Per Aspera Ad Astra

Posted by Wayne (Melbourne, Australia) on 24 March 2007 in Abstract & Conceptual and Portfolio.

As a young kid I used to devour old copies of National Geographic...they were profoundly influential in my life as was the Oxford English Dictionary and the Encyclopedia Britannica (yes I did read the dictionary for fun...and yes I am very much a geek and a nerd). But National Geographic will always have a special place in my heart...primarily because in addition to the words it was also an immersive world of visual treats...from exotic polynesian natives and their culture to the microcosm of the deep blue oceans to the infinite depth and beauty of the cosmos....those stories filled me with wonder, lighting and feeding a flame within me that burns even now.

I remember when the first images of the Hubble came through and even with its faulty lens, the awesomeness of the night sky could not be hidden. This photo of fireworks taken at the recent Moomba festival reminds me of those images...and more importantly reminds me of the drive behind the efforts which purchased those images and many others like it from the world at large. The same drive which is crystalized in that wonderful motto - Per Aspera Ad Astra...through Adversity to the stars.

If you'll forgive the Heinlein reference....objects of ultimate value demand ultimate cost. Somehow this shot challenges me to always continue to strive to do that which is hard in order to achieve that which is great.

I hope y'all have a great weekend!

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