Designer and developer in Bellingham, Washington. Calm software, maps and film photography.https://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/https://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/designing-for-people-who-are-offline-on-purposehttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/designing-for-people-who-are-offline-on-purposeTrail crews, rangers and long-distance hikers do not want a better connection. They want software that never asks for one. Notes from two years of building Ridgeline, from the first field test with a trail crew to the sync model we shipped, and what we would change.Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDesignhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/what-a-35mm-prime-taught-me-about-interface-densityhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/what-a-35mm-prime-taught-me-about-interface-densityOne focal length for a whole summer made me stop zooming and start walking. Fixed constraints do the same thing for a dense screen: fewer choices, closer looks, and a layout that earns every inch it keeps.Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTPhotographyhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/shipping-a-map-app-that-works-above-treelinehttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/shipping-a-map-app-that-works-above-treelineVector tiles, a 40 MB budget and a battery that has to last four days. What we cut, what we kept, and the one test we run on every release before it goes anywhere near a trail.Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTToolshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/my-field-kit-for-a-week-in-the-north-cascadeshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/my-field-kit-for-a-week-in-the-north-cascadesTwo bodies, three lenses, eleven rolls, and the notebook I actually use. Everything weighed, with what I would leave home next time and the one thing I wished I had packed.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTField noteshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/a-darkroom-in-a-closet-for-180https://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/a-darkroom-in-a-closet-for-180A blackout curtain, a used tank, three thrift-store trays and a fan from the hardware store. How I develop black and white film at home in a coat closet, and what I would buy first if I started again.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTPhotographyhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/a-type-scale-for-cracked-screenshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/a-type-scale-for-cracked-screensHalf the phones on a trail crew have a crack across the screen. A small type scale that stays legible through a spiderweb, in full sun, with gloves on.Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTToolshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/two-nights-at-stevens-passhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/two-nights-at-stevens-passA late storm, a borrowed four-season tent, and a roll of slide film that came back better than I deserved. Notes from a cold weekend that doubled as a battery test.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTField noteshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/two-days-on-a-trail-crewhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/two-days-on-a-trail-crewBefore we drew a single screen for Ridgeline, we spent two days with a trail crew in Georgia, carrying tools and taking notes. The first part of a series on building an offline map for the people who keep trails open.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTDesignhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/the-notebook-i-keep-for-every-projecthttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/the-notebook-i-keep-for-every-projectOne pocket notebook per project, numbered pages, and a rule that nothing gets torn out. Why paper is still the first tool I open, and how it ends up in the repository.Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTToolshttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/fog-on-the-fence-trailhttps://vesper.demo.astronomic.dev/articles/fog-on-the-fence-trailA slow morning on Mount Tamalpais, one roll of black and white, and the case for walking the same trail until it surprises you.Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTField notes