"Challenger Memorial" Mission Accomplished

Not even cleaned up yet, fresh from Randall/Capt. Chris

"Randall Nasa" Challenger Memorial

It's much bigger than expected, a real handfull.

Here's my "Back Story, as Chris knows.
I will share it with my friends here.

I reported on the Space Shuttle Program for CNN and was at the Kennedy Space Center while the smoke was still in the air...supposed to cover "Challenger Live" but missed out until the tragedy.

Spent 3 months straight at KSC covering the accident, was at Port Canaveral when the crew was recovered and brought back to shore.

My work's in the Library of Congress....and this "Randall Memorial" personally means a great deal to me...part of my professional history too.

Many more pix to come, along with all my other "Challenger" Memorabilia....could be going to the Smithsonian some day.

Capt. Chris/ Randall....Congrats on your fine products and keeping the Memory alive of their sacrifice...and all the other Nasa Heroes we've lost.

A very sad part of NASA history for sure, but we learned enough to keep our folks safe in the future launches. Many thanks for your service to our Country. A great knife for a great tribute.

Pap

Pap...appreciate your kind words.
There's a new program starting up at KSC..eventually it may get us back into a new manned space program.
I got a recent briefing from former Nasa Astronaut Bill Nelson.
When I told him about the "Mission Memorial " Randall project, his eyes lit up. I don't think he was even aware of the "Astro 17" availability.

Bill Nelson's not "aware" of a lot of things. He is, after all, a politician.
Nice knife, by the way, Capt. Chris

Chris,
Gotta get out the big camera and snap some better pix.
These things are NOT easy to photograph well..lotsa reflections and blade angles.
BTW: Don't forget about Bill's astronaut career before his Senate Career. I found out his shuttle booster wasn't properly unlocked from the launchpad and as the story goes..when the boosters were recovered a huge chunk of launch pad concrete was still bolted onto it..with the bolt someone forgot to remove.
Never got the story confirmed by Nasa. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

I'm a Florida boy...and I certainly remember his NASA days, just like John Glenn. It's their "after-life" I wish I could forget. Oh well...
Get yourself an inexpensive 36" photo tent and some daylights and shoot your knives inside of it. You'll eliminate a great deal of that brightness and eliminate a whole helluva' lot of shadowing!
Good luck, Capt. Chris

Here's the Randall #14-7 1/2" I am currently working on with some smaller "NASA" brown G-3. (It's 1 3/8" stock verses 1 1/2"). Notice the NASA logo on the sheath?
Best, Capt. Chris

RE: Photo tent and "shooting knives"

Way back, in the '70's when it was called the American Blade Magazine (before just "Blade") I had a short article in there titled "Shoot Your Knives" or some such. Wrote it for fun, since it doesn't cover expenses to do these things.

Anyway, the photos I used to show different results were made in natural settings, with efforts to control reflections on blades, and inside a light tent I made.

Bottom Line, it is difficult to get proper exposures and highlight control in anything other than a light tent, although I have gotten some good photos otherwise through effort and luck.

Bottom line, and the reason I am posting this here as a reply to Capt. Chris's recommendation, is because I recently bought a 4 foot cube Smith-Victor brand light tent from Adorama. It is still in the package, no time to work with it yet, but once I decide what lighting setup I want to use I think that is the only way to go.

Another wrinkle--which I do not have software to do yet--is that you can shoot the knife on a green background that you can buy that works like a "green screen" in movie making, and then have the green replaced by another scene behind the knife--should be able to "fake" some artistic outdoor shots using this approach.

Happy shooting,
Larry

I'll have to try it.
Those shots were from my IPhone...ceiling lights.
Over the weekend I'll take out my real camera and see what I can do. I've aways tried natural, available lighting. But the blade angles/reflections on the 12-9/14 seem to be a good challenge.

So beautiful knives. Thank's for showing them :-)

Here's an example of a Light Tent, made by Lastolite, available from Adorama or B & H Photo. Can fold up into 16" round storage case.

Bulbs are now 105 wt CFB, equiv to 400 wt incandescent.

I could also use this outside.

Very Nice.
How do you keep from tripping over it all?
Results look great!

After everything is set, use either the self-timer on your camera, or a camera remote control switch, wired or wireless.

f/23 @ 1 sec. - ISO 100 exposure on the knife photo.

Took out some KSC Press Materials I still have and the big camera. I could spend months playing with it all for a good shot. This is good enough for now.
If you look closely at about 7 O'Clock under the handle, you'll see a glimpse of the honor guard escorting the crew back for the memorial ceremony.

Captain Chris brought us a truly great Memorial Tribute Knife of the brave Challenger Mission Team (One of my most cherished knives)-Today is the 34th Anniversary of that Tragic Day in 1986. God Bless them and their Families for the ultimate sacrifice.

Tom Flynn

My Physics Class was watching it live on TV.

My HS library wheeled a couple of "AV carts" to the window and fired the TVs up so that students passing by in the hallway could watch a bit of the news between classes.

A few years ago I heard about the RMK “Mission Memorial” knife from some guy called Capt. Chris. My best friend Bill is a NASA nut. I talked him in to driving to Pigeon Forge with me to meet the Capt. at the Parker show. As we walked in I saw where the Capt. was set up. I told Bill to get his checkbook out because there was a knife over there that he was going to buy. After meeting Capt. and looking at the knife Bill asked how much and looked at me and smiled. Bill bought his first RMK and we both made a friend that day.

Dennis

Amen! It was a memorable experience. And now...Dennis: You can get your checkbook out because you have another RMK just received!! (Ha-Ha)
Stay sharp, Capt. Chris

Sorry for the poor quality on these 4 and also for the "Hi-Jack" but this is out of my STASH and was, initially a mistake..."BUT"...(There ya' go)...It's 1 of 1!
Enjoy..and stay sharp,
Capt. Chris

Ha!

Some "mistake"!

Larry