here dont like it much. Ive chucked a hissy and not entered lately, but ill learn, eventually, ill keep trying .

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Gotta be in it to win are wise words indeed, ive seen very ordinary equipment lists images come in for a mention from way behind .