41° 17' 16" N  -  84° 22' 26" W

Astrophotography...

In December of 1977, using a Nikon FA 35mm film camera, I took my first astrophoto - a manually guided 5 minute exposure of the Orion Nebula.  It was 15 degrees outside, but I stood there with my eye glued to the guiding eyepiece, making minor corrections to the motor drive rates, determined to capture the glowing tendrils of this beautiful winter object.  The following day, we took the film to the local photo lab and anxiously stood by as the negatives were developed.  I remember Jeff Buehrer, who ran the photo shop, was as excited as I was - He was always willing to re-print the pictures trying to get the most out of them.  The results were impressive, but at the same time, made me realize that not only was photography necessary to bring out all the details we have come to expect from astronomical objects, but photographing the heavens was really going to be quite the challenge.  Then and there I was committed to improving my astrophotography skills, and to this day I am still learning and enjoying every minute of it! 

During the eighties,  I was introduced to many new technologies such as hyper-sensitized films and push processing.  This led me to setup my own darkroom at homeso I could develop black & white and color negatives and then make my own prints right at home.

M42 - The Orion Nebula

Planetary Alignment - 2001