Plan for the moon you do not want.
For nebula work, I arrive two nights before new moon and let the first hour become a calibration: focus, dew, wind, then patience.
37° 14′ N
108° 42′ W
FIELD 04 / CLEAR
Astrophotography · Mesa Verde, Colorado
The dark sky keeps a record.
Deep-sky portraits, lunar studies, and quiet landscapes made from high desert nights.
Enter the archivePlate index / 2021—26
Image archive
Select a plate to open the full field record. Arrow keys move through the visible set.
Capture ledger
Every frame has a weather report.
Featured record / DS–041ROSETTE IN WINTER
- Optics
- RedCat 51 · 250mm
- Camera
- ASI2600MC · cooled −10°C
- Exposure
- 40 × 300 seconds
- Sky quality
- Bortle 2 · SQM 21.72
- Location
- La Sal Range, Utah
- Conditions
- −6°C · 14% humidity
Field notes / practical darkness
Notes from the red light.
Small observations from planning, tracking, and leaving a dark place as we found it.
Weather is part of the image.
Transparent air matters more than a perfect forecast. A cold, dry night with thin high cloud can still reveal a useful horizon.
Leave only footprints.
Red light stays low, generators stay off, and every setup is packed out. Dark-sky photography begins with protecting the dark sky.
Prints · licensing · workshops
Bring a little night home.
Ask about archival prints, editorial use, or a practical weekend under the stars with a small group.