Star Pix Observatory is located in Sierra Vista, Arizona which has dark skies suitable for astrophotography. This roll off observatory houses a Planewave 17″ CDK telescope and Stellarvue 80mm refractor, The scopes are mounted on a Paramount MEII mount with absolute encoders. The pier is a Pier-tech 3.
Our other observatory is located in Gilbert, Arizona and has a Meade 16″ LX200 Telescope which is great for imaging the moon and planets, plus visual observations.
I work in astrophotography and digital image-making, producing high-resolution photographs of deep-sky objects and finished archival prints for exhibition and collection. My practice combines telescope-based data capture with careful post-processing to translate faint astronomical signals into readable, visual forms.
I am drawn to the interplay between ordered structure and diffuse motion—the spiral arms, dust lanes, and faint halos that reveal gravitational choreography and past encounters. My work presents these phenomena directly: it reveals competing forces, traces of time, and the material processes that shape cosmic forms. Influences include observational astronomy, scientific imaging traditions, and a fascination with maps and diagrams that make complex systems legible without diminishing their mystery.
Technically, I gather long exposures through specialized optics and filters, then apply calibration, stacking, and selective color mapping to emphasize physical contrasts while preserving subtle detail. Digital processing is used not to fabricate but to clarify—separating emission signatures, reducing noise, and balancing scale so structures read at gallery scale. Final pieces are produced as large-format archival prints and digital displays that retain the color fidelity and spatial depth of the source data.
Taken together, the work conveys a disciplined curiosity: rigorous in method, deliberate in visual choices, and interested in how scientific observation can also function as visual poetics. Each image exhibits structure and motion, offering a sustained look at processes that are vast, dynamic, and quietly revealing.