CAPE CANAVERAL – At any given launch there are a number of photographers that attempt to capture the moment, to hold the power and majesty that is spaceflight. Most amateur photographers catch a blur, professionals pick up far more and then there are those that manage to actually freeze time. One of these photographers is Suresh Atapattu. His body of work shows an eye for detail and the uncanny appearance of a moment literally frozen in time.
Although Atapattu hails from Sri Lanka he has spent most of his life in the U.S. and considers it his home. His photography of spacecraft is an extension of his work photographing aircraft. As for the extreme level of detail in his pictures, that stems from his desire to display the unique aspects of what he is preserving.
“My first aircraft image was taken when I was 10 years old,” Atapattu said. “I still have images taken in the early 80s of aircraft that have long since disappeared from the sky.”
When asked about why his work is so hyper-detailed, Atapattu states that his training as an engineer focused his photography into detailing the project or item in exquisite detail. To do this with the shuttle and other aerospace items the photographer uses a very long lens to get up close and personal with his subjects. However, this exacting level of detail has allowed his works to enter another level and become something more – art.
Atapattu makes sure that he uses the right type of equipment for the occasion. He also scouts out the areas he will be shooting from, studying the flight path of the vehicle, as well as the weather that day. He also makes sure he has the right equipment on hand. Small variables can radically impact the quality of the shots he takes and therefore he does everything he can to plan ahead.
As the shuttle program draws to a close Atapattu plans to collect his amazing imagery in a book that will also contain key technical details about the important aspects of the missions and the equipment he used to capture the images. For now the man with the eye that can stop time is present at all the key milestones of each of the missions. Decades from now as people look back on the era when the shuttle fleet roared off of the pads there can be little doubt that his photos will be held up time and again as to what this era meant to the world in general and America in particular.
For More Info: http://www.atapattu.net/
Comments
Suresh is an excellent photographer. He has not been doing this too long but has caught on to the professional level quickly. Suresh clearly knows how to handle his equipment well and his images are sharp. As a professional photographer myself, I always invite him to come to several of our events every year and if I need to contact a good photographer from Florida for something that I may need, you can be assured that he will be one of them. My work involves extensive detail in aviation and he is one of the few that I can trust hands down. His work is guaranteed and I don't have to worry about errors. He has a great time documenting these shows. Not only does he do aviation, he is open for other subjects such as sporting events. Sports media outfits - take note! He recently did a cricket match which his images were stunning. I think his best work is yet to come. Suresh is one of the best of the young breed of photographers in the globe! Congratulations!
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