Stunning Astrophotography Images Captured by Felix Heisig
In the world of astrophotography, Felix Heisig stands out for his ability to create captivating images of the night sky. He employs a combination of high-quality equipment and advanced post-processing techniques to achieve his stunning results.
Equipment:
Heisig's arsenal includes top-tier DSLR or mirrorless cameras, capable of long-exposure photography. For capturing as much light as possible, he often uses fast, wide-aperture lenses, such as the ZEISS Batis 18mm f/2.8, Tokina 20mm f/2, Sony FE 14mm f/1.8, and Sigma 40mm f/1.4.
To counteract Earth's rotation and allow for longer exposures without star trails, Heisig utilises equatorial mounts or star trackers. Sometimes, he also employs telescopes or telephoto lenses for deep-sky objects. Tripods and remote shutter releases ensure stability and vibration reduction.
Post-Processing Techniques:
Heisig's editing process involves stacking multiple exposures to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, bringing out faint celestial details. He uses software like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, or astrophotography-specific tools such as DeepSkyStacker or PixInsight. Techniques such as gradient removal, contrast enhancement, and colour calibration help to bring out the colours and structures in nebulae, star clusters, and the Milky Way.
Noise reduction methods are employed to clean up the image without losing fine detail. Dodging and burning are used selectively to highlight areas of interest.
Heisig often stresses the importance of balancing meticulous capture with thoughtful editing to create images that are both scientifically interesting and artistically compelling. For more precise information about his gear or workflow, consult his official interviews, tutorials, or social media channels where he sometimes shares detailed insights.
Travel and Inspirations:
Most of Heisig's Milky Way photos are taken during vacations while travelling. One of his favourite moments in astrophotography was in La Palma, at the top of the Roque de Los Muchachos.
Recommendations:
For beginners in astrophotography, Katja Seidel's book is highly recommended by Heisig. He also recommends Frank Sackenheim's YouTube channel for free knowledge on deep sky astrophotography.
He uses various planning tools such as Photopills, PlanIt Pro, Starwalk, and Stellarium. For post-processing, he uses Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight, and Photoshop. For single Milky Way images, he uses Lightroom and then Photoshop. Some of his astrophotography posts can be found on his website, although the site is still new and not all content has been re-integrated.
Anthony Robinson, the founder and owner of Skies & Scopes, a publication and community focused on amateur astronomy and astrophotography, is another notable figure in the astrophotography community. His work has been featured in various publications.
Telescopes and Mounts:
Heisig uses the William Optics RedCat 51 and the Sky-Watcher Skymax 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. He has several Sky-Watcher mounts, including the Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI, and Sky-Watcher AZ-GTI. He also uses the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer and Omegon MiniTrack LX3 as star trackers.
For deep sky photography, Heisig uses the ZWO ASI183MM Pro camera and the ZWO ASI120MINI for guiding. The main camera he uses for landscape astrophotography is the Sony A7III, which he had astro-modified by Julien Steeland from Astrolabservice.
- Felix Heisig's astrophotography work is renowned for his use of top-tier DSLR or mirrorless cameras, such as the Sony A7III, which he had astro-modified.
- In his equipment arsenal, Heisig employs fast, wide-aperture lenses like the ZEISS Batis 18mm f/2.8, Tokina 20mm f/2, Sony FE 14mm f/1.8, and Sigma 40mm f/1.4 for capturing faint celestial details.
- To counteract Earth's rotation and capture long exposures without star trails, Heisig uses equatorial mounts or star trackers, such as the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer and Omegon MiniTrack LX3.
- Heisig's post-processing techniques involve software like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and astrophotography-specific tools such as DeepSkyStacker or PixInsight for stacking multiple exposures and improving signal-to-noise ratio.
- For beginners in astrophotography, Katja Seidel's book and Frank Sackenheim's YouTube channel are highly recommended by Felix Heisig.
- Heisig often shares detailed insights about his gear and workflow on his official interviews, tutorials, or social media channels.
- Other notable figures in the astrophotography community include Anthony Robinson, the founder and owner of Skies & Scopes, whose work has been featured in various publications.