Looking for a good Saturn V photo

[tdn]

I need your help.

Back on Memorial Day I decided that the 294756 hobbies I already had were not draining my time and financial resources quite enough. I decided to take up another--art. Am I any good? My girlfirend thinks I'm the next Gaugin. The rest of the world? Well, they haven't seen much, and the little they've seen, they haven't said much at all about. Maybe they go by "If you can't say anything nice..." But I'm trying. How do you get to the Louver? Practice, practice, practice.

So anyway, fast forward to yesterday. Some relatives came into town, and they'll be in the region for about 2 weeks (from Rhode Island to Maine). This includes 4 year old Chris. He's a very smart boy for his age. And I'm his hero. (He's very smart, remember?) So yesterday I took him on his first model rocket launch, which was difficult, because it was pouring rain. We managed to get one rocket up before we decided to pack it in. But he was impressed.

Come to find out, he's a rocket nut. He described the Saturn V to my girlfriend in exacting detail. When we started watching a movie about the Apollo missions, he turned to me and said "That's a step for a man. That's a big step for a man. Kind!" At one point in the movie I said "Look, Chris, that's a small part of the Saturn V." He gave me a disdainful look and said "It's called the Eagle."

The kid knows rockets.

So anyway, to make a long story slightly less long, I thought it might be nice to paint him a picture of a Saturn V. I just need a photo to work from. Since you all are probably more familiar with the best photos than I am, I'm asking for your help. I need to find one with interesting color contrasts, clear detail, etc. My first thought is one on the launch pad, but I'm open. A silhouette during sunset would be nice, or a night launch, or just a good daylight portrait. I'll know it when I see it.

If it doesn't suck to badly, I may even scan the painting and post it here.

[jrkeller]

Try the Apollo Archive Image Gallery (http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html) run by Kipp Teague.

[JMV]

I suggest browsing through The Apollo Archive
http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html
I don't dare to say to say what's the best one in there but you can find lot's of good pictures like this
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a13/ap13-KSC-70PC-43HR.jpg
or this
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a14/ap14-S71-16789HR.jpg

EDIT: jrkeller beat me to it

[jrkeller]

Or just go to

http://images.google.com/

and type in Saturn V. Some blue print also pop up.

and he might be interested in the following books from Apogee.

Virtual Apollo (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1896522947/qid=1124111914/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-1629975-0515848?v=glance&s=books)

Virtual LM (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1894959140/qid=1124111879/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-1629975-0515848?v=glance&s=books)

[tdn]

Thanks for the links. There's quite a bit to sort through there, so

I don't dare to say to say what's the best one in there
Yeah, I know, but if there's one you particularly like, I'd like your opinion.

This one (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/misc/apmisc-S63-13889.jpg) struck me as particularly dramatic, though it might be way beyond my ability.

There is a moral issue involved in a project like this, too. Normally artists give themselves some latitude in composition. When painting a seascape, for example, an artist might decide to alter the actual image by adding clouds, moving the lighthouse, adding some boats, etc. Artistic license.

But is that OK to do with a well-known historic image? Would it be OK, for instance, to render the 9/11 disaster by showing both towers of the WTC falling simultaneously? It's a dilemma. Could I show a rocket launching during sunset if one never did, for example?

[kucharek]

If you want to make the little geek really happy, pick up http://www.lhvcc.com/egiftshop/satv20/index.html from http://www.lhvcc.com/egiftshop/gallery_models.html and start glueing. :-)

My little geek was pretty happy with it: http://www.lhvcc.com/egiftshop/satv20/saturn20_happycustomer/harald.html

If 1:96 is too small, they also have the whole stuff for a 1:48 Saturn V.

Harald

[Moose]

This shot of Apollo 8 (http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fs earch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DApollo%2Blaunch%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dmy_mod%26fl%3D0%26x%3Dwrt&h=278&w=175&img curl=www.sonic.net%2F%7Ecooptown%2Fspaceage%2Frjci mages%2Fapollo8launch.JPG&imgurl=www.sonic.net%2F% 7Ecooptown%2Fspaceage%2Frjcimages%2Fapollo8launch. JPG&size=63.8kB&name=apollo8launch.JPG&rcurl=http% 3A%2F%2Fwww.sonic.net%2F%7Ecooptown%2Fspaceage%2Fa pollo2.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sonic.net%2F%7Ec ooptown%2Fspaceage%2Fapollo2.html&p=Apollo+launch& type=jpeg&no=13&tt=4,749&ei=UTF-8) has pretty much always been my favorite among the launch shots. It may (or may not) be what you're looking for. The perspective shouldn't be too much of a chore, there's drama and color contrast, and the shot is neither too bland nor too busy.

[tdn]

This shot of Apollo 8 (http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fs earch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DApollo%2Blaunch%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dmy_mod%26fl%3D0%26x%3Dwrt&h=278&w=175&img curl=www.sonic.net%2F%7Ecooptown%2Fspaceage%2Frjci mages%2Fapollo8launch.JPG&imgurl=www.sonic.net%2F% 7Ecooptown%2Fspaceage%2Frjcimages%2Fapollo8launch. JPG&size=63.8kB&name=apollo8launch.JPG&rcurl=http% 3A%2F%2Fwww.sonic.net%2F%7Ecooptown%2Fspaceage%2Fa pollo2.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sonic.net%2F%7Ec ooptown%2Fspaceage%2Fapollo2.html&p=Apollo+launch& type=jpeg&no=13&tt=4,749&ei=UTF-8) has pretty much always been my favorite among the launch shots. It may (or may not) be what you're looking for. The perspective shouldn't be too much of a chore, there's drama and color contrast, and the shot is neither too bland nor too busy.
That's beautiful. It might be well beyond my ability, but it's easier than some other photos I was looking at. Nice combination of warm and cool colors, nice way of leading the viewer's eyes around the composition. I'm not really sure how I'd capture the color of the smoke, but I'd bet I already have the right paints to do it. And the sky is streaky enough that my poor wash skills could capture it just right.

This is the front runner. Thanks!

[ngc3314]

Thanks for the links. There's quite a bit to sort through there, so

I don't dare to say to say what's the best one in there
Yeah, I know, but if there's one you particularly like, I'd like your opinion.

This one (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/misc/apmisc-S63-13889.jpg) struck me as particularly dramatic, though it might be way beyond my ability.

There is a moral issue involved in a project like this, too. Normally artists give themselves some latitude in composition. When painting a seascape, for example, an artist might decide to alter the actual image by adding clouds, moving the lighthouse, adding some boats, etc. Artistic license.

But is that OK to do with a well-known historic image? Would it be OK, for instance, to render the 9/11 disaster by showing both towers of the WTC falling simultaneously? It's a dilemma. Could I show a rocket launching during sunset if one never did, for example?

That one is especially dramatic - but it may convey an unintended message, since it looks like a test of the launch escape system...

Even trying to keep on the accurate side of your artistic license, I think it would be fine to, say, show a Saturn V on the pad with the service structure rolled away at sunset (since it would have happened about that time for Apollo 17). Depending on the releant level of geekiness, you might note that there were slight changes in the black-and-white stripes from one Saturn V to the next. (I noticed this in conversation with someone at the Apollo 11 plus 30 event in Huntsville, as we were trying to work out which one the vertical life-sized Saturn V model just erected was patterned after).

You might also think about an aerial composition, sort of like the WB-57 pictures of the recent Discovery launch. Tom Hanks incorporated such a head-on view in the film Apollo 13, to great dramatic effect. I'm having no luck so far finding the high-resolution original, but this article (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/launchers-04f.html) has a small version of a telephoto shot looking down an a flying Saturn V (with the Vehicle Assembly Building farther ni the background than it appears).

[Donnie B.]

If you show the Saturn V in action, don't forget the dark plume!
http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=22487&highlight=dark+plume#22487

(One of my favorite threads ever!)

[tdn]

If you show the Saturn V in action, don't forget the dark plume!
Huh. I did not know about that.

I promise not to paint it!

[AGN Fuel]

There are two photos of the Saturn V that I think might fit the bill:

Go to this site (http://apollomissionphotos.com/index_apollo.html) and scroll down to 'Apollo 4 on pad at dawn' and 5 photos below that to 'Apollo 6 on Pad A at Sunset'.

The second image in high resolution is one of the most beautiful shots of a Saturn that I've ever seen.

[tdn]

There are two photos of the Saturn V that I think might fit the bill:
Wow. Yeah.

Now I'm torn.

I think I'll start with my first choice, but then try one of those.

[publiusr]

www.starshipmodler.net
Go to Real Space Modeling.