A vertical replenishment is underway aboard USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4), at sea, June 24, 2009.

Helicopter Combat Squadron 21, the “Blackjacks”, pictured from left to right, Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Kevin Watson, Lt. Cmdr. Kimberly Ernst and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Gabriel Martin; background, Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Jack Delbridge; Aug 27, 2008, aboard hospital ship USNS Mercy.

See how this image was made here.

After completing a flight in support of Pacific Partnership 2008, an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Combat Squadron (HSC) 21, the “Blackjacks,” returns to USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) anchored off the coast of Cotabato, Republic of the Philippines May 30, 2008.

Pacific Partnership is a four-month humanitarian mission to Southeast Asia intended to build collaborative relationships by providing engineering, civic, medical and dental assistance to the region. 

U.S. Marines participate in a "crossing the line" ceremony aboard USS Dubuque (LPD 8), while at sea Oct. 22, 2006.

An Aviation Maintenance Administrationman (AZ) performs routine checks on an AV-8B Harrier jet aboard USS Boxer (LHD-4), 2007.

A Basic Crewman Training (BCT) candidate takes a breath during a conditioning swim in San Diego Bay.

Influenza scientists for the U.S. Military, San Diego, Calif., June 09, 2009.

Two drops of water illustrate an interference pattern, captured using high-speed photography instruments at Brooks Institute’s industrial studio 2, Jan 23, 2013. 

In 2016, Caltech's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) officially detected gravitational waves, resulting from two colliding black holes sending ripples through space-time. 

Eight minutes before this image was made, these light rays emerged from the sun, where they traveled at light-speed through space, scattered off the surface of the Earth, and burst into my apartment. Notice how the blue light rays are on top, and the green and brown rays are on the bottom – this is literally the sky and earth observable inside the light as it travels.

The Law of Reflection states that light rays typically travel in straight lines from their source, and interact with objects differently depending on their density and texture. When light encounters a rough surface, it scatters, or refracts. When light bounces off a smooth or shiny surface, it reflects at the equal but opposite angle from which it arrives. In this image, a single laser beam reflects between 11 mirrors, emphasizing light’s characteristic movement and predictability.

Our sun, a G2V type yellow dwarf star, shot at 1200mm using a full aperture solar filter. For comparison, the small sunspot at the lower end is roughly the same size as Earth.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2017e089583)

The Elephant Bird, now extinct, once stood 10-feet-tall. There are only a handful of their eggs left in existence, and I had the pleasure of photographing this one as part of an ongoing project at the California Academy of Sciences, Oct 08, 2014. Check out the full gallery of birds and mammals at WIRED.

Brooks Institute, 2013. 

Zelda Williams at the WIRED Cafe during San Diego Comic-Con, July 09, 2015.

The Holi Fesitval of Colors, at the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, March 22, 2012. Holi is a Hindu faith practice that celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. Every two hours the day was punctuated by mass “throwings” that blocked out the sun in an enormous cloud of color. 

Long Beach, Calif., 2012. Urban sprawl is defined as the unplanned, uncontrolled spreading of urban development into areas adjoining the edge of a city.

The San Francisco Building, April 01, 2012. The Federal building was designed to consume about half the power of a standard office tower, utilizing the sun and natural ventilation to replace electric lighting and air-conditioning.

Apple’s new iMac, 2015.

Solomon Islands, Aug. 08, 2009.

The 360fly is a water-resistent virtual reality action sports camera that works with your phone and Google Cardboard. We tested the $400 camera at the California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium. 

As Star Wars fans have grown up, so have their lightsabers. Forget cheap plastic toys, these sabers are bespoke laser blades that light up, buzz, and are made for Jedi dueling.

Max is a fifth-generation blacksmith that wants to revive the trade his forefathers committed their lives to. He spends almost every day from the early morning into the late night transforming raw metal into intricate works of art.

Take a ride with Jon Husman as he navigates through North Park, San Diego on his tall bike.

Music: Ryan Clement

Danny Terhaar, age 45, has been an organic beekeeper for two years. He's responsible for nearly 50 hives spread over several locations from Carpinteria up to Thousand Oaks. Recently, he started up Bees and Beyond – his own bee rescue company.

Bees and Beyond offers humane swarm removal services to areas around Ventura county. Rather than exterminating the hive, Terhaar relocates the bees to a new home in his yard or with other local beekeepers.

Back in 2008, Derek Sanchez, a friend and colleague of mine, put together this video of a portrait shoot I organized on the flight deck of USNS Mercy while anchored in the Federated States of Micronesia. I used a single SB-800 with a LumiQuest Mini Softbox attached to light the foreground.