Designs in Orbit is a creative endeavor of astrophotography, wood turning, and aerial photography, joined by a passion for the world around us and beyond.
Woodturning
Artist Jeff Palmer harvests wood from the forest floor at his home in Green Mountain and turns beautiful handmade wood bowls, vases, centerpieces, pendant lights (and more) with an eye for preserving as much of the natural character and integrity of the tree as possible.
A man of many talents, he is also a skilled photographer. With a Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and dedicated astronomy camera, Jeff is able to capture photons from thousands and even millions of light years away to create dazzling deep space photographs of stars, galaxies, and nebulae from under some of the darkest skies in the eastern US.
Aerial Photography
His latest hobby has him soaring over mountaintops to capture the unique beauty of this region from a bird's eye view. Aerial photography is an amazing way to re-orient ourselves to place and the earth under our feet.
Is there a special tree in your life? If you'd like to have it turned into a lifelong beautiful piece of art, contact Jeff with a photo and we will discuss what's possible! You can ship a piece or drop it off if you're near Green Mountain, NC. Jeff can even come to you with a chainsaw! FYI- Jeff only works with trees that have lost their lives to natural causes.