The Top 10 Best Astrophotographers in Australia

[atalas]

Congrats to all!top work guy's.

[Ric]

That's an excellent list Mike and all that are on it deserve to be there.

Cheers

[matt]

That's a list of very fine imagers....

Although I'm not a fan of these sorts of things. I think they are, by their very nature, subjective and frought.

Congrats to those on the list, though. Few would argue most if not all of you deserve this type of recognition

[nightsky]

G'Day,
Thanks Mike,great photo's,love to frame all of them and have them hanging
in the lounge.
Cheers
Arthur

[Jen]

There is some very awsome pics there they make me so jealous
And most of them websites i already had saved in my favourites too

Also a few months ago i purchased two beautiful prints from Martin Pugh they are just beautifullllllllllllllllllllll

[KenGee (Kenith Gee)]

Great another post of StrongmanMikes Cent A, stop encouraging him Mike. I generally don't like these types of list (maybe it's cause I never seem to get on them LOL) but it’s great to see these people work show cased by their peers.

[Robh (Rob)]

I've already said my piece on the top ten. Great work!

But I have another thought ...

IIS has an Image of the Week.
I wonder if we could hold an annual IIS Astrophotographer of the Year award, held at the end of each year. A thread could be created say on Jan 1st where members could vote on the 52 images from the previous year. Voting would close exactly one week later. Each member gets one vote. It appears we already have the facility to do this, as seen by the various polls in the forums.
IIS has a large membership so the award in itself would be prestigious.
Just a thought.

Regards, Rob.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by KenGee

Great another post of StrongmanMikes Cent A, stop encouraging him Mike.

So, don't like A good picture of Centaurs, hey..?

For the Ladies:
http://superawesomeguy.com/wp-conten...boycentaur.jpg

For the Gentlemen:
http://www.amuzant.ro/uploadedpics/5...le-centaur.jpg

Ooops...who's digressing again...?

Mikeaurus A

[Jen]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

So, don't like A good picture of Centaurs, hey..?

For the Ladies:
http://superawesomeguy.com/wp-conten...boycentaur.jpg

For the Gentlemen:
http://www.amuzant.ro/uploadedpics/5...le-centaur.jpg

Ooops...who's digressing again...?

Mikeaurus A

nice pics Mike

[Robh (Rob)]

Apologies for the multiple posts. Unresponsive computer or phone line. Didn't seem to send so I clicked on the button a few times.
Deleted the other 2 or was it 3?
Rob

[KenGee (Kenith Gee)]

Strongmanmike that first one looks like a gelding. on ya mate

[iceman (Mike)]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed the article.

Originally Posted by matt

Although I'm not a fan of these sorts of things. I think they are, by their very nature, subjective and frought.

Absolutely - there's nothing "official" about my list - it is my opinion and it's completely subjective. I have no doubt that anyone else doing their own top 10 may come up with different names or put them in a different order.

Like Matt says, lists like this can also be controversial because people will always disagree or get upset about themselves or their friends or their favourite imager not being on the list or not being ranked higher.

I stated the criteria I used and I picked the people based on that criteria. I could've shuffled the order myself, and did so many times over before coming up with my top 10. In fact as you can see I couldn't limit to 10, and included profiles of 15 and even included links to 5 others that were considered and whose work I admire but didn't make my final list.

The article is meant to profile the imagers and showcase their work, and generate some discussion. And it's done that.

[PeterM]

Hi Mike
A fantastic list of imagers who in my opinion are not just fine imagers but artists. There are many other fine imagers in Australia as we all know. All are presenting the rest of us with not only beautiful images but also detail in familiar objects (ie eta Carina / Orion nebula) which we have never seen/noticed before and far southern objects so often overlooked in the past (ie NGC5189 in Musca). Your images are of such a high standard and quality that I would like to see our planetariums hanging them with pride in their foyers / display areas in place of dated, non australian, fading images from years ago. I will be asking our local planetarium about this. This would be a just reward to the talents that we have in Australia and inspiration to a greater audience - the general public. Aspiring amateur astronomers visiting the planetariums would also see what is achievable with skill and knowledge. This could form part of the inspiration for the next generation of astro artists.
My congratulations to all mentioned in the list and all the other fine imagers in Australia.
PeterM.

[TrevorW]

Yes this is one mans opinion and I admire your honesty although personally I'd refrain by including my own name in the list

Yes they are all good imager's however I'd prefer a list based on the judgement of more than one person yet I agree with your criteria for those included on this list.

[Ric]

I am happy that Mike did include himself on this list Trevor, his Jupiter imagery is simply stunning and was the first time that I saw details on Jupiters moons from a Earth based telescope.

Cheers

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by iceman

Australia has some very very talented amateur astrophotographers, producing images that are among the best in the world. Our beautiful dark skies, combined with the stunning objects visible in the Southern Hemisphere, give Australian Astrophotographers a bountiful choice of targets on which to produce their inspiring work.

Damn right!
However, picking a Top Ten leaves too many out for my liking !!

How do you assess someone who has zillions of dollars with the best equipment available with all the trimmings against someone who struggles to get the pieces together on a shoe-string budget to produce his or her images? Also just how do you separate what images you take?
I can name at least thirty of merit without even hesitating.

Sorry TEN in number is far too little for me - but one things for sure - they are better than an old decrepit visual observer like me...

Give 'em all equal praise, I say!

(If you really must, probably, Joe Cauchi of the ASNSWI would be certainly be in the top echelon - and he been doing it persistently and brilliantly since the early 1980s!)

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by Enchilada

How do you assess someone who has zillions of dollars with the best equipment available with all the trimmings against someone who struggles to get the pieces together on a shoe-string budget to produce his or her images? Also just how do you separate what images you take?

How about top ten imagers of a particular object with a particular camera with a particular scope with a particular mount with a particular level of light pollution, blah blah blah.

I agree with you in part, that maybe it would be fairer to pick a unifying subject, then judge the best possible photograph of it, but there are just so many variables that make it unfair with everything else involved in capture I'm not sure it can be done.

[Enchilada]

Mike S. really love your honoured list, but I can at least think of another ten or so just off the top of my head, and they would equal if not exceed the stellar cast you have made!
This is worse, because I'm only a humble experienced visual observer!

Should we just produce a "Roll of Honour" on some webpage with the whole depth of amateur imagers in alphabetical order!

A least we would not neglect ALL our many wonderful, past and present, "astro-clickers" !!

[iceman (Mike)]

Originally Posted by Enchilada

How do you assess someone who has zillions of dollars with the best equipment available with all the trimmings against someone who struggles to get the pieces together on a shoe-string budget to produce his or her images? Also just how do you separate what images you take?
I can name at least thirty of merit without even hesitating.

Budget and equipment wasn't considered.
Someone else is welcome to write their own "Top 10 best astrophotographers using equipment less than $5000".

I could easily have named another 20, 30, 40. Once you get down from the very top tier, there's many many fine astrophotographers ALL producing very fine work worthy of showcasing.

Originally Posted by Enchilada

Should we just produce a "Roll of Honour" on some webpage with the whole depth of amateur imagers in alphabetical order!
A least we would not neglect ALL our many wonderful, past and present, "astro-clickers" !!

Sure, go ahead! Anyone is welcome to do that.

On my personal site, my list is a subjective, personal list. Some people have complained or got upset because they're not on it, or their friend isn't on it. It's my opinion, and everyone will have their own.

My objective was to list my favourite astrophotographers in Australia. I stated my criteria and I produced my list.

Should I have included myself on the list? Who knows. In my original version I didn't, but as I said in the text, when basing it on my criteria (including awards, achievements, publications, respect, influence, etc), it seemed "fair". But it still felt strange.

Funny though, I noticed on another forum someone saying that "prudence" suggests one should not have included themselves. But then in the same topic thread on a different forum, that same person includes themselves in a list of top planetary imagers running close on Damian Peach's heels.

[Robh (Rob)]

Abraham Lincoln once said that you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.


Regards, Rob.