Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk
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Feature
Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey Newbook Author and graphic designer Luke Wesley Price tells us all about his journey curating this set of stunning imagery that commemorates an iconic era of space travel
The idea of self-publishing a book is both an exciting and a terrifying one, but that’s exactly what I decided to do after a four-year project had finally reached its conclusion. 2013 saw the release of a huge and ambitious project I had initially taken on as a personal hobby, but later developed into something much bigger. The title of the book was Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey, and things were about to lift off! “The dream is alive”: these were the triumphant words spoken by legendary astronaut John Young after bringing home the very first space shuttle from its maiden orbital flight in April 1981. This was a landmark in manned space travel, due to the fact NASA had succeeded in making the world’s first reusable space vehicle. I was just two years old when the renowned Gemini and Apollo veteran made this historic space flight as commander of the space shuttle Columbia on STS-1 (Space Transportation System-1). Fast forward a few decades and my passion for NASA’s space history is as strong as ever. In 2009, I began combining my hobby with my work as a graphic designer. I spent many years in the world of graphic design and worked for a number of design agencies before starting my own small agency. What started out as a hobby after a hard day’s graft at my graphic design studio slowly became my obsession. After contacting NASA in 2009 and setting out my intentions, I was put in touch with the sources to start making my dream a reality. I made it my mission to search through thousands of official NASA photographs, changing mymind constantly, but ultimately making sure I stayed true to my concept. I painstakingly scoured through the vaults inorder to eventually end up with what I consider to be my personal favourites, as well as a selection I felt would inspire the reader; no matter their age or
previous space knowledge, long after the shuttle has taken its rightful place in the history books. I really wanted to use this opportunity to pay homage to the orbiters and entice the reader to take some time to appreciate the sheer beauty of the design, detail and elegance of the space shuttle. 2011 marked the last ever space flight of the space shuttle and this book was designed to commemorate 30 years of manned space flight aboard this American treasure.
In 2013, two years after the space shuttle Atlantis made its final voyage into space, Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey was finally self-published and released in a limited first edition of 1981 copies – the year of the first flight of the space shuttle. I had personally funded the project and overseen every aspect, from the writing to the design and layout, and from the printing decisions to the distribution challenges. It was a huge challenge, but a worthwhile one. The book received high praise across the world and, even though the run was fairly small, it made a fairly big impact in the world of space. After the success of the limited first run, I had interest from various
I made it my mission to search through thousands of official NASA photographs
publishers who were looking to re-release the book in a second edition, which would allow it to reach a much wider audience. I eventually decided to team up with Ammonite
Images Luke Wesley Price wanted to curate a selection of images that would inspire the reader, regardless of age or space knowledge, and help them appreciate the beauty of the space shuttle
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