Astrophotography Today - Capturing the Universe from my Driveway!

Date: September 27. 2023

A Presentation given to the Rochester Chapter of IS&T

Background

A while back, I was asked if I would be willing to give a talk about my Astrophotography to the Rochester Chapter of IS&T.

For those who are not aware of IS&T, this is an association that is focused on Imaging Science and Technology.

This is a highly technical group, and there is little I could share with them from an Image Science perspective that they don’t already know. However, I thought that most would not be familiar with the specifics of the Astrophotography Domain, so that was something that I felt that I could share.

The Approach

So, I decided to share what goes into making a solid astrophoto by following a recent project I did on Messier 27 - The Dumbbell Nebula.

I picked this one because it was the first image of mine that was a Grand Slam - published by each publication I submit to! This includes Sky&Telescope, Astronomy, BBC The Sky at Night, Amateur Astrophotography Magazine., and NASA APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day).

The last one - NASA APOD - was a big one for me. It was the first time that I got an image highlighted there!

So I put together the slides for my talk and realized I was covering too much information. I ended up taking a lot of slides out of the presentation to shorten it, but I still went longer than I had hoped.

The talk ended up being something like an hour and 22 minutes. What can I say - it’s dangerous to get me started talking about astrophotography!

The Experience

At any rate, I enjoyed giving the talk, and the audience seemed engaged and patient with my long-winded ways.

I was delighted to see many people I worked with at Kodak over the years attending the talk.

In fact, Frank Hubbell, who was my first boss when I joined Kodak as a tall, skinny geek just out of college, was there!

He reminded me that I had sold him my very first serious telescope - an eight-inch Meade SCT - which he still has and uses to the very day! You know that some element of fate is involved when an astronomy nut has a first boss named “Hubbell,” who ends up buying his first telescope…

After the talk, I was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation - which I, in turn, I very much appreciated!

The Video

The link above will take you to a video on the IS&T - Rochester Chapter YouTube page. They captured the talk and created the video.

I always find it strange to watch a video of myself giving a talk.

When I am in the midst of giving a talk - I am so focused that I am trying to say that I am often oblivious to what is going on around me. Seeing the talk as the audience experienced it was enlightening. And more than a bit humbling.

The best thing about the video version is that most of the “ums” have been edited out from the video!

Apparently, my brain is hardwired to fill the sound stage with an “um” each time I prepare to utter my next phrase.

I never realized how much I did this until I saw the raw footage. Now I have to find a brain surgeon who will sever the links in my head that cause that to happen!

Some people are natural-born speakers who are always eloquent, composed, and deliver with poise and polish. I am NOT one of those people!

My Thanks

Finally, I would like to thank the Rochester Chapter of IS&T for their invitation to talk and their patience and engagement with this long-winded presenter!