Contact information
e-mail
warhenk@yahoo.com
.
websites
http://www.billionsandbillions.com
http://www.ip4ap.com
.
Biography
A
child of the 60s- Star Trek, Lost in Space, 2001: a space odyssey, Apollo
launches at dawn. Like many of us, I boldly went with my heroes
"Where no man [had] gone before". I never really touched down again.
As vice-president of my middle school astronomy club I owned an 8"
Newtonian. By college, it was forgotten for a career in music, most nights
playing in city clubs far from the dark skies of my youth. I was a
recording, performing and teaching musician most of my life and am a
multi-published Nashville songwriter.
It wasn't until Christmas '97, when my ex bought me a star chart and modest
achromat that the passion
re-ignited. I was gifted with Fred Hoyle's book Astronomy when I was a
child. Its cover had the glossiest, full color photo of The Ring Nebula in
the blackest, velvet sky. I knew from that moment I would someday
photograph the heavens' wonders.
Working with 35mm film til 1998, I switched to CCD in 2003. Artistic by
nature, the highly technical aspects of the hobby can be challenging. For
me, it's less about chemicals and cosmology, and more about the thrill of
the hunt and the myriad of beautiful colors and shapes throughout the
universe.
As a teacher, I'm told I have an ability to reduce difficult concepts to
the essentials and effectively
communicate it to others. I also try to stress the importance of
artfulness in this largely left-brained hobby. It is my desire to convince
new imagers that they can accomplish anything they want in
astrophotography
I'm proud to have been published in: Sky & Telescope, Astronomy, Amateur
Astronomy, ATT, Pennsylvania Recreation & Parks and Pennsylvania
magazines, Astronomy Online, AstroPhoto Insight, Cloudy Nights, and other
places on the World Wide Web. I'm a list owner of SXV-OSC at Yahoo Groups.
I've been a presenter at NEAIC, MAIC, Black Forest Star Party, and for
groups as varied as Boy Scouts, camera clubs and civic organizations. My
Astrophoto tutorial business www.IP4AP.com
was named a Sky & Telescope Magazine 'Hot Product' in 2007.
Astronomy Tales
The
two funniest 'vignettes' (in retrospect!) were:
a. Driving two hours in rush hour to image at a friend's club site, also a
semi-abandoned air strip. All ready to go, when C-141 cargo jets began
flying 200 ft overhead, dropping palettes on us. As the skids would land
on parachute, forklifts and trucks would scramble to pick them up in a
training exercise. Not much was accomplished that night!
.
b. Just this month 2/08, my observatory was obliterated by a wind storm.
The G-11 and telescopes came to rest 100-ft down the hill on their side. I
didn't discover this until talking on the phone the next day! It was real
carnage but nothing except the shed was totaled and insurance eased the
pain!
Areas of interest
Artistic Imaging
Astrophotography publications
Magazines
Sky & Telescope,
Astronomy
Newspapers
Light
Pollution article- Delta Record
Internet
Astrophoto Insight articles and columns
Observing site
Home
'Foxcroft Observatory' in Buckhannon, WV, USA.
Formerly, Cherry Springs area (BFSP) of Pennsylvania, USA
Astronomical Equipment
Telescopes
TV60is, Vixen R200SS,
Perhaps Vixen VC200L next. Losmandy G-11, SXVF-M25C, STV Deluxe.
Software
Adobe Photoshop CS2, Astroart 4, Neat Image,
GradientXTerminator
Activity
Church, Music and The Arts, travel to friend's observatory in Ft Davis,
TX. Walks and drives in
the country.
.
Additional Information: Wife, Christine, Grandpa to 8!
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