Scott Parazynski On Space Photography
Dateline: Space, New York Times
“Before Friendship 7, handheld photography in space was “thought to be a distraction,” said Scott E. Parazynski, a former astronaut. “But as people saw these images, they realized they weren’t just pretty pictures and it was imperative to photograph up there.” Photographing in a space suit can be tricky. It is all the more difficult in zero gravity. “Just juggling your photographic equipment while floating takes a lot more thought,” said Dr. Parazynski, who participated in seven space walks during five missions. “You use a lot of Velcro.” With the sun rising and setting about sixteen times a day, the lighting conditions also produce dramatic challenges, and the extreme temperatures can freeze camera shutters. “You can’t bring back anything tangible besides those photographs as a record of where you’ve been and what you’ve done,” he said. (Souvenirs like moon rocks are strictly against protocol.) “We’re given this god’s-eye view, so we need to learn how to capture it and bring it back home.”
Dateline: Space, New York Times
“Before Friendship 7, handheld photography in space was “thought to be a distraction,” said Scott E. Parazynski, a former astronaut. “But as people saw these images, they realized they weren’t just pretty pictures and it was imperative to photograph up there.” Photographing in a space suit can be tricky. It is all the more difficult in zero gravity. “Just juggling your photographic equipment while floating takes a lot more thought,” said Dr. Parazynski, who participated in seven space walks during five missions. “You use a lot of Velcro.” With the sun rising and setting about sixteen times a day, the lighting conditions also produce dramatic challenges, and the extreme temperatures can freeze camera shutters. “You can’t bring back anything tangible besides those photographs as a record of where you’ve been and what you’ve done,” he said. (Souvenirs like moon rocks are strictly against protocol.) “We’re given this god’s-eye view, so we need to learn how to capture it and bring it back home.”
