Astro Film Developing Processing

New to these forums and the whole astro photography thing. I recently tried the astrophotography thing with a 35mm minolta srt101 and a celestron c8 with terrible results. I don't know if it was me or the people developing the film, but out of 24 I got 2 shots of the orion nebula. 1 I was pretty happy with the other not so much.

Can anybody recommend a good developer/printer online that specializes in astrophotography developing/printing?

Or

Can anyone tell me what I should tell the photo company about this type of photography?

2 other rolls were returned to me as too dark, and I was told that the computer wouldn't read it.

I have since let the shutter run open a little longer, but planetary is tradionally short right? A few seconds to 1/250 second? None of the planetary I shot turned out and they were excellent shots.

Can you recommend any shutter time for planets as well as deep sky for a celestron c8 for 400/800/1600 speed films?

Sorry to make this so long, but I am very discouraged and disappointed with my results and any input or help would be more than appreciated.

If you could email me directly it would be forever appreciated.

Thank you.
Jeremy
[email protected]

Jeremy, this is unfortunatly the biggest problem. The trouble with the big mass developers is that astro shots will appear essentially as unexposed. Thats in effect what a stella shot is, lots of black unexposed film and maybe a few exposed points of interest. If you are using mail order, yes you could ring them and tell them what is on the film. Some companies will do the prints manually with this in mind but change for the privilige. You could seek out a small local photo developer. Many astrophotographers do this and build up rapport. Remember that the negatives you have could still be re-processed, they may render some good shots even though the autosystem rejected them. Have you held them up to the ligh to see if any of the shots look OK, try a magnifying glass. Maybe some of the planetary shots turned out OK.

Another solution is to use slide film. This dispenses with the need to verify a negative for printing. Theres little a developer has to do save for dunking the film in the right chemicals. If you are in the UK I can point you to a good developer, I'd be no use stateside though.

Hope this helps

Cheers, Eddie.

Jay,

As for the film for planets, I recommend a fine grained, slide film such Ektachrome 100 or 200 to the ones you mentioned. Film grain of the faster films will overpower the detail you want. Also, that SRT-101 you have is big and heavy and the shutter has some mass as well (I use one of these as well). I recommend using the "hat trick" on any shots longer than 1/4 sec. Any shots between 1/60 and 1/15 will most likely be blurred as well. I say this from experience with my 10" Meade. You did not say if you are using a tele-extender or not. If so, the problem is magnified as well.

As for the processing issue...Welcome to Astrophotography where negatives are not printed, beautiful, perfectly guided slides are cut in half, and you wait with great anticipation for the next new moon.... Check you negatives for your images to see what you actually got. I have learned (the hard way I might add) that I now always insist that I get the negatives as well as slides sleeved and uncut. I mount the slides myself as I know what the shots should look like. Also, by getting the negs uncut, you also are able to avoid this with print film as well.

There are fewer quality custom labs with the onset of digital and therefore harder to find a custom printer that really knows how to maximize your image. You will need to find a lab that is willing to listen to your needs. Chances are that they will have to LEARN how to print your astro shots just as you learn to take them.

I own and recommend these three books for learning astrophotography:

Astrophotography for the Amature - Michael Covington

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide - Terence Dickinson & Alan Dyer

Wide Field Astrphotography - Robert Reeves

All three books cover equipment selection as well as guidelines for exposing the heavens. There are other books out there, but these helped me the most. You didn't mention if you have difficulty focusing on the very dim focusing screen of the SRT-101, But I am assuming that you are. The above books will discuss this as well. I really like "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide", as Dickinson & Dyer show examples and discuss the not so great Astrophotos, rather than just showing the "trophies".

Clear skies,

Martin A. Boys

Jeremy,
I recommend you buy the book by Michael Covington. It will answer most of your questions. The book by Robert Reeves is good also.
rick

Sorry to join the thread late.......

Some helpful hints I have learned the hard way:

1. Find a professional shop. Go to your local camera shop or a few pro photographers in the yellow pages. Ask where they have their stuff sent locally for custom printing. THen go there. I use Intellicolor in Riverside, California. Teach these people what you want, and they will deliver. They are used to catering to people who know what a good image looks like. If you want, take some good photos in to show them what an astrophoto looks like.

2. Always take a few daytime scenes on the same roll as your astrophotos. Before dark, snap a few photos. THen (assuming you do not use a whole roll in one night), take a daytime photo before the next night of astrophotos.

3. Use slide film. Slides are more expensive to have printed, but you will only print one or two pictures anyway, so you don't want the whole roll printed. More importantly, you will want to have the best slides scanned so you can process them in Photoshop (or something) before printing. Then you get a print of that....

4. GO slow. Start with piggyback (wide angle then telephoto), then go to prime focus (bright objects first, then dimmer), and finally to projection. Otherwise you will really get frustrated.

5. If you don't like frustration--then find another game. When you said "Only two came out," I thought, "two came out--hey that's pretty good." I once counted seven things that could be expected to go wrong in an astrophoto (focus, tracking, alignment, exposure, vibration, composition, and I forget what else.....). SInce that time, I have found so many more things that screw up a cold night of work.

Alex

Thanks for everyone's help and input on this from a newbie. I will definately check into the book and do some more reasearch. Just had all the equipment and film and wanted to get some positive results that would convince me to continue. As of my last 2 batches of film been extremely satisfied and will definately be pursuing this hobby more.

Thanks again to everyone.

Jay