The Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Dulles International Airport Virginia

November 11, 2022

The Space Shuttle Discovery is located at the National Air And Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center. It is near Dulles Airport in Virginia. This is the single best aviation museum exhibit I have ever seen. This spacecraft sits in a wing on the west side of the museum which sets it apart from other aircraft. Photographing the remaining space shuttles has been a goal of mine. Currently I have photographed two with two more to go.

While I was only at this museum for a short time after work, I saved this feature aircraft for last to build excitement. It did not disappoint.

This was a late Monday afternoon with only a couple hundred visitors in the entire museum. The museum worker in the room said there are normally people all over the place. I generally create my aviation photography with no people in the photos. This can be a challenge because every museum is busy. I want to capture timeless pics of historic aircraft. For the Discovery, I walked around for a while analyzing the best photo angle. I finally settled on the walkway between the main museum and the space gallery. I sat on the floor, directly in front of the shuttle for some time practicing my final shot.

Once I was ready, I kept my finger on the shutter button. After waiting and waiting some more, until finally, everyone left the area. I snapped probably 10 images quickly before people walked in front of me. The shot I was hoping for when I entered the museum appeared in front of me.

I absolutely love the symmetry of shooting directly at the nose or the tail of an aircraft. Regarding museum photography, I think this is a pretty epic shot. The symmetry is beautiful with the overhead satellites. Having people in the photo would have surely taken away from these shots. Sometimes, however, it is good to get

Photography Tips

Pro-tip: Check out the 2nd-floor restoration area viewing platform to see what they have coming up. You’ll see future historical restoration projects they are preparing for display. This is one off-limit area at Dayton’s Air Force Museum. Visitors can only see fully restored exhibits.

Photography pro-tip: Use a zoom lens from far away to get compression of the Space Shuttle and the background. Use a wide-angle lens up close to get a distorted look at the amazing machine. Zoom in tight to get artistic detail shots that most people do not think to get.

Other Aviation Museum Blog Posts

Aviation Photographs At The National Air And Space Museum Virginia

Seattle Washington’s Best Aviation Experience Is The Museum Of Flight

The Space Shuttle Endeavour Is On Display At The California Science Center

Palm Springs Air Museum Is A Great Aviation Museum In The Desert

Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du
Nasa Space Shuttle Discovery At National Air And Space Museum Du

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