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Keith first became interested in astronomy in the 1970s when he discovered a Life Nature book at his grandparents' house. On the cover of this book was a picture of the North American Nebula. It was then that Keith discovered the intriguing nature of the night sky and the beauty that it possesses. “Around 10 years of age, I vividly remember seeing the Andromeda Galaxy with binoculars while camping in the Texas Hill Country and even though it was faint, I knew it was an entire galaxy far, far away, and it amazed me beyond words." In his teenage years living in Dallas, Texas, Keith would take his father’s spotting scope out on warm summer nights, to observe Jupiter and the Galilean moons from his family's front yard. It was moments like this one that fueled his pursuit of the night sky and eventually led him to take an astronomy class at the University of Texas. Keith illustrated another memorable moment saying that, “the night sky provided an exceptionally inspirational sight in 1997, when Comet Hale-Bopp graced the evening sky and I saw it with my own eyes from my first duty station in Gablingen, Germany.”
After retiring and moving to Montana in the fall of 2013, the backyard of Keith’s home faced south over dark skies in the mountains north of Yellowstone National Park. This is where he would develop his passion for imaging the night sky. “I noticed the stars were incredibly bright, so I decided it was time to buy my own telescope. It didn’t take long to realize I could easily connect a camera and take photographs.” For Keith, taking an image of something so huge and distant seemed like an incredible accomplishment. He elaborated on this feeling, stating that, “My degree is in Fine Art, and I’m also very interested in science, so to me, Astrophotography seemed like a perfect blend of both disciplines. In 2014, I photographed the same galaxy (Andromeda) I had seen with binoculars as a young boy and even though it was blurry and noisy, the sense of accomplishment was intriguing.” Keith said that he was most proud of a photo that he and his wife teamed up for, where they and their three children traveled from Montana to Idaho, to witness the 2017 Solar Eclipse. “The image is of the 3rd contact, or “diamond ring” taken with my Stellarvue 102mm Raptor triplet. It was chosen as Stellarvue’s image of the week, which made it extra special.” The second favorite photo that Keith is proudest of is one he took of Comet NEOWISE in 2020 with his custom Stellarvue 80mm Raptor triplet, a telescope that he had purchased for his 50th birthday.
When asked who his favorite astro-imagers were, Keith stated, “Bray Falls impresses me the most. I really love his colors, composition and just his whole attitude towards Astrophotography.” Another personal favorite of his was “professional golfer and astrophotographer Jimmy Walker.” Keith went on to say, “the technical beauty of his images is unparalleled in my opinion.” In regard to the first telescope he ever purchased, Keith shared that he has used his SVX102 mm Raptor triplet, “for observing and imaging lunar, solar, galaxies, nebulae, daytime landscapes, and wildlife. The resolution and color are both excellent and it’s not too big to handle, but it has reach (and plenty of style). I’ll keep it forever.” When asked about his time learning to image the night sky, Keith explained that “astro-imaging requires copious amounts of planning, understanding, patience, technical skill, and time. I’m sure it’s made me much more aware of the universe around us and how it works. I’ve definitely learned how to manage my time better and to simply have more patience. I’d also say I’ve gained even more respect for nature. It can be challenging imaging the night sky in Montana because the winters are very cold and the summer nights are very short, so I’ve learned to just image when time and weather permits, even if that means only a handful of sessions per year.”
As we wrapped up our interview with Keith, we asked him what advice he would give to aspiring astro-imagers. He responded by saying, “to make sure you keep enjoying the experience. It can be very technical and time-consuming, which can be especially challenging. It’s okay to take time and push yourself to learn a new skill like auto-guiding or to learn a difficult processing technique, but if the hobby becomes too stressful or you’re not able to do it as often as you like because it takes too much time to set up your gear, then find a way to simplify and make things easier for yourself.” This couldn't be better advice for those learning to observe or image the night sky, as the wisdom that Keith shared has been developed through many years of experience and a strong desire to learn. We hope our readers are inspired by his passion for astronomy just as we were and that they find great value in his story.
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