Easy and cheap(ish) Astrophotography
Astrophotography is arguably the most technically demanding discipline in the art of photography, with high demands in both equipment and post-processing. In recent years advances in mobile phone technology have given everyone access to easy wide-field astrophotography, leaving three areas that still require high end equipment: Stellar, Planetary, and Deep-sky. Is there still a place for high end equipment in wide-field? Absolutely! Just like the Instagram folks are discovering that a real camera takes better photos than a mobile phone, so too will a dedicated astro rig take better photos than a mobile phone. But the mobile is accessible, cheap, and easy to use - so it will get folks in. If you can get shots like this in a Bortle 5 area, it will get you excited, and some folks will be inspired enough to go further. But what about deep sky? Enter the "Smart Telescope". These are not so much telescopes as dedicated astrophotography rigs. These have many advantages - some o