Welcome to my website!
Allow me to introduce myself—my name is David Colameo. For some time, I’ve dreamed of building a space where I could document my passions and hobbies. This website is the result, and for now, it’s dedicated to one of my favorite pursuits: astrophotography.
I began this journey in the winter of 2022, during a period when I was home recovering from Covid. While passing the time watching YouTube videos, I stumbled upon a tutorial by Alyn Wallace. To my surprise, he captured stunning images using gear similar to what I already owned! Inspired, I decided to try it myself. Without a tripod, I improvised—balancing my DSLR on a stack of books—and aimed my camera at the night sky from my balcony.
This is the image that came out:
Of course, it’s not much to look at. But I was flabbergasted—and hooked!
I couldn’t believe how many stars appeared in the photo, far more than I could see with my naked eye, simply by using longer exposure times. The image was a single 1-2 second exposure at 300mm, pointed at Orion’s Belt, which happened to be visible from my balcony. After recovering from Covid, I decided to take the next step and invested in a star tracker. It has been my loyal companion on astro travels ever since.
From those humble beginnings, my astrophotography equipment—and my skills—have grown significantly. If you’re curious, you can read more about the gear I use here.
What You’ll Find Here
This website will feature articles about my adventures in astrophotography, including my favorite images and the stories behind them. I’ll also share guides on topics like planning remote imaging sessions, advanced image processing techniques, and other tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. My gallery is now live, showcasing some of my favorite astrophotography images along with the stories behind them—feel free to explore!
My other passion: Neuroscience
In addition to astrophotography, I’m deeply passionate about neuroscience and biology. I’m a trained biologist and neuroscientist, having completed my PhD in neuroscience at ETH Zurich in 2023. Since 2024, I’ve been working as a researcher at the Electrophysiology Core Facility at the University of Zurich, where I provide services and support for cutting-edge research.
On this website, I hope to merge these two seemingly unrelated fields—astrophotography and neuroscience—into a unified narrative. Both disciplines explore vast, awe-inspiring universes: the cosmos above us and the mind within us.
For instance, during my doctoral studies, I captured this image of hippocampal neurons grown in the lab:
The red and green dots you see are synaptic proteins. Where both colors overlap, they form fully functional synapses—connection points between neurons. This image was captured with a laser-scanning microscope, a tool that shares fascinating similarities with telescopes. Both rely on principles like Nyquist sampling, diffraction limits, and deconvolution techniques to reveal details hidden from the naked eye.
Join Me on This Journey
Through this site, I aim to inspire curiosity and share the wonder I find in the stars and the brain alike. Whether you’re here for astrophotography tips, neuroscience insights, or just a bit of inspiration, I hope you’ll enjoy exploring these two vast universes with me.
Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to sharing this journey with you!