Martin Bailey

Tokyo based Photographer • Host of the Martin Bailey Photography Podcast • X-Rite Coloratti • Fine Art Printer • 3D Printer • Developer • Archer

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

I've started working on an Astrophotography page on my website on which I write about my adventures in astrophotography, from both the technical and creative sides. It will become the hub for more content as time allows, but for now, I'm happy with how the page is turning out. Check it out if you are interested: https://t.co/P5Ej5ljaQm

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

The Horse Head Nebula (IC434) shot with an Optolong L-Ultimate Ha + OIII filter. Hydrogen alpha is the red light, and Oxygen III is the greenish-blue light towards the top of the image. Heading into spring now, Orion goes behind a neighbour's roof at around 11 pm, so I only have a few hours' window to capture it. On Friday evening, the clouds cleared in time for me to get 5 x 7-minute exposures, then last night, I had just over two hours before it clouded over again, so this is a total of 25 x 7 minutes for a 2-hour 55-min integration, making this my first multi-night image.

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

A word of warning. If you have an X Premium+ subscription renewing soon, you may be in for a surprise. I was charged 3X my first payment, with no notification, and I was refused a refund. I just downgraded to just Premium, which I would have done before my previous payment if X had the decency to tell me about the upcoming payment.

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

The Steller's Sea Eagle Butt Shot to beat them all. I shot this over the harbour wall in the Rausu Fishing Port during my first winter wildlife tour of the season. #Hokkaido #Rausu #StellersSeaEagle #Raptor #Eagle

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

A Mature Stellar's Sea Eagle takes the fish as a juvenile Stellar's Sea Eagle watches. These birds have a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters. #Hokkaido #Rausu #Japan #Wildlife #SeaEagle #StellarsSeaEagle

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

I don't shoot many small birds, but the Harlequin Duck in the right conditions simply demands to be photographed. #Hokkaido #HarlequinDuck #Japan #Wildlife #Rausu

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

This Ezo Deer was rubbing his horns against the twigs, then finishing them off by polishing them with the fur on his back, as seen in this photo. #Hokkaido #Notsuke #Wildlife #Japan #EzoDeer

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

The Stellar's Sea Eagle is one of the most magnificent birds on the planet. Even after more than twenty years, I never get tired of being in their presence. #Rausu #Hokkaido #Wildlife #Japan #StellarsSeaEagles

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Just look at the shape of those feathers as the Short-Eared Owl hovers. These are such amazing birds! Shot on the Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido this afternoon. #Notsuke #Hokkaido #Wildlife #Japan #Owls

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

The Short-Eared Owl with the disputed Kuril Islands in the Background - Today was amazing! We started photographing the Sea Eagles from a chartered boat in Rausu, and moved over to Notsuke Peninsula in the afternoon, and had several encounters with this amazing owl. #Notsuke #Hokkaido #Wildlife #Japan #Owls

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Lone Whooper Swan in the Mist - Kussharo Lake freezes less often now, but a mist like this makes up for it when it happens. #Hokkaido #KussharoLake #Sunayu #Japan #Wildlife

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Ezo Deer Crossing the Setsuri River - The heads popping up everywhere are the Japanese Red-Crowned Cranes that roost here #Hokkaido #Japan #wildlife #RedCrownedCranes

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Red-Crowned Cranes Taking Flight at the Ito Crane Sanctuary in Tsurui Village, Hokkaido, during my first winter wildlife tour of the season. #Hokkaido #Japan #Wildlife

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Ruffled Feathers - Two Red-Crowned Cranes Dancing Together in Hokkaido, during my first wildlife tour of the season. These majestic cranes never cease to amaze me with their grace, and sometimes, with their passion. #Hokkaido #Japan #Wildlife #RedCrownedCranes

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Pror Departure - Two Japanese Red-Crowned Cranes see their friends off on an earlier flight, in the snow, in Tsurui village, Hokkaido, during my first Winter Wildlife tour of the season. #Hokkaido #nature #wildlife #birds #avians #Japan

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Here's my latest attempt to capture my favorite celestial body, the Orion Nebula. I wanted to recapture this now that I have the ZWO ASI6200MC camera. Its temperature control and astrophotography-centric spec provide amazing images with literally no noise. I used an L-Ultimate narrowband filter for 70% of the images that went into this photo, and a Quad BP filter for an hour to get better stars, and some of the Quad BP images merged in mainly around the core. #astrophotography #orionnebula #astronomy

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

After a quick update on the second half of 2025, I share my process for selecting the year's top ten images in a race against time. https://t.co/cXpYnkC7H5

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

I just posted a video in which I give you a brief update of what I've been up to over the last few months, and follow with an interview with my friend Ulana Switucha, to talk about her new book Torii.
https://t.co/o4Fs1VKx2P

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2026!

[Martin Bailey @MartinBailey]

This is the Flaming Star Nebula (まが玉星雲), sitting approximately 1,500 light-years away in the constellation of Auriga (ぎょしゃ座). The integration for this was a Quad BP (Ha, Hb, SII, OIII) filter for 25 x 12-minute exposures. I also shot an extra hour with a UV/IR filter, but it didn't really add anything. I am somewhat limited by my sky, a Bortle 5, so the bluer areas of this nebula are out of reach unless I travel to a darker sky zone at some point. And, there are other things that I'd like to shoot first when I do, so this is my lot with the Flaming Star Nebula at this point, but I'm happy with it. #astronomy #astrophotography #nebula #zwo #skywatcher