Through human eyes
5 minute read
This article appears in Issue 07 of The Beautiful Truth magazine. Get your copy here.
In early April 2026, the Artemis II mission captivated me and millions of people watching from across the world. The crew’s courage, skill and infectious wonder served as tangible proof of human persistence and technological achievement, all against the mysterious backdrop of space.
People back on Earth got to witness the mission through remarkable photos of space taken by the astronauts. Images created and shared by astronauts underscore how photography builds a powerful, authentic connection that goes beyond what technology alone can capture.
As a photographer and the director of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, I am especially drawn to how these photographs have been at the centre of the public’s collective experience of this mission.
In an era when image authenticity is often questioned and autonomous, AI-driven imaging is increasingly capable, NASA’s choice to train astronauts in photography has placed meaning over convenience and prioritised human perspectives and creativity.
“These images also distinguish themselves as products of astronauts experiencing these sights and interpreting them through their photographs.”
Capturing space from the crew’s perspective
Photography was not initially a high priority during NASA’s Apollo era. The astronauts only took photographs if they had the chance and all their other tasks were complete.
Thanks largely to the public response to those Apollo images, including Earthrise and the Blue Marble, which are widely credited with helping to catalyse the modern environmental movement, NASA shifted its approach, using photography to help capture the public’s imagination by training astronauts in photographic practices.
The Artemis II mission’s photographs have helped cut through the increasing volume of artificially generated images circulating on social media. NASA’s social media releases of the crew’s photographs have attracted thousands of shares and comments.
This excitement could be explained by the novelty of photos from space. But these images also distinguish themselves as products of astronauts experiencing these sights and interpreting them through their photographs. These differences require an important distinction around where technology ends and humanity begins.
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Human perspective versus AI tools
Photography has long integrated AI-powered software and data-driven tools in a variety of ways: to process raw images, fill in missing colour information, drive precise focus and guide image editing, among others. These modern technological assists help human photographers realise their vision.
Artificial intelligence is also increasingly capable of operating machinery competently and autonomously, from cars to drones and cameras.
And AI can generate convincing, realistic images and videos from nothing more than a text prompt, using readily available tools.
Researchers train AI to mimic patterns informed by millions of sample images. The algorithm can then either take or create a photograph based on what it predicts would be the most likely version of a successful, believable image.
Human-created photos are rooted in direct observation, intent and lived experience, while AI images – or choices made by AI-driven tools – are not. While both can produce compelling and believable visuals, the human photographs carry emotional power because the photographer is drawing from their experiences and perspective in that moment to tell an authentic story.
Artemis II photographs resonate, not only because they are historic, but also because they reflect the deliberate choices and intent of a human being in that specific moment and context. The exposure, camera settings, lens choice and composition are all dictated by the astronaut’s vision, skill, perspective and experience. Each image is distinct. These choices give the images narrative power, anchoring them in human perspective.
“The Artemis II photographs are anchored in this collective moment of human experience, yet they are also shaped by each astronaut’s viewpoint.”
Images to tell a story
Photographers choose what to include in the final version of their image to tell a story. In the Artemis II images, this human perspective comes out. In the Earthset photo, you see a striking juxtaposition of the moon’s monochromatic, textured surface in the foreground against a slivered, bright Earth.
The choice to include both objects in the frame contrasts them literally and figuratively, inviting comparison. It creates a narrative where Earth is contrasted against the moon – life is contrasted against the absence of it.
Another photo shows the nightside of the whole Earth, featuring the sun’s halo, auroras and city lights. The choice to include the subtle framing of the window of the capsule in the lower left corner reminds the viewer where and how this image was captured: by a human, inside a capsule, hurtling through space. That detail grounds the photograph in the human perspective.
Both photos are reminiscent of Earthrise and the Blue Marble. These past images hold a place in the global collective consciousness, shaped by a shared historical moment.
The Artemis II photographs are anchored in this collective moment of lived human experience, yet they are also shaped by each astronaut’s viewpoint. The crew’s unique perspectives exemplify photography’s transformative power by inviting viewers to engage emotionally and intellectually with their journey. These photographs share the astronauts’ awe and wonder and affirm the value of human creativity and its ability to connect us in a captured moment.
Christye Sisson is Professor of Photographic Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she also serves as Director of the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences.
This article was originally published by Christye Sisson on The Conversation and is republished here with permission.
