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The North American and Pelican Nebula

This image includes two large nebulae found within the constellation Cygnus, not too far from the very bright star Deneb. The nebula on the left is the NGC7000 known as the North American Nebula. It was discovered in 1786 by William Herschel when he noted a faint patch of milky nebulosity while observing this spot in the sky. A century later in 1890 the German Astrophotographer Max Wolf took a long exposure photograph and noticed more clearly the characteristic shape and dubbed it the North American Nebula. Yes, you read that correctly, Max Wolf was an Astrophotographer back in the late 19th century! I can’t imagine (more…)

2017-05-29 Six Months in Deep Space

It’s been way too long since I have posted anything on my blog, and most of you probably have forgotten that it even exists. For that, I apologize. It’s been a very [insert lame excuse here] six months, and you all know how those things tend to go. Hopefully, this post will end the drought and you will see more of my work from both this planet and beyond.

This has been a really challenging year for astronomy, with clear nights far and few between. I have many (more…)

2015-11-07 Astrophotography: The Bubble Nebula NGC 7635

Get up close and personal. For the longest time, as a wildlife photographer, I have been striving to get as close to the subject as I can. I have invested in lenses with long focal lengths to provide me with the ability to “zoom” in, and tried to perfect methods of “sneaking up” to get as close as possible to fill the frame with my subject. For me it was all about getting that close up portrait where you could, for example, count the hairs on the head of a moose, or discern the details in an eye. Photographers of many genres are obsessed with getting close, and while there is nothing wrong with this approach, it is easy to forget that a subject is part of the world that surrounds it. In recent years, as I have matured as a photographer, I have begun to appreciate the environment more, and have been making a conscious effort to include this natural world with my subject. To me this presentation is more appealing, and while the close up portrait certainly has it’s place, I am more moved by an image when there is environmental context with which to gain perspective. This same concept applies to astrophotography, where we can (more…)