Areas

Windswept pine tree and star trails, Parry Sound, Georgian Bay

Starry Night

A lone windswept pine frames the celestial equator near Parry Sound, Georgian Bay.

Venus and Jupiter conjunction 2012 and aircraft trails over Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, Toronto Islands

A Modern Classic

Venus and Jupiter streak past the Gibraltar Point lighthouse on the Toronto Islands during their conjunction of 2012, competing with star and aircraft trails from the nearby Toronto City Center Airport. The oldest remaining lighthouse on the Great Lakes, Gibraltar Point was constructed around 1808 and stands 82 feet tall.

Danza de los Voladores, Monte Alban, Mexico

Voladore

A ‘flying man’ flies through the air, descending from a 30m tall pole using nothing but jute rope, performing the Danza de los Voladores near Monte Alban, Mexico.


KSC press site panorama, final launch of space shuttle Atlantis, STS-135

STS-135 Launch Panorama

Space shuttle Atlantis heads for orbit during the final launch of the space shuttle program.  The wideangle lens used in this 360° panorama makes the press site at Kennedy Space Center seem oddly empty, a huge number of people were on hand to witness the final launch of the 30-year program. Click image to view […]

Upside down Christmas trees, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

The Unforest

Heavy fog shrouds Christmas trees, hung in the Ward’s Island traffic circle in preparation for the annual Spring equinox celebrations.

Space shuttle Atlantis clears the tower, STS-135, Kennedy Space Centre, Florida

Handoff to Houston

Space shuttle Atlantis clears the tower on the final launch of the space shuttle program, STS-135. Once clear of the tower, control is transferred from the Kennedy Space Centre to Mission Control in Houston for the duration of the flight.


Condensation cones around space shuttle Atlantis' Solid Rocket Boosters, STS-135

Booster Max Q

Condensation clouds form around the nose of Atlantis’ solid rocket boosters as the space shuttle makes the transition to supersonic speed. The effect can be seen below, in a frame taken from one of NASA’s HD video cameras mounted to the External Tank:

Chris Hadfield, Kennedy Space Centre, Florida

Chris Hadfield

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield gives an interview at the press site of the Kennedy Space Centre.  Hadfield flew on two shuttle missions, STS-74 (Atlantis) and STS-100 (Endeavour).

Final launch of space shuttle Atlantis, STS-135, over a dry lake bed

Monsoon Season

A remote camera set up on a dry lake bed captures space shuttle Atlantis clearing the tower during launch of STS-135. Heavy rains preceding launch day dramatically changed the nature of this photograph, turning the foreground from a brilliant landscape of caked and broken earth to something approaching a mudbowl.


Gentleman on cell phone, final launch of space shuttle Atlantis, STS-135

Important Business

A gentleman conducts important business on his phone as Atlantis reaches for the clouds, mere seconds after the final launch of the space shuttle program.

Wall of cameras and photographers, final launch of space shuttle Atlantis, STS-135

Camera Wall

Photographers form a solid wall at the Kennedy Space Centre’s press site, in preparation for the final launch of the entire space shuttle program.

Quilt of all space shuttle mission patches, Kennedy Space Centre, Florida

Mission Quilt

Long-time NASA employees display a quilt of every single space shuttle mission patch, dating back to the first launch in 1981 of STS-1.


Photographers in front of space shuttle Atlantis, STS-135, Kennedy Space Centre, Florida

Economies of Scale

Photographers give scale to the enormity of the manned US space program, setting up their cameras at the foot of the launch pad in preparation for the final launch of the 30-year space shuttle program.

STS-135 final launch of space shuttle Atlantis from remote launch pad camera

Wonderful Profile

Space shuttle Atlantis clears the tower for the final time, signalling the end of the space shuttle program.

Star trails over the Churchill Islands, Georgian Bay

Churchill Trails

The starry night spins around Polaris, framing my temporary home while kayak touring Georgian Bay’s Churchill Islands.


Lighthouse at Sunset, Snug Harbour, Georgian Bay

Snug Harbour Light

The light of the setting sun catches the lighthouse at Snug Harbour, in Ontario’s Georgian Bay.

Final launch of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134

Orbit, Ho!

Riding 30 stories of fire, twin solid rocket boosters propel space shuttle Endeavour toward low earth orbit on the final launch of her career, and the penultimate launch of the entire 30-year long space shuttle Program.

STS-134 final launch of space shuttle Endeavour clears the tower LC-39A

Tower Clearance

Space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134, clears the tower on the final launch of her career as seen from the Banana Creek viewing site.


Final crew of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134

Endeavour Boys

The Endeavour boys (from left to right Mark Kelly, commander; Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel, European Space Agency’s Roberto Vittori, Michael Fincke, and Gregory H. Johnson, pilot) ham it up for the cameras upon their arrival at the Kennedy Space Centre for the second launch attempt of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134.

Closeup of final launch of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134

Where The Wind Blows

Wreathed in her own launch plume, space shuttle Endeavour lifts off on the final launch of her career, hauling the US $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. After landing, she’ll be processed and turned over to the California Science Center for permanent display.

Osprey nest in front of VAB, Kennedy Space Centre

NASA Marshalls

A family of ospreys stand watch in their nest, framed by the NASA ‘meatball’ logo on the side of the Vehicle Assembly Building.


Flag for space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134

Flag Forward

Endeavour’s flag flies proudly over Launch Complex 39A. This is actually a fairly difficult shot to get, 95% of the time the wind blows the flag backwards.

Space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134, light by xenon lights on the launch pad at night

Endeavour Xenon

Space shuttle Endeavour, shortly after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, sits bathed in Xenon lights for the final time.

Final launch of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134

Cloudburst

Space shuttle Endeavour disappears into the clouds 22 seconds after liftoff, seen across the water from the Banana Creek viewing site.