Phil Hilson Photography

09/07/2026

Final Day

09/06/2026

Looking for something to do this Labor Day weekend! Come out out to Meeteetse snd say hello!

09/05/2026

With the family.

Phil Hilson is an award winning photographer who specializes in astrophotography and wildlife photography. Come check out his booth at the Cody Farmers Market. Open Saturdays from 9am to Noon at the corner of 13th and Beck.

09/03/2026

Two spectacular stellar nurseries sharing one field of view in Auriga.

At the upper left is the Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405), its sweeping clouds of glowing hydrogen giving it the appearance of flames moving through space. At the lower right is the Tadpoles Nebula (IC 410), home to the young open cluster NGC 1893. Within IC 410 are the famous “tadpoles”—dense structures of gas and dust being sculpted by radiation and winds from young, energetic stars.

I especially like this wider view because it shows the relationship between these two very different-looking nebulae and the immense star field surrounding them. What looks like empty space between them is filled with extremely faint nebulosity.

Equipment:
Askar 65PHQ refractor
ZWO ASI533MC Pro cooled color camera
ZWO AM5 mount
Optolong L-eNhance dual-band filter
ZWO ASIAIR Plus
Guided and dithered during acquisition

Processing: PixInsight & Photoshop

09/02/2026

Kingfisher in Action

What an exciting encounter at the lake! I spotted this Belted Kingfisher perched above the water, crest raised and keeping a close watch on everything below.

Then suddenly, he was off! I was able to follow him with the camera as he swept low across the water—fast, powerful, and just a few feet above the surface. Catching a kingfisher sitting still is always a treat, but capturing one in flight is something else entirely.

09/02/2026

What an exciting encounter today at the lake! I spotted this Belted Kingfisher perched above the water, crest raised and keeping a close watch on everything below.

Then suddenly, he was off! I was able to follow him with the camera as he swept low across the water. Catching a kingfisher sitting still is always a treat, but capturing one in flight is something else entirely.

09/01/2026

There’s something special about seeing Sandhill Cranes moving through a Wyoming field. Tall and graceful, with their unmistakable red crowns, they seem regal among the grass.

08/31/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉

Rey Parris, Cindy Gifford, Amy Robinson, Suvi Kristiina Vainionpää, Helen Lewis

08/31/2026

These are three different encounters with Red-tailed Hawks, each giving me a different look at these impressive raptors. From a watchful perch to the split second of takeoff and the power of full flight.

08/30/2026

A Dark-eyed Junco Pink-sided and a Western Wood-Pewee, both pausing just long enough for a portrait. I love how this little patch of trees keeps revealing something new every time I spend a little time there.