The following discussion addresses creation of two W. M. Keck Observatory Laser Guide Star images which illustrate the April 2008 Smithsonian Magazine “Homing in on Black Holes” article by Robert Irion. These techniques and concepts are also applicable to the more general subject of my approach to photographic documentation of Adaptive Optics / Laser Guide Star systems at both Keck and Lick Observatories.This post was first written in 2008, in response to magazine reader’s questions about these photographs. The text has been updated several times in the interim, and a 2015 photo added (See Claire Max Laser Portrait in the blog).