2011 July | Joel Kowsky

STS-135 – Polaroids

Here are a few polaroids that I’ve shot over the course of the final space shuttle mission.

I was lucky enough to be on the pad surface for the last time the RSS was rolled back.

Once Atlantis disappeared into the clouds it started to sink in that no one will ever get to see a space shuttle fly under power ever again…

July 13th, 2011
Posted in NASA, Polaroid
Tagged Atlantis, Atlantis Final Flight, Final Space Shuttle Flight, Fujifilm, Graflex XL, Instant, NASA, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Program Final Flight, STS-135
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About a month back I traveled out to Bethesda, Maryland to be part of a team of photographers covering the US Open for the United States Golf Association. Until the US Open the only golf that I had shot was the few events that the University of Missouri hosted each year, nothing on the scale of the Open. It took me a few of the practice round days to get into the swing of things, but after that it was a blast.

©Joel Kowsky/USGA

I had the opportunity to work with some great people over the course of the week I spent at Congressional, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Maybe I’ll get to do it again next year…

July 12th, 2011
Posted in US Open
Tagged Bethesda, Congressional Country Club, Golf, Maryland, travel, US Open, USGA
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STS-135 – Launch

I’ve spend the past week or so in Florida prepping for the final launch of the Space Shuttle Program. After bad weather earlier in the week and a forecast that we were sure wouldn’t allow for a launch, space shuttle Atlantis embarked on the 135th and final mission of Shuttle Program. I feel privileged to have been able be part of this chapter of American history and see the shuttle fly for the final time. Now onto landing!