It is one of those rare things when you land a gig that gets you incredibly excited just to be a part of something. Such is the case when I was shooting for Space X a few years ago, when they only had a dozen or so rocket engineers and a test engine. Rocket engineers. I mean, c’mon.
It was a true start up: lean and mean with everyone pitching in, the constant buzz of knowing that they were changing the game. Elon did not have many publicity shots of himself so I found myself in my most uncomfortable shooting scenario: camera stuck on a tripod, lights and cables, sandbags and assistants.
Who cares? It was damn cool to shoot for Space X until their Falcon rocket reached the launch pad for the first time and then seasoned space exploration photographers who had shot for NASA for decades stepped in. Can’t blame them as some of these photographers were legends and had seen it all.
It is the end of May 2012 and the first private space vehicle from Space X has been docked to the International Space Station for two days. Congrats, Elon and Marybeth!
Shot sometime in 2005 for Space X in Hawthorne, CA at the Space X Hangar. Mamiya Pro II 67 and FUJI Pro 800Z, rated at 400. Two Dynalites and a big ass hunk of metal.
Elon Musk, Space X facility at Hawthorne; Mamiya Pro II 67, Fuji Pro 800Z, sometime in 2005 © Doug Kim
