Stuck in a rut looking for some inspiration!! - Forums

Lately, I have been just kind of “down in the dumps” about the quality of the images I have been producing. I feel like no matter how I much try and learn or try to pay extra attention to my data when processing, The results haven’t been satisfactory for me. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the data come together still gets me excited but it’s like my last few images, the final result always leaves me wanting more. I see all these wonderful images with amazing color on galaxies and the perfect balance of noise reduction, details and sharpening but for some reason I struggle to replicate those results for myself.

I have been doing astronomy one way or another for almost 2 decades but only in the last 5 or so years have I moved from photometry and some simple amateur survey work that was just collecting and processing pure mono images to finally doing just pure astrophotography.

I feel like I have been stuck in this rut between intermediate and advanced for a couple years now and I just cannot get out of it. it’s to the point where even my wife thinks I’m over processing my images lol

If you look at my latest image of messier 31, you can for sure see what I mean by over processing, The ha data was spectacular, but it seemed no matter how many tricks I tried I could not get this image to a satisfactory result that displayed the HA data fully while retaining a realistic looking image.

Maybe I’m just in a rut and being too harsh I have always had a habit of second guessing anything I do, this was just me venting and looking to the community for some inspiration to help me reach that next step and fully take advantage of all the time and effort put into collecting this data.

Am I the only one who feels like this sometimes or am I not alone??

I find that I am quite critical of my own work as well, which can sap the joy from it. I'll come off the high from a freshly processed image and begin seeing everything wrong with it. I think this is not an uncommon trait. Looking at others work in the wrong way can also be detrimental to our happiness. There is value in having a drive to do better, but sometimes it becomes detrimental when we feel we are always coming up short.

Try to keep finding joy in the hobby and learning to appreciate your own accomplishments and be proud of them.

Do you have an appreciable amount of light pollution where you capture your data? Just trying to think what could be “holding back" that RGB data from giving a natural result you like. Your equipment surely is not lacking, you have some nice gear :)

Joey Conenna · Nov 17, 2025, 02:08 AM
I find that I am quite critical of my own work as well, which can sap the joy from it. I'll come off the high from a freshly processed image and begin seeing everything wrong with it. I think this is not an uncommon trait. Looking at others work in the wrong way can also be detrimental to our happiness. There is value in having a drive to do better, but sometimes it becomes detrimental when we feel we are always coming up short.
Try to keep finding joy in the hobby and learning to appreciate your own accomplishments and be proud of them.
Do you have an appreciable amount of light pollution where you capture your data? Just trying to think what could be “holding back" that RGB data from giving a natural result you like. Your equipment surely is not lacking, you have some nice gear :)

Yes, I am for sure at that point where I’m constantly looking at others and comparing it to my own and then I notice everything I think is wrong with mine haha

I’m imaging from a darker Bortle 5ish to 4ish, and I can see the brighter spots of the milky way with my eye, and I have a south/southeast horizon pretty much devoid from light pollution so while I’m not in ideal conditions I’m for sure not in the worst.

It’s like no matter the techniques I learn or try I always end up with weird RGB color, or my images lean toward reddish/purple lol

Not to mention lately it’s like no matter how I try denoising I’m not happy with it to the point I have been leaving noise in my images as to avoid artifacts

Astrophotography is art, the best artist don’t really care what others can do or not do. I am a musician so i get it. If I have a member that can only play one note, I encourage him to play the heck out of that note. I look at your images and they look good. So rock that one note and lets make art!

Anthony Grillo · Nov 17, 2025, 01:39 AM
Lately, I have been just kind of “down in the dumps” about the quality of the images I have been producing. I feel like no matter how I much try and learn or try to pay extra attention to my data when processing, The results haven’t been satisfactory for me. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the data come together still gets me excited but it’s like my last few images, the final result always leaves me wanting more. I see all these wonderful images with amazing color on galaxies and the perfect balance of noise reduction, details and sharpening but for some reason I struggle to replicate those results for myself.
I have been doing astronomy one way or another for almost 2 decades but only in the last 5 or so years have I moved from photometry and some simple amateur survey work that was just collecting and processing pure mono images to finally doing just pure astrophotography.
I feel like I have been stuck in this rut between intermediate and advanced for a couple years now and I just cannot get out of it. it’s to the point where even my wife thinks I’m over processing my images lol
If you look at my latest image of messier 31, you can for sure see what I mean by over processing, The ha data was spectacular, but it seemed no matter how many tricks I tried I could not get this image to a satisfactory result that displayed the HA data fully while retaining a realistic looking image.
Maybe I’m just in a rut and being too harsh I have always had a habit of second guessing anything I do, this was just me venting and looking to the community for some inspiration to help me reach that next step and fully take advantage of all the time and effort put into collecting this data.
Am I the only one who feels like this sometimes or am I not alone??

Looking at your M31, I immediately think the magenta is over-saturated. However, I also look at the core and think, “wow, that’s an amazing level of detail in the core. So much better than any of my images”. Seriously, awesome detail in the core.

I too feel like I’m stuck in-between intermediate and advanced. I think a lot of that has to do with the equipment, not just the processing. All my favorite images come from high-end mounts with high-end scopes and decent cameras (that cannot be coincidence). And moreover, they are almost always in significantly darker skies. I think the location contributes the most to an image’s success.

I now have for the first time a high-end mount. But now I notice the optics of my C11 and Hyperstar creates severe color fringing and mis-shaped stars in the corners. Possibly a combination of spacing and tilt. I’m not patient enough to solve these issues (maybe spacing but not tilt).

So, I recently bought a Takahashi 120 and a 10” Truss Tube RC OTA to see if they improve my images. The RC is a GSO, so maybe only a modest improvement there. But I am hoping the Tak 120 blows my mind away. I’m trying to control my expectations just in case! And again, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, in this case, my not-so-dark skies (Bortle 5/6).

Anyway, all this to say, you are NOT alone, sir! I dream of winning the lottery and building a double-bay observatory in a Bortle 2/3 sky region with all top-of-the-line equipment! It doesn’t hurt to dream!

P.S. None of what I wrote is to negate the fact that I still have a long way to go in my processing skills (and I’m working on t diligently). It’s all about a holistic approach!

Tommy

I had a similar slump myself a few years ago. Started putting too much pressure on myself to produce an image that would be well received or generate “likes” on social media, be it here or Instagram. So whenever I had a subpar night of imaging, it would just make me boil. A little too much wind? Bad guiding? Fog rolled in just after I got set up? I’d consider it a wasted night, and I’d come home super frustrated. It got to the point where I wasn’t enjoying the process.

So I took a step back for a while. Focused more on visual for a couple of years. Just me and a scope and some eyepieces under the stars, no pressure to produce anything. It was just what I needed.

Now I’m getting back into AP again more regularly, and trying to avoid the same old traps: comparing my work to others, and to feeling like my images are worthless if I’m not getting the amount of external validation I think they deserve.

Processing skill and workflows evolve over time; for me they’re always changing - sometimes I like how things turn out, sometimes not so much. But I’m enjoying the process.

You’ve got a nice gallery. Some really nicely processed images. You’ve certainly got some excellent equipment, and you’re producing quality data. But if AP & image processing are stressing you out, maybe it’s time for a breather?

I think, sometimes, we can loose perspective that we are achieving absolutely incredible results with equipment that astronomers of 140-100 years ago could only dream of and we’re doing it (mostly) in our own backyards.

Moreover, it’s dumbfounding that we are able to take photos with such detail while having to contend with all the shenanigans that the atmosphere and light pollution throw at us.

As another poster added, perhaps taking some time away and doing visual astronomy could get you refreshed. Or, if you have the means, changing up your rig could freshen things up for you. Perhaps a rig that’s for ultra-wide or wide field could give you a break while giving you a new challenge.

One thing I can suggest is, change something about your rig that makes you look at your data completely differently for a while (Given your primary scope, I’d say going to something with a 400~500mm focal length would do the trick.

BUT! My number one thing that’s helped me in this regard is this.

Looking at other peoples images is fun. No doubt about that… But, what you see when you look at someone elses images is the 1% of the process they want you to see… There will be 99 other iterations, possibly over the course of a number of years worth of attempts, failures, self doubting, overly critical self opinions etc.

As with all ‘Social Media’ (which I personally try not to think of Astrobin as, but in a way, it is), Its great to look at other peoples personal highlights, but don’t go comparing your day to day against other peoples highlight reel… I love to look at the images being posted on Astrobin - they can be inspiring, they can give ideas about new targets to shoot or perspectives on targets you’d not considered before… And that’s great stuff. But I don’t compare my images to those of others… I upload my images, I like to get feedback on them, and have easy links to share the images with other people etc - but I don’t see the value in comparing my images to those of others… Others who may have far more time to dedicate to the hobby (I have a wife, 5 kids, 2 snakes, and a full time job that occupies about 99% of my cerebral cortex…), They may have more money to throw at better gear, they may have better sky conditions or more clear nights with which to dial in their rig, or collect more data to hone their processing skills on etc… There are a million reasons why someone, even someone with the same gear as you, might be producing better images than you (including your own overcritical opinions telling you that yours aren’t as good).

Take a step back… Remember why you love astrophotography.. I can guarantee you, the thing that made you fall in love with astrophotography wasn’t ‘Being as good as other people’ or ‘being better than other people at it’. I’ll bet it had a lot more to do with being at one with the cosmos, producing art that to most people seems completely out of this world (because it is), the technical, engineering aspect of it etc…

I’ve been into astrophotography since 2008~2009 or there abouts… I’ve had a couple of LONG breaks in there, one of which was almost 8 years long… I used to be really critical of my own work, and used to compare every one of my shots against other peoples work… I do it entirely for myself now… If I can produce an image that is better than I produced last time - I’m happy…

I have a good example in my gallery actually… in late 2023/2024 I came back to astrophotography after having a break since 2015 (Kids… am I right… ?) and one of the first things I wanted to do, was get a shot of M78, as it had eluded me in previous attempts… I produced an ‘image’ of M78, and while I wasn’t happy with it really, not at all, It was my first image of M78. In late 2024/2025, I had been back in the hobby for over a year, I had upgraded some of my gear to more modern hardware, and I gave M78 another go. Is it as good as I wanted it to be? maybe not… probably not… But do you know what? It BLOWS THE PANTS OFF my 2023/2024 M78 image… And with that - I’m happy!

Compare your images against your older images - see the progress YOU have made, and remember why you fell in love with the night sky… That’s my suggestion.

Many aspire for one top pick nomination, and you have six - that’s objective evidence you’re clearly on the right track.

Try this simple yet effective trick: step back from the image after you’ve finished processing it. Don’t show it to anyone, set it aside for a day, or perhaps longer. It might look different to you after you’ve had some time away from it.

During your time away from your image, you might remember that you missed a processing step, or perhaps had wanted to do something differently. This pause, before sharing, allows you to think about those things, perhaps leading to an image with which you are more satisfied.

I don’t know anyone who is ever fully satisfied with their images. even if I think that it looks great at the time i review it a couple of days later and think it looks crap.

Having said that i have looked at some of your images and on the whole they are great. if i had one thing to say is that a couple are edging towards pink / peach in overall tone, Wizard and Elephant. i have had this before where i process images and seem to drift away from what i would consider a normal colour balance. so maybe take a step back and reset. i also noticed some background.

I am always pushing my data to hard so you are not alone in feeling this way.

Anthony Grillo · Nov 17, 2025, 01:39 AM
Lately, I have been just kind of “down in the dumps” about the quality of the images I have been producing. I feel like no matter how I much try and learn or try to pay extra attention to my data when processing, The results haven’t been satisfactory for me. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the data come together still gets me excited but it’s like my last few images, the final result always leaves me wanting more. I see all these wonderful images with amazing color on galaxies and the perfect balance of noise reduction, details and sharpening but for some reason I struggle to replicate those results for myself.
I have been doing astronomy one way or another for almost 2 decades but only in the last 5 or so years have I moved from photometry and some simple amateur survey work that was just collecting and processing pure mono images to finally doing just pure astrophotography.
I feel like I have been stuck in this rut between intermediate and advanced for a couple years now and I just cannot get out of it. it’s to the point where even my wife thinks I’m over processing my images lol
If you look at my latest image of messier 31, you can for sure see what I mean by over processing, The ha data was spectacular, but it seemed no matter how many tricks I tried I could not get this image to a satisfactory result that displayed the HA data fully while retaining a realistic looking image.
Maybe I’m just in a rut and being too harsh I have always had a habit of second guessing anything I do, this was just me venting and looking to the community for some inspiration to help me reach that next step and fully take advantage of all the time and effort put into collecting this data.
Am I the only one who feels like this sometimes or am I not alone??

Hi Anthony.

Your not alone. I really like your M31 and other images. I don’t believe it is over processed. Just look at my images and you will see you have nothing to worry about.

As with every hobby or passion, call it what you will. Especially in astrophotography, we are super critical of what we produce. It’s the name of the game.

It’s not the easiest of things to get your head around let’s be honest. My friends think I’m crazy spending long hours, days or even weeks trying to produce something you can’t actually see.

Bottom line is this. We produce pictures we like to share, be they great good indifferent or bad.

You’ve created an amazing and unique image and that’s the pay off. Other imagers with the same image also create their unique image.

I use Autointegrate to make my basic image, then I use scripts to fine tune my image to the best of my very limit abilities. They are not the best but they are mine. Yours are to the best of yours…so far.

I would be very happy to be able to create what you have,

Peter

What you’re describing Anthony, is human nature; we strive, we compare ourselves, we find fault, we strive again and on it goes. The folks above have given you a range of descent advice. You’ve got three ways to go: striving, faulting yourself and try to improve until you’re happy. I don’t think this is likely if you’re not happy now. Or give yourself a break, relax, do it for the joy of it and forget the critique and striving, at least for a while. Or walk away for a while and let time get it out of your system a bit.

If you’re you’re going to go with option one though, and most would, then be analytical about your criticism, make it count so that it pushes you forward, not drags you down. If you don’t think an image is right, but you can’t say why not, then you don’t know it isn’t right.

Looking at your M31, you and others like you are an inspiration. You’re doing a LOT with a Askar 120APO, you’re blessed with talent and actively doing what I hope to achieve. You have amazing detail in the image, you even have detail in the core of the Satellite Galaxies! It’s an awesome pic. … so here is my personal two-sense,… One of the other posts mentioned that Astrophotography is an art, well it is and you have an artistic niche with color and a talent for bringing out the details so work that OCD which is not a bad thing with astronomy, put down some choice beverages or whatever you do to get yourself in your mood (mine are whiskey and stouts), and get your mind animated and thinking, go outside the box… think of the colors you like, maybe go way-off edge, zoom way-in on a planetary nebula or deep on nebulae in some other Galaxy. You clearly have a talent for bringing that stuff out, make it pop… create rarely or never seen astro-art, so I’d suggest something like that. :/ I’ve had a few today, lol

This is an interesting post. Like you I feel like can my images be better. In an odd way Astrobin and other resources has a double edge. One is you compare your images to some on here or elsewhere online and think mine is crap. The other is you'll get the elitist complaing/moan how rubbish your images are compared to little John doe. I suffered this very badly in 2021 and had an image removed due to this very problem. Almost put me me off doing astro stuff, but I had encouragement from some online and even astrobin offered support. I walked away for 4 years to enhance my own growth in this hobby and learn stuff myself and problem solve some of the issues i had. I use online resources as just that resources. I dont compare anymore but use my own artistic process, when I'm happy I'll upload to my own website and maybe here at astrobin. All I will say is its your equipment your data, don't compare. If you like your image job done. I also learnt sitting a pc processing data for days will drive you nuts. I tend to put a project to one side and move to a different project. When ready go back to previous project.

Don't get frustrated, just relax and enjoy one of the most rewarding hobbies out there. I've been doing this hobby for 5 years now and I know I still have tons to learn, but I'll do it at my leisure.

Someone told me once that there is never a daft question to ask in this hobby. However you have got armchair elitists which im afraid will always be the case.

You have got some amazing images which has been recognised by the IOTD reviewers with images being put forward.

Andrew Weller · Nov 17, 2025, 09:29 AM
I don’t know anyone who is ever fully satisfied with their images. even if I think that it looks great at the time i review it a couple of days later and think it looks crap.

And sometimes even the reverse….what you left in disgust the night before, looks not so bad in the morning! For me at least, giving an image time before saying ‘Done’ and publishing is critical. Also looking at it on a variety of devices of different size and type screens. I spend at least a week from when I think I’ve finished an image with it on my phone, laptop, & 27” iMac, and honestly, it’s also time to enjoy/consider the image/target before moving on to the next one.

That said, if you feel like you’re not progressing as you expect or hope, and I feel like I’ve hit something of a plateau myself, private lessons could be an option. A number of very experienced AP’ers offer them and though I don’t know what the rates are like, I can’t imagine they’re that high relative to what else we’ll spend for improvements.

Cheers,
Scott

Hi Anthony,

As evidenced by all the posts so far, including mine, you are certainly not alone in the feeling of being in a rut. It’s very easy in this hobby to let myself feel that my images don’t measure up to the standards of someone else’s images. This feeling of “being less than”, I have found, is self- defeating and only serves to limit my progress in striving to improve. So, I am learning to apply some basic tools learned over my lifetime to this continually changing and challenging pursuit. First, I try not to compare my images to those of others from the view of “mine aren’t as good as theirs”. Instead, I read their narrative and try to glean from that, their technique or methods that they employed in processing their images and then incorporate those into my workflow. Consequently, if I find a technique, thru trial and error, that results in an improvement, I’ll share that with others as well. Second, I try to focus on progress, not perfection. I have had to learn that progress may come quickly, or it may come slowly. In any case, I am my own worst critic, and I have to be patient with myself and not compare my progress with those who I perceive as picking it up quicker than I. We all progress at different rates and I’m really right where I need to be. Third, just have fun! Discovering the wonders of the universe, whether it be thru the JWT or an 8-inch SCT, is why we pursue this. Advances in technology and its availability have opened up this field to us amateurs (and professionals) in ways that were not conceivable just 30 or 40 years ago. So, take it, use it, and run with it at your own pace. In other words, focus on the journey and what lies along it, not necessarily on the destination.

CS,

Patrick

Honestly, I was considering making a similar post as I too feel like I haven't improved much in the past year. It's not an encouraging feeling to have whatsoever. However, I am a mobile imager and everytime I am camping somewhere I never think about how the image will turn out, I'm going through the motions of setting up and enjoying my quiet retreat away from work and all the stresses of life and enjoying myself.

I noticed that these feelings only come afterwards when I'm trying to produce my final image, like I have something to prove.

In reality, I never started doing this to compete with anyone or anything. Certainly not to compare my work to CDKs and 24 inch monsters. Why should I be doing it now?

The right answer is that I shouldn't and the right approach is that the final image DOESN'T matter!! It's the process getting to it that matters. Do your best and goodnight. Close pixinsight. Turn off and post your results and enjoy the feedback be it constructive or praising.

Who knows, maybe later you'll revisit the data and and come up with something better. But for now, its all good 🫡

Never forget why you started, that curious feeling, the excitement and apprehension you felt before clicking place order on your first scope. Always aim for better, but don't let that drive suffocate you.

Reading your post and replying to it has also been therapeutic to me so thanks for sharing it!!

Alex Nicholas · Nov 17, 2025, 05:34 AM
One thing I can suggest is, change something about your rig that makes you look at your data completely differently for a while (Given your primary scope, I’d say going to something with a 400~500mm focal length would do the trick.

BUT! My number one thing that’s helped me in this regard is this.

Looking at other peoples images is fun. No doubt about that… But, what you see when you look at someone elses images is the 1% of the process they want you to see… There will be 99 other iterations, possibly over the course of a number of years worth of attempts, failures, self doubting, overly critical self opinions etc.

As with all ‘Social Media’ (which I personally try not to think of Astrobin as, but in a way, it is), Its great to look at other peoples personal highlights, but don’t go comparing your day to day against other peoples highlight reel… I love to look at the images being posted on Astrobin - they can be inspiring, they can give ideas about new targets to shoot or perspectives on targets you’d not considered before… And that’s great stuff. But I don’t compare my images to those of others… I upload my images, I like to get feedback on them, and have easy links to share the images with other people etc - but I don’t see the value in comparing my images to those of others… Others who may have far more time to dedicate to the hobby (I have a wife, 5 kids, 2 snakes, and a full time job that occupies about 99% of my cerebral cortex…), They may have more money to throw at better gear, they may have better sky conditions or more clear nights with which to dial in their rig, or collect more data to hone their processing skills on etc… There are a million reasons why someone, even someone with the same gear as you, might be producing better images than you (including your own overcritical opinions telling you that yours aren’t as good).

Take a step back… Remember why you love astrophotography.. I can guarantee you, the thing that made you fall in love with astrophotography wasn’t ‘Being as good as other people’ or ‘being better than other people at it’. I’ll bet it had a lot more to do with being at one with the cosmos, producing art that to most people seems completely out of this world (because it is), the technical, engineering aspect of it etc…

I’ve been into astrophotography since 2008~2009 or there abouts… I’ve had a couple of LONG breaks in there, one of which was almost 8 years long… I used to be really critical of my own work, and used to compare every one of my shots against other peoples work… I do it entirely for myself now… If I can produce an image that is better than I produced last time - I’m happy…

I have a good example in my gallery actually… in late 2023/2024 I came back to astrophotography after having a break since 2015 (Kids… am I right… ?) and one of the first things I wanted to do, was get a shot of M78, as it had eluded me in previous attempts… I produced an ‘image’ of M78, and while I wasn’t happy with it really, not at all, It was my first image of M78. In late 2024/2025, I had been back in the hobby for over a year, I had upgraded some of my gear to more modern hardware, and I gave M78 another go. Is it as good as I wanted it to be? maybe not… probably not… But do you know what? It BLOWS THE PANTS OFF my 2023/2024 M78 image… And with that - I’m happy!

Compare your images against your older images - see the progress YOU have made, and remember why you fell in love with the night sky… That’s my suggestion.

Truly excellent advice, not just for this topic, but in life.

To answer your prompting question for this thread, no. You are not alone.

What I’m about to type next, might not directly apply to your circumstances or situation, but perhaps it’ll help.

For some time I’ve noticed that I love a challenge. If it gets too easy, too routine, I get a funk. My life (like most people I think) has been a sea of upheaval and overcoming. But as it turns out, that’s what I thrive on. If I’m not challenged, I lose interest. This can be incredibly rewarding once I knew that was the case, but otherwise destructive when I wasn’t fully aware that’s how I was built.

I’ll keep it short, but I could elaborate at depth regarding career(s), relationships, hobbies, interests, work out routines, et cetera, in short that perhaps malaise I think you’re describing. When I get that feeling, I need to find the challenge again. That can be grand or minute, but maybe ask some questions of yourself, your process, your locales, your targets, not sure as I’m not fully prepped on the granular, but maybe (I’m spitballing here) it’s assembling a small travel kit that you can fit into a backpack, and hiking out to big, dark skies and working out of a book, no internet. Maybe it’s working with a DSLR, maybe try joining the local astro club and teaching kids how to do some of the stuff you have down pat. You may have tried all this, but I’m just reflecting on my own experience with that feeling I think you’re describing and when I look back, it’s always time for me to re-invent, re-position, un-focus, do a little dance, something that shakes things up.

I haven’t been doing this anywhere near as long as most on this site, but I can say, my trash work and my pristine work, is really here-nor-there for me. It’s (trite I know) the journey, the process, the set-backs, the repeated failures, then seeing a little improvement or know how that really bouys my spirits in the end. I’m on the side of folks who’ve thus far referred to their particular artistic interests and understanding

Forgive me if this seems “aimed” at you. It’s not, it’s for everyone really, though I appreciate the vulnerability of the topic and what’s underneath all that. For the record, not a therapist or life coach, but just a guy who’s “failed” a lot, for real, and gets hung up on it. My old mentor used to say to me, countless times a year whenever I brought him problems or concerns, he’d say, “Who are you helping?” and usually my answer, because I was a lot more self-centered then, was, well, no one. When I really get in a rut these days, that’s what I ask myself, “Who are you helping,” and if the answer is no one, I try to redouble my efforts there. You helped me by posting this thread btw.

Last thing, I think our tremendous passion for this field of interest, the money and time we spend on the end result, can be wildly inspiring to others outside our tiny astrobin community. When I show pictures to regular folks, sometimes their jaws literally drop.

You’re doing great, and you're brave enough to bring up such a topic. That says more to me about how good you’re doing than the excellent batch of photos you’ve posted.

Wow! It’s discussions like these that I would like to also point out that is just another reason that makes this community so special.

Thanks, everyone for the kind words also!

I think everyone hit the nail on the head, it for sure seems like as of late I have spent more time being critical of my own techniques, knowledge, work and comparing it to others that I completely lost sight of why Most of us started astronomy/astrophotography in the first place and that was just an almost unhealthy obsession of the universe haha.

I have even caught myself lately letting cloudy nights ruin my whole mood because I couldn’t image or getting angry because I was obsessing to much over guiding, star shapes, etc etc. When in the past I would just pick up a book or browse the internet to learn something new about the very things we are imaging.

The other night with the latest solar storms and being able to catch the aurora under a really crisp clear sky while also catching a few meteors brought me back to my visual days when you were outside under the stars and in the thick of it, I also think sometimes we need to get out from behind the computers weather imaging or not and at the very least go out and say hello to the sky just rekindle that one on one experience!

Glad everyone got to vent a little!! maybe this will be the kick in the butt some of us needed like I so desperately needed.

Anthony, I don’t have a lot of advice to offer you. I’m still very much learning about this hobby, both from a technical standpoint and from a psychological standpoint.

Two thoughts.

First, most of your images are outstanding. I would be proud to call them mine. I’m not sure if your dissatisfaction and funk is due to perceived flaws in your own work, or perhaps under-recognition in the IOTD process. Either way, to my eye you have a lot of talent.

Second, I always have to remind myself that comparison is the quickest way to dissatisfaction. No matter how good you are, somebody is always going to be better. They will have better processing skills, better location, better equipment, etc. etc. Be proud of what you’ve achieved, and take heart in the knowledge that the images that you produce in a couple of days would have exceeded the capabilities of any professional astronomer on the planet 20 years ago.

Regards, Dan

Ditto to all above..

I’ve decided to back off slightly on the processing for the last few months so as to take a break. I’ve been taking a good look around for ideas etc.

I currently have over twenty project folders on my astro PC desktop. But of course I’ll still collect data on those rare clear nights if possible!

Good luck and good hunting !

As a life-long composer/music producer and relatively new astrophotographer (3 years) I can tell you that you'll see your own work in a myriad of different ways. It can depend upon how well you slept, what you ate, how well you're getting along with people in your real life–and of course there's the arc of progress that every artist wholly dedicated to their craft hopes to witness and enjoy.

Attention to detail, dedication to learning, curiosity and the acceptance that nothing we do can be perfect is helpful, as there are no perfect human beings. Yet even if you create what you believe to be your very best work, there is no guarantee that others who view the world differently, who have different values, different aesthetic sensitivities and their own time constraints–will find the beauty and meaning you put into your work and that the work gave back to you.

Think about what we're imaging–objects that have existed for millions or billions of years, objects so large, distant and old that in our brief moments of conscious life on this small planet we're trying to capture in a photograph that which we hope might inspire awe, humility and a recognition of how beautiful and mysterious the universe is.

I find that when I don't take myself too seriously I can do what I do more seriously. Progress in any serious work requires a joyful attitude and heartful gratitude that you're able to do it. That gratitude and joy sustains me more than anything else when I feel frustrated with the quality of work I am producing. It's also seems to be true that the more we progress, the higher our standards become as to what constitutes good work.

Jerry
https://www.jerrygerber.com
https://www.youtube.com/@astromusicvideo

Anthony,

As you can see by the number of replies, you are not alone.

I embrace the advice to take a step back, remember why you’re into astrophotography, and compare only with yourself.

To me, it looks like you’ve lost sense of achievement. Changing gear e.g. go wide-field, won’t bring it back. However, seeing yourself progress will!

Ask yourself what can you improve, then improve it. Have you considered taking one-on-one processing lessons?

Warm regards

One thing related to this topic, but not exactly parallel to what the OP posted, is that of "gear lust". Some people confuse the psychological/emotional ups and downs that every human experiences with the idea that "if only I had more/better gear I could progress". This may be so if we're talking about the difference between a $300 telescope and a $3000 telescope, or a $1000 mount vs a $12,000 mount. But one of the ways I've resolved not to fall into the temptation of wanting to buy new equipment when the equipment I have is fine for my purposes is, when I experience gear lust, I simply go online and look at advertisements of the equipment I already own and use! ;>) This works every time and I don't get tempted into buying stuff I don't really need or want. Weird, but it works. It not only reminds me to make do with what I have, but also that I already have fine equipment and if my images fail to satisfy me then I ought to work on my data acquisition and processing skills instead.

Jerry

https://www.jerrygerber.com
https://www.youtube.com/@astromusicvideo