[ITW] Getting Ariane’s best profile: tips from John Kraus, spaceflight photographer 06-09-2020 |  6 minutes

Differentiate your work from that of others. Photography has room for more creative eyes, and unique work is a great way to make yourself stand out. It’s a challenge to consistently push out creative content, but it makes the job fun.

Expect and prepare for the unexpected: launches are frequently delayed – anywhere from months or weeks in advance, to the literal last second in some cases.

A launch scheduled for daytime can potentially slip into night-time. Being ready for different lighting and weather conditions, as well as being flexible with the shots you have planned, can make or break the photographs you end up with.

It’s hard for me to narrow down my favorite launch conditions; daytime launches provide more variety in lighting, as lighting can change drastically given the time of day and cloud cover.

Night-time launches provide less variety, as the night background is a stark, black sky, but they allow for long-exposure “streak” shots that trace out the entire trajectory of the launch.

Launches during golden hour – when the sun is near the horizon – often present stunning light. However, every launch is unique and that’s what constantly keeps things interesting.

Find out more about John Kraus and his stunning photos at: johnkrausphotos.com