Mike Kozicki at Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park in Tasmania, in December 1998, while exploring the Australian continent. Photo by Beth Wolny.

Reflections and Impressions represents a lifelong ambition of mine to provide meaningful learning opportunities and experiences to others. A "lifelong learner" myself, I grew up in western Massachusetts and began discovering, exploring, and investigating things such as nature, astronomy, the weather, and other areas of the natural sciences at a young age around my home. Possessing a keen interest in the subject matter and a devotion to share what I learned with others, I began volunteering as an astronomy educator at the Springfield Science Museum while a member (and later president) of the Springfield Stars Club, a group of amateur astronomers whose mission is to promote astronomy among the general public.

Comet Hale-Bopp over the downtown Springfield, MA skyline in March 1997, with the Connecticut River in the foreground (scanned from the original photographic slide).

Along the way, and in anticipation of the predicted return of Halley's Comet in late 1985, I borrowed a book from the local library that included instructions for how to take photographs of the night sky. Although Halley's Comet was not very impressive during its 1985-86 appearance, by 1997, I was routinely taking photographs of the stars, constellations, planets, and the Moon, at the time that the spectacular Comet Hale-Bopp, arguably the most prominent comet of the 20th century, appeared. I was able to capture many memorable images of it, including this view of it above the downtown Springfield, MA skyline in March 1997.

A 1994 graduate of the School of Business at Western New England College (now University) in Springfield, my true passion has always been in the processes of learning and teaching, and so I eventually decided to pursue a career in the education field. Meanwhile, I also pursued opportunities to travel out of the United States when I could, and even participated in a work exchange program in Dublin, Ireland for several months immediately following graduation.

My interest in and enthusiasm for photography were taken to an entirely new level when I had an opportunity to travel throughout Australia four years later in 1998. It was there that I truly began connecting astrophotography with traditional landscape photography, capturing the stars over the famous Ayers Rock in the Australian Outback. By 2001, I began exploring the world of digital photography for the first time and purchased my first DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera in 2007. With technological advances that have brought what was once considered expensive, professional-level cameras and lenses more into the realm of the home consumer market, I am now combining my interests in photography and education through the concept that is Reflections and Impressions.

Reflections and Impressions is dedicated to the memory of Joseph T. Kozicki, Jr. (1944-2017), who loved two things in life more than anything else ... the great outdoors, and the time he spent serving his country with the United States Navy.

I have previously worked as a Science Outreach Instructor and Faculty Member for the Talcott Mountain Science Center & Academy in Avon, CT and I am a former Lead Teacher for World Is Our Classroom in Springfield, MA, both non-profit organizations that provide hands-on science learning experiences to children. I have also worked in the social services field as an employment specialist to assist individuals with barriers to employment to either join or return to the workforce. Through the years, I have worked closely with both children and adults of all ability levels in many different settings, primarily including school-aged children in Grades K-12.

Reflections and Impressions is dedicated to the memory of my father, Joseph T. Kozicki, Jr. (1944-2017), who loved spending time outdoors, and was himself a successful business owner for more than forty years. He was always looking ahead to devoting time to a new idea, project, or invention, and later in his life he regularly visited the local library to speak to groups of young learners about nature. In 1980, he helped me establish my first business catching and selling live bait for fishing. Sadly, he passed away while Reflections and Impressions was still just a concept, but not yet a reality.