"Inside NASA" Photo Project

[giganova]

Hi all --

I have unlimited access to all NASA centers and installations, so I thought I'll make a photo series "Inside NASA". What better way to capture such a shiny high-tech environment than with a fully mechanical meterless M4 on gritty B&W film? 😀 I'll have to get the photos cleared by NASA, of course, but I'll worry about that later.

Below are some "test shots" that I did last week. What do you think, shall I continue doing this? Maybe as a potential book project?

I thought I'll do all the clichés (rocket launches, mission control centers, satellites, rovers, etc) but intersperse that with photos of some very weird items (you'll be amazed!) and portraits of the amazing people working there. Any suggestions what approach I should take and what I should make pictures of?

 

[giganova]

 

[JoeV]

Very nice photos. I'd like to see this continue.

For these technical subject matter, I'd like to see a bit of a description of what it is being documented. For example, the top two photos appear to be a reflector telescope being assembled.

~Joe

 

[giganova]

For these technical subject matter, I'd like to see a bit of a description of what it is being documented. For example, the top two photos appear to be a reflector telescope being assembled.

Yes, I should have image captions, good idea!

The first two pictures are the successor of the Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope. Hubble had a 2.5 meter mirror, James Webb has a 16 meter mirror! 😱

 

[Paulbe]

Hopefully--Perkin and Elmer are NOT making this new mirror!! 🙂

 

[icebear]

For sure higher math is needed to get into space😀
1/4 + 3/4 = 1 whole , 1/4= 0.25

Do you have to get clearance to publish whatever you photograph or does your all access privilege gives you the right to decide for yourself? Interesting project, please continue and share some shots here.

 

[JoeV]

Hopefully--Perkin and Elmer are NOT making this new mirror!! 🙂

I'm reminded of an alternative story about the Hubble that's been fielded. That the mirror was an "off-the-shelf" spare surveillance satellite mirror, re-purposed for "civilian" astronomy. Only later did they realize the optics were optimized for a focal length of 100 miles, not infinity focus. Supposedly the Perkin-Elmer mirror grinding error was concocted as a cover story.

~Joe

 

[giganova]

For sure higher math is needed to get into space😀
1/4 + 3/4 = 1 whole , 1/4= 0.25

Haha, good catch! I have to go back to that board with a wider lens: on the other end it says "You rock, Wayne you solved it!" BTW, this board is very difficult to photograph because they used a light pink pen on a white board, with almost no contrast at all. Might need a blue filter.

 

[giganova]

I'm reminded of an alternative story about the Hubble that's been fielded. That the mirror was an "off-the-shelf" spare surveillance satellite mirror...

Yeah, that's just not true. 😎

 

[Moto-Uno]

^ It's amazing isn't it , the nonsense that gets spread on the net ? Peter

 

[huddy]

It's actually not that surprising given that NASA did receive 2x unused spysats to use as telescopes a few years back from the National Reconnaissance Office.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_National_Reconnaissance_Office_space_telescope_donation_to_NASA

 

[calebarchie]

lucky chap,

curious as to how you have access?

 

[telenous]

Agreed, very nice photos. And fascinating to have access like this, I know I'd have been over the moon. 🙂

Particularly interesting to me is the second set of photos (the so-called "weird items") and I think you are very right to go after them. They are "documentary" in origin but they suggest enigmatic rituals, and a kind of cryptic knowledge that is indecipherable by the lot of us. I have this odd (but good) feeling they straddle the grey area between science and science fiction. There is room to manoeuvre the first set (the "peopled photos") in that particular direction too.

I'd definitely like to see more whichever way this goes, you have source material for something really interesting.



.

 

[aad]

i would love to see more-I be a space junkie.

 

[smk]

Yes, I should have image captions, good idea!

The first two pictures are the successor of the Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope. Hubble had a 2.5 meter mirror, James Webb has a 16 meter mirror! 😱

Actually James Webb is a 6.5 meter telescope and not 16 meters (I wish it would be 16 meters!)

 

[wacky941]

Hi all -- I have unlimited access to all NASA centers and installations, so I thought I'll make a photo series "Inside NASA". What better way to capture such a shiny high-tech environment than with a fully mechanical meterless M4 on gritty B&W film? 😀 I'll have to get the photos cleared by NASA, of course, but I'll worry about that later. Below are some "test shots" that I did last week. What do you think, shall I continue doing this? Maybe as a potential book project? I thought I'll do all the clichés (rocket launches, mission control centers, satellites, rovers, etc) but intersperse that with photos of some very weird items (you'll be amazed!) and portraits of the amazing people working there. Any suggestions what approach I should take and what I should make pictures of?

Which center is that? I'm based out of JSC, there are all kinds of cool things around. I've been to all except Glenn Research and JPL.
I worked on the shuttle carrier here in Houston and at Edwards in California. I think it'll be a great thing with your project, I look forward to more.

 

[Bob Michaels]

...... Any suggestions what approach I should take and what I should make pictures of? .....

Absolutely I have ideas. Do not think what photos are appropriate now. Think what will be significant but potentially undocumented 30-40 years from now. I am old enough that living in central Florida, I saw Alan Sheppard go into space, many of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo flights, the old AF Eastern Test Range, and remember Gus Grissom (great astronaut but whoremonger) snake away some guy's girl friend at the Steak and Shake drive in. While all of the on base technical stuff was totally off limits for security reasons, there was much everyday life of NASA employees and astronauts that was not documented well or the photos lost.

Who would have ever thought to save those photos of a NASA engineer with a crew cut getting into his new '62 Chevy convertible in the drive way of his new cookie cutter house in the City of Cape Canaveral? Or, the lounge with the orbiting satellite on the sign? Or, any one of the 7 original astronauts buying a surfboard at RonJon's? I never thought to photograph any of that. Don't make the same mistake.

 

[charjohncarter]

What an wonderful and unusual gift to be able to do these shots. John Sexton had a similar series if you haven't seen it.

 

[farlymac]

Hi all --

I have unlimited access to all NASA centers and installations, so I thought I'll make a photo series "Inside NASA". What better way to capture such a shiny high-tech environment than with a fully mechanical meterless M4 on gritty B&W film? 😀 I'll have to get the photos cleared by NASA, of course, but I'll worry about that later.

I thought I'll do all the clichés (rocket launches, mission control centers, satellites, rovers, etc) but intersperse that with photos of some very weird items (you'll be amazed!) and portraits of the amazing people working there. Any suggestions what approach I should take and what I should make pictures of?

Go for it, that would make a great book. Might even help the agency get better funding if folks understood the work that goes on behind the scenes.

PF

 

[RFH]

Oh yes, do shoot more. From a photojournalistic point of view, you have an incredible chance to document something that most of us will never see.
Bob's right about shooting stuff that may not seem relevant now, but may be interesting in a few decades. People eating lunch and such.