NASA detailed the technical work and careers of six photographers stationed at Johnson Space Center in Houston who record human spaceflight operations, astronaut training, and engineering milestones.
Robert Markowitz has spent more than three decades photographing human spaceflight programs at Johnson, spanning the space shuttle era, 25 years of continuous International Space Station operations, and Artemis II. Early in his career at age 25, Markowitz served as the behind-the-scenes still photographer for nearly every zero-gravity flight aboard the KC-135 during the filming of the movie "Apollo 13."
Bill Stafford joined the photography unit after learning of an opening during his senior year of college. Stafford applies visual psychology, lighting adjustments, and composition techniques to photograph spacecraft hardware, astronauts, and technical personnel under tight access constraints.
Field assignments and lunar preparation
James Blair transitioned from photojournalism at newspapers across the United States and a publication in Ecuador to document spaceflight programs. Blair’s assignments have included geology field training in Iceland, astronaut preparations, and development testing for Artemis hardware such as rovers, spacesuits, and potential lunar habitats.
Helen Arase Vargas joined Johnson after working in Southern California reporting and on Boeing’s scientific photography team in El Segundo. Her assignments included documenting the Artemis II crew’s return to Ellington Field in Houston, where images were processed rapidly for public distribution.
Luna Posadas Nava entered Johnson shortly before Artemis II after working with optics, imaging systems, and emerging technology. Posadas Nava photographed personnel inside the Science Evaluation Room conducting real-time lunar observations during the mission's lunar flyby.
David DeHoyos began working in Johnson’s photo lab in 1991 following a decade in commercial photo labs, eventually transitioning behind the camera as a center photographer. DeHoyos, who grew up in Houston during the Apollo era using a Kodak Instamatic camera, has spent more than 30 years documenting personnel and flight operations at the center.
