Amateur photographer Alan Friedman has done it again. This time, Friedman has walked away with a coveted award that all of Buffalo can be proud of – a winning image in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 awards announced at the Royal Museums Greenwich on Thursday, September 12.
Friedman’s photograph, A Little Fireworks, was one chosen out of 4600 images submitted – jurors selected photographs in 12 categories, according to Friedman. There is an exhibition currently underway, showcasing the winning and shortlisted entries – the exhibit opened at the National Maritime Museum on September 13 and will run through April 2020.
Incredibly, this winning image was taken right from Friedman’s backyard observatory in the Elmwood Village on July 29, 2018.
“My photograph shows a close-up view of the limb of the sun recorded in the narrowband wavelengths of hydrogen alpha light,” said Friedman. “This photograph was featured as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day in August of last year. A second photograph, Silent Spring is also included in the exhibition.”
One would think that that the person capturing these phenomenal images would be a full time pro, but that’s not the case with Friedman.
“In my day job, I am a greeting card publisher and president of Great Arrow Graphics,” he explained. “I am a director of the Buffalo Astronomical Association and a Research Associate in Astronomy at the Buffalo Museum of Science. My astronomy website, AvertedImagination, shows more work and links to additional information. A short film on my work made by the Royal Observatories for the 2013 awards can be seen here.”
Upon receiving this prestigious award, Friedman was not alone. He was surrounded by his most loyal supporters. His family was on hand at the awards ceremony, which was the biggest deal for Friedman, who does what he does for the love of the scientific art form.