Joey Wishart is an amateur photographer and night sky enthusiast from Seattle, Washington. In search of clearer skies and a great education, Joey came to Bozeman to study physics and photography at Montana State University. During his freshman year at MSU, he unsurprisingly was drawn to the beautiful Montana landscape and spent time fly fishing and hiking, documenting the adventures along the way. He loves that photos are able to take you back to those memories you hold so dear. Photography is one of the only things that can help you see exactly what you experienced, long after the fleeting moments have passed.

Previously a self-taught photographer, Joey also began to take photography classes for the first time at MSU. This formal approach to taking pictures helped him explore new styles and techniques of photography including portraiture and film development.

Although interested in many categories of photography, Joey is especially interested in astrophotography, capturing images of the night sky. For Joey, astrophotography is a dream, combining his passions of astronomy, physics, and photography all into one artistic expression of just how beautiful our universe is.

“Astrophotos are also unique in that they are able to unveil things that are invisible to the human eye. Long exposures allow the camera to detect objects far too dim for our eyes to see, even after adjusting to the darkness of nighttime. They are a way to push photography beyond what we can see, and into what we maybe haven’t even discovered.”

In pursuit of this hobby, Joey has spent many nights under the stars, making memories and shooting pictures that make the sleep deprivation much more bearable. Photography has followed Joey to many new places and he is excited to see what he captures next. He hopes that his images spark the same curiosity and excitement he felt when he first saw an image of the Milky Way stretching above a beautiful landscape.