I’ve had an interest in astronomy my whole life. In fact, three astronomy courses that were marketed as being for “non-science majors” did more damage to my undergrad GPA than anything else. But I loved every minute of them!

I’ve also had a desire to learn photography for years, even owning some entry level cameras over the years. Last year I was gifted a used entry-level DSLR and I decided it was time to learn how to use it.

These two things have been even more incredible to learn and experience together. Astrophotography is not easy, but even with a very basic set up, incredible shots are achievable.

Here are a few shots I’ve taken so far.

This was from my first time trying my hand at astrophotography. This is the Milky Way over the domes of the McDonald Observatory in the Fort Davis Mountains of Texas.
This is a another shot I took that night in Fort Davis. There are a million variables to consider in post-processing. It's a fun process.
I managed to capture a shooting star while in West Texas. It was a lucky shot for sure, and I thought it might have been a plane or something but those are so noticeable in the giant black sky.
The clouds started rolling in, but I stopped to take a few more shots from a roadside overlook. A friendly photographer was there also that gave me a few pointers.
My wife and I stayed in cabin in Ruidoso, NM and I took this shot from the deck.
C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) as seen above Manchaca, TX. There is a new housing development under construction near my home and at the moment it is just a pristine new road in a relatively still dark area, so I've been taking advantage of it. The co
Jupiter, Orion, and Pleiades over Creedmoor, TX. These are from the same location as the comet on a clear night.
Late Summer 2024 had some high solar activity and I had heard reports of the Aurora Borealis being visible all the way into Texas. One night I saw someone post about it from San Antonio, so I grabbed my gear and drove out to Driftwood, TX and capture