My Photography Journey
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, from the rim of the lower falls
In 2022 we decided to get a DSLR for taking better photos while traveling. Up until that point I hadn't been able to travel much, and had been depending on my phone for taking photos. That year we visited Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and several other great National Parks, and on that trip I fell in love with photography.
After returning from some trips, I wanted to find other reasons to get out with my still new camera. A coworker suggested birding, and it wasn't long before I was trying to go out every opportunity, waking up well before dawn, and generally being obnoxious about it.
My favorite shots are those where the bird is just catching its prey, that moment is so difficult to capture, and requires a lot of luck and patience
I find dark-field microscopy to be incredibly beautiful. You can blame Journey to the Microcosmos for getting me hooked on microbes.
It was only a matter of time until I figured out how to affix a camera to my microscope, and while it hasn't been my most prolific niche I do enjoy finding microscopic creatures like this nematode.
At the beginning of 2023 I decided to use some spare cash to get into astrophotography. I've always been a space geek for as long as I can remember, from learning the constellations on camping trips to obsessing over the images from the newest space-based telescope. I'd dabbled a bit in some basic astro-imaging (tripod and remote shutter, very basic image stacking) before taking the leap.
Within a few weeks of purchasing my first telescope and mount I was figuring out how to photograph a total solar eclipse. I was lucky enough to be in the path of totality already, and with the world's jankiest setup I managed to capture the entire eclipse, with only a few thin clouds getting in the way.
My composite of the 2023 North America Eclipse, one of the first sets of images I took through a telescope
From there my interest in astronomy and astrophotography has exploded, and it is my favorite style of photography. The combination of technical difficulty with artistic creation just tickles my brain in ways I didn't know were possible before, and now I get my telescope out almost every clear night.
The Thor's Helmet Nebula - NGC2359
For now, my latest interest is macrophotography, primarily of arthropods, fungi, and flowers. I feel that this is a natural next step for my photography interests, and is something I'd never gotten to work to my satisfaction picking up a macro lens. I'm still at the beginning of this particular niche, but I hope to have many more photos to show soon. Especially after I figure out my flash situation. It always surprises me what ends up causing the biggest problems when imaging at a new scale.
A ladybug with a fairly benign fungal infection walking across a leaf
I find nature surprising, complex, beautiful, and above all interesting - at all scales. I love learning about my subjects by hunting down species names, geologic processes, or astronomy papers, and frequently upload my sightings to iNaturalist and Merlin. Since picking up a monochrome astronomy camera in early 2026 I can start contributing more significantly to astronomy citizen science projects as well. My eventual goal is to be doing astronomical spectroscopy or variable star observations while simultaneously capturing astrophotography images on a second mount. I value contributing to citizen science projects, and want to invest my hobby money in expanding humanity's understanding of this wonderful and weird universe of ours.