Unique astrophotography books existing

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Anna Dobrovolskaya-Mints avatar
Hello all,

There are billions of various photography books existing in our world
However, very few art books devoted to astrophotography

What genius books do you know?
Let's share thoughts among our community
noodle avatar
David Moore avatar
Hubble's Universe is an amazing book full of pictures with lots of detailed descriptions of the make up of galaxies and nebulae etc.
Anna Dobrovolskaya-Mints avatar
Wow! thank you ) but I was more curious about art books
Like we many devoted to portrait, fashion, ect.
Lynn K avatar
I am not sure what you are asking for.  Astrophotography is a craft, not an art.  I am a painter and retired Art Prof.  There are a few artist that have have use Astro images  in their work.  But if you are referring the surrealistic Si-Fi crap you see on the internet, just Google Astonomical Art.  You will get pages of it.  And more likely there is a book on that stuff.

I incorporate/collage my astro-imges into my paintings. There is an on-line organization called SciArt that I am a member of.  It is oriented towards artist/scientist collaboration and artist working with content that encompasses scientific processes.  But, most of the work ventures beyond traditional art.  Certainly not "portrait,fasion, ect."

Massachusetts Institute of Technology had an exhibition of Art/Astronomy art works a few years ago.  Sorry, I don't remember the title or date of the exhibition.

Lynn K.
Stefan Böckler avatar
Hi Anna,

you might want to check out Picturing the Cosmos - Hubble Space Telescope Images and the Astronomical Sublime by Elizabeth A. Kessler. It examines how HST images resemble paintings of the Romantic landscapes of the American West. I think this is a summary:

https://mag.uchicago.edu/arts-humanities/astronomical-sublime

She shows that HST images are arranged (maybe unintentionally) in a certain way reminding the viewer of geological landscapes and evoking feelings of awe (personally, I think that the people creating the images were making art in addition to pursuing science and performing a craft). Moreover Kessler has a look at the debates between astronomers on the point of creating 'pretty pictures'. I really enjoyed reading it.

Best regards
Stefan
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Olaf Fritsche avatar
Astrophotography is a craft, not an art.

That reads different here: https://www.astrobin.com/vhrq7s/?nc=user 
I am no artist myself. I just treat my pictures the way I like them. Isn't this some kind of art?
Maryterry avatar
Try Digital SLR Astrophotography Book by Michael A. Covington
andrea tasselli avatar
Pretty much as Lynn K. I think AP is craft not art, at least in its default endeavour as I see it, the portraiture of the Cosmos from the point of view of landscape photography.  The only signficant artist that brought the stars into art as objects of art is Van Gogh, IMO.
Brian Boyle avatar
The "… but is it art?" question has, I suspect, taxed minds since whatever it is existed.  Having seen what many of my Astrobin friends are able to do I consider it closer to "magic". But to paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke "any significantly advanced astrophotographer is indistinguishable from magic".

Art, science, craft, magic, technique - whatever floats your boat.  

I would like to make special mention of the books of David Malin, one of the true pioneers of this field. [full disclosure: David and I were colleagues at the Anglo-Australian Observatory].   While focussing on the astronomy, he also talks about  consideration of colour, light and detail in the creation of his images, much as an artist would.
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Markus A. R. Langlotz avatar
Hi,

one genius book about astronomical imaging is Babak Tafreshi's "The world at night". It is more devoted to night images of nightscapes and cityscapes in an astronomical context, but those images are totally fake-free, no composits or clollages, and from a standpoint of image composition and expression way over the average.

CS

Markus
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Roger Nichol avatar
I termed my modest 50-page booklet for my upcoming exhibition "Th Conjunction of Science and Art"

.pdf version available for free download at https://tinyurl.com/yc5t67kp 

CC very welcome
Maryterry avatar
Try Digital SLR Astrophotography Book by Michael A. Covington. Digital SLR cameras have made it easier than ever before to photograph the night sky. Whether who reads it is beginner, nature photographer, or serious astronomer, this is the definitive handbook to capturing the heavens. On https://freebooksummary.com/category/the-double-helix there are themes similar to astrophotography. The description of the structure of a DNA molecule is presented quite interesting in the free book summary. It can attract you because I have liked Astro like you, so chemistry appealed to me more.

*** By the way, subjects about astrophotography can be found on the website with summaries, too. ***