Apollo 8, 50 Years Later

50 years ago today, the crew of Apollo 8 reached lunar orbit for the 1st time ever. Astronauts Frank Borman, William A. Anders and James A. Lovell Jr. became the 1st humans to fully escape earth’s gravity and enter the gravitation field of another celestial body. They also became the 1st humans to see the dark side of the moon with their own eyes. Their mission was an overwhelming success: they proved that mankind was ready to set foot on the moon. 7 months later, Neil A. Armstrong–commander of Apollo 11–would indeed become the 1st human to set foot on the moon.

In honor of the crew and the hundreds of engineers and technicians that worked to make Apollo 8 a success, I made this photo of #duckie a couple of years ago. I shot it in my photo studio at home, with very little help from Photoshop.

And if there was ever a better way to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, it would be in the words of the crew of Apollo 8 as they circle the moon on Christmas Eve 1968. I can not find a better way to wish all my friends happy holidays and all the best for 2019.