STS-135 Space Shuttle Atlantis Arrives at Pad 39A: The Last Shuttle
Space Shuttle Atlantis bathes in the xenon lights at dawn on the morning of June 1, 2011. This is the last time that the historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy ...
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Space Shuttle Atlantis bathes in the xenon lights at dawn on the morning of June 1, 2011. This is the last time that the historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center hosted a space shuttle. This photograph was taken inside the pad less than 1,300 feet away from the last shuttle.
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Jun, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was take at historic Launch Pad 39A. This is the same launch pad that was used to send the Apollo 11 crew to the moon in 1969 and also launched the first space shuttle in April of 1981.Time
This image was captured just before sunrise on the morning that Atlantis arrived at the pad for her final trip into space.Lighting
Outdoor natural lighting can be both a blessing and a curse. Since there was some blue beginning to appear in the sky and the lights scattered throughout the pad structures I wanted to try and showcase the array of lights into an artistic capture.Equipment
I shot this image with a Canon 300D with a 18-55mm lens, mounted on a tripod. I also used a star screen filter to produce the light rays from the pad lighting.Inspiration
I have always been fascinated by spaceflight and I watched the first space shuttle launch on television from my home in Ohio when I was twelve years old. I had dreamed of an opportunity to see a space shuttle up close, but never thought it would happen. Through a series of circumstances and some connections, thirty years later I had my opportunity. I wanted to try and capture the majestic sight of a space shuttle on the pad, bound for orbit.Editing
This image was processed in Photoshop using camera raw and the Neat Image plugin. I then saved it as a PSD file and imported into Lightroom. From there I use a series of brushes to bring out the color and details.In my camera bag
I usually have a Canon 60D and T2i with a handful of lenses including, an older Canon image stabilized 75-300mm, 18-55mm, 18-135mm and a Sigma 10-20mm wide-angle. I have a few filters, but only use them for a special effect that I'm intending to capture.Feedback
Bracket exposures to help ensure you have a good image to start with. Spend some time composing the shot to maximize resolution during processing. Be creative and experiment with different shot ideas. It never ceases to amaze me how I can find a shot when sorting through the images that stands out, even when I didn't think it was worth much at the location. Don't be afraid to experiment with different processing techniques until the image just pops off the screen.
