The image above was taken as part of a routine alignment test of the one-meter Tzec Maun Foundation telescope in Cloudcroft, NM.
I was centering the camera on a pinhole in front of a laser when I took this shot. (We wanted to see if the alignment markers for the elevation axis bearings and the laser were co-aligned.)
I was struck the the colors, the lines, the out of focus mystique, and only the face of the far laser assembly in focus. Reminds me of mid 20th century art and architecture—maybe a hint of Brutalism in all those angles and masses.
Shot with a Canon 6D with a 100mm macro lens. 1/30th second, ISO 400, f/2.8.
The photo below shows one of the crosshair targets—not as brutal a metaphor for science, but again only one small thing (the crosshairs) are in focus.
There are simply times when science is also art. Look very closely to see the tiny crosshairs.