Infinite wonder : an astronaut's photographs from a year in space

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Kelly, Scott, 1964-

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

xvii, 295 pages : col. ill. ; 24 x 32 cm.

Summary:

From the record-breaking astronaut, national hero, and best-selling author of Endurance, a breathtaking collection of photos documenting his journey on the International Space Station, the vastness of space, and the unparalleled beauty of our own home planet. One's perspective shifts when one lives for an entire year -- as Commander Scott Kelly, and no other American astronaut in history, has -- in the isolating, grueling, and utterly unforgiving vacuum of space. Kelly's photos prove that this perspective -- from 250 miles above earth -- while hard-won, is also almost unspeakably beautiful. He mastered the rare art of microgravity photography. Using a Nikon D4 with a long 800mm lens and a 1.4x magnifying zoom lens, he panned the camera as the shutter released in order to compensate for the space station's velocity: 17,500 mph relative to the earth. Kelly's artist's eye helped make him a social media sensation, and here his photos are collected alongside his own commentary, which sets the images in their proper contexts, human and cosmic. Kelly captures sunsets, moonrises, the aurora borealis, and the luminous, hazy tapestry of the Milky Way. He presents snapshots of life and work on the International Space Station, from spacewalks to selfies. But above all -- or floating amid all -- he takes the earth itself as his celestial muse. Here are hurricanes, wrinkled mountains, New York City shining like a galaxy -- glorious photographs that are, in themselves, a passionate argument for the preservation of our planet in the face of climate change and environmental destruction.

Contents:

The mission -- The natural world -- Earth art.

Subject Term:

Space photography -- United States.

Astronautics -- United States -- Pictorial works.

Publication Info:

New York : Alfred A Knopf, 2018.

Subject:

Space photography -- United States.

Astronautics -- United States -- Pictorial works.

Outer space -- Pictorial works.

Kelly, Scott, 1964- -- Travel.

Photography in astronautics

Spaceborne photography

SAILS ISBN:

9781524731847

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Dartmouth - Southworth	779.9523 KEL 2018	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fairhaven-Millicent	629.4 KEL 2018	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	779 KELL	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mattapoisett Free Public Library	629.45 KEL 2018	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library	779.9523 KEL 2018	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Norton Public Library	779.9 KEL	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Pembroke Public Library	779.9523 KEL	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown

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On Order

Summary

From the record-breaking astronaut, national hero, and best-selling author of Endurance, a breathtaking collection of photos documenting his journey on the International Space Station, the vastness of space, and the unparalleled beauty of our own home planet.

One's perspective shifts when one lives for an entire year--as Commander Scott Kelly, and no other American astronaut in history, has--in the isolating, grueling, and utterly unforgiving vacuum of space. Kelly's photos prove that this perspective--from 250 miles above earth--while hard-won, is also almost unspeakably beautiful. He mastered the rare art of microgravity photography. Using a Nikon D4 with a long 800mm lens and a 1.4x magnifying zoom lens, he panned the camera as the shutter released in order to compensate for the space station's velocity: 17,500 mph relative to the earth. Kelly's artist's eye helped make him a social media sensation, and here his photos are collected alongside his own commentary, which sets the images in their proper contexts, human and cosmic. Kelly captures sunsets, moonrises, the aurora borealis, and the luminous, hazy tapestry of the Milky Way. He presents snapshots of life and work on the International Space Station, from spacewalks to selfies. But above all--or floating amid all--he takes the earth itself as his celestial muse. Here are hurricanes, wrinkled mountains, New York City shining like a galaxy--glorious photographs that are, in themselves, a passionate argument for the preservation of our planet in the face of climate change and environmental destruction.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

Astronaut Kelly proved to be a vivid writer in Endurance (2017), his memoir about the year he spent aboard the International Space Station. In this gorgeously produced volume, Kelly shares 260 color photographs that he took from that orbiting perch. He dedicates the book to his artist mother, Patricia, and he has clearly inherited her artist's eye and sensitivity. Kelly writes that he was awestruck by Earth's dramatic beauty during his first space flight in 1999, and how, during subsequent missions, he taught himself how to brace his body and his camera in space's microgravity environment to take focused images of Earth as it rushed past at a blistering 17,500 miles per hour. The first section, The Mission, offers crisp shots of life within the cluttered ISS interior. The Natural World is a stunning series of photographs of radiant celestial events and Earth's varied terrains. Earth Art is a revelation: a gallery of Kelly's painting-like, subtly computer-enhanced abstract images of Earth's phenomenal textures and patterns, its glory and vitality. Kelly has created a magnificent union of art and science.--Donna Seaman Copyright 2018 Booklist

Excerpts

PREFACE My first flight into space was aboard the space shuttle Discovery in December 1999 on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. There are many things about a first space flight that are surprising: the adrenaline rush of the launch countdown, the roar of the main engines, and the sheer power of the solid rocket motors as they explode with millions of pounds of instantaneous thrust. These all pale, however, in comparison to the beautiful views of the Earth. After our eight-and-a-half-minute ride into orbit I glanced outside and saw something on the horizon that seemed completely surreal. I turned to the commander of the mission, Curt Brown, and asked excitedly, "What the hell is that?" Curt, on his sixth flight into space, replied nonchalantly, "Oh, that's the sunrise." I was awestruck. Later, I would admire the luminescent waters of the ocean, as if someone had taken the most brilliant blue paint and brushed it across a mirror right in front of my eyes. The bright reds, oranges, and yellows of the deserts were often juxtaposed against the blues of the adjacent waters. The majestic moun tain ranges on the horizon seemingly reached out to touch space. It was clear I would never see something more beautiful than the Earth. My first flight into space was only eight days. I would have to wait nearly eight years to experience the Earth from space again. But it wasn't until my third flight into space in 2010, a long-duration flight to the International Space Station (ISS), launching aboard a Russian Soyuz, that I had the time to fully appreciate my vantage point high above the planet. On this mission I honed some of the skills that would allow me to capture images of the Earth that I would enhance to emphasize their beauty. In the microgravity environment of space, taking photos is challenging, and I had to find unique ways to support the camera and myself. Since the Earth was moving past at a blistering 17,500 miles per hour, I had to pan the camera steadily and quickly as the shutter released, otherwise the image would smear and appear out of focus. We were flying at five miles per second, so opportunities to compose compelling photos came and went rapidly. Using a long 800 mm lens coupled with a 1.4× magnifying zoom lens and after much practice, I was able to capture spots of the Earth that caught my eye. Setting the perfect aperture and shutter speeds and taking advantage of an uncommon viewpoint--key elements of photography and composition--I was able to create what I hope are intriguing and abstract images. The enhancement of the color was done with the help of a software program called Picasa, which enabled me to add dramatic effects to produce the artistic images I sought. Having worked hard to perfect this technique on the 159‑day mission, I was as prepared as I was going to be to take the finest photos of which I am capable. Fast-forward fifteen years from my first flight into space, and again I was boarding a Russian Soyuz rocket, in Kazakhstan, for my third launch to the International Space Station, where I was to stay for a year. My mission, and that of my Russian colleague Misha Kornienko, was to understand the negative effects on the human body and mind of ultra-long-duration space flight, so when we venture farther out from our planet we will be prepared. Living in space for a year, I had the time to learn our planet--its geography, its nuances, and all the surprises it has to offer--like few others have ever had. To quote Doug Wheelock, one of my former astronaut colleagues, "The Earth never disappoints." Excerpted from Infinite Wonder by Scott Kelly All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.