Commercial Energy Photographer
Xcimer Energy – Laser Fusion
Clean Inexhaustible Energy
Sometimes I just have to pinch myself and step back to appreciate the incredible micro-universes I get to document. Working with Xcimer Energy is one of those times. As a commercial energy photographer, I’ve been fortunate to photograph almost every form of energy production. I’ve had week-long gigs to make imagery for reusable energy like geothermal energy, wind and solar –– taken assignments from Oil & Gas Magazine and I’ve been a commercial energy photographer deep in dusty coal mines.
And now, I’m thrilled to be creating imagery for the ‘holy grail’ of energy production – Nuclear Fusion Energy… not to be confused with nuclear fission. Could the age of fusion energy finally be on the horizon? The folks at Xcimer Energy in Denver Colorado are working toward that goal with increasing excitement.
Breakthrough laser technology is opening new pathways. The mission of Xcimer Energy “is to develop the most economical and abundant source of energy for humanity, by commercializing laser fusion.” Xcimer estimates that the Athena phase will deliver power to the grid as early as 2035.
Back in the spring of 2024, Jack Lenk from Big Dreams contacted me to do industrial energy photography. And immediately I wanted to work on this project. With his partner Nick Scappaticci, we began visually documenting the growth of Xcimer. But the story of Xcimer started much earlier. Conner Galloway, (CEO, Founder) and Alexander Valys (President, Founder) began hatching their dream while students at MIT.
In the past 18 months, my son and sidekick Levi, and I have completed a half dozen commercial photoshoots with Xcimer and Big Dreams. With another shoot scheduled for this February, our excitement grows with each exposure we make. Indeed, the atmosphere at the Denver Headquarters is electrifying as it pulses with human energy. Check out Xcimer Energy to read more about this explosively fascinating technology.
Big Dreams has called on us for a variety of commercial photoshoots at the Xcimer Energy headquarters. In the spring of 2025, we spent a day creating some of the visuals displayed in this article. I used color filters on my Westcott strobes to depict the visual intrigue already present.
Xcimer has garnered attention from many tech publications too. Last June, Optics heralded Xcimer Energy’s electron-beam-pumped excimer laser. And Photonics Spectra wrote: “Xcimer’s Long Pulse Kinetics (LPK) platform is the first key element of its prototype laser system, code-named Phoenix, which is on track to be completed in 2026. The LPK collects data that proves the viability of Xcimer’s technology and informs future design of its lasers that will power inertial fusion energy systems.” Here are other articles on the Xcimer breakthrough laser technology: The Fusion Report, Yahoo Finance Axios,
And… on December 23, 2025, I relied on my past reportage photography and photojournalism experience to capture story-telling photography of a visit from US Energy Secretary – Chris Wright. Read more about that, here on Xcimer’s News Page.
Commercial Photographer Chronicles Breakthrough Laser Science At Xcimer Energy In Denver Colorado
Inevitably, fusion energy will emerge. It could happen in 10 years or 70… but eventually, humans will have to figure out what to do with an inexhaustible cheap energy source. And when it does happen, every other source of energy will pretty much become obsolete. It might not be as utopic as it sounds. First, oil rich countries and the families who control fossil fuel resources fight like hell to prevent clean energy. We already know that.
But what would happen if suddenly… overnight, a switch is flipped to provide nuclear fusion energy to every grid on the planet? All at once, everlasting, inexpensive, green fusion energy is available for all humanity. Would it not be heavenly? Maybe not. Most likely, chaos would ensue. Economic collapse, war and the struggle to dominate would consume world order for at least a long while. So maybe it’s a good thing if nuclear fusion energy unfolds slowly — without drama. And what about climate change? Could a switch to total clean non-carbon energy begin to cool a warming planet? It could. But geologic history indicates major climate events, like asteroids, volcanic tectonic plate shifts or now… an overabundance of atmospheric carbon, are not quickly corrected by our collective mother nature.
The simple truth is, science will always be a solid paradigm for the survival of humanity. What we choose to do with it is up to us.
