Space exploration is fueling the latest state of photographer Michael Soluri's career.
More success stories... Alum reveals 'What's Out There'
The "race-for-space" captivated Michael Soluri '72 (M.F.A, photography) as a youngster
growing up in Niagara Falls, N.Y. During his student days at State University of New York at Brockport
(B.S. economics/art), Soluri's interest was further piqued as a lab assistant at Eastman Kodak
Co., which brought him into contact with NASA images sent back from the moon. Before graduating from
RIT, he documented the launch activities of Apollo 16 at the Kennedy Space Center.
But for the next quarter century, his work in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Paris, Milan and New York
City revolved around fashion, travel and corporate assignments. He also worked as an assistant professor
of photography at RIT's School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. In recent years, Soluri, based in New York City since 1986, was lured back into the photography of
space exploration as a photo editor for specific space-themed issues of Kids Discover magazine. As a
result of that evolving interest, Soluri co-authored What's Out There: Images from Here to the
Edge of the Universe (Duncan Baird Publishers, London, 2005). Currently in nine languages, the book
was written by Loralee Nolletti (Soluri's wife).
"I've come full circle," says Soluri. "I've re-entered a unique environment
of astronomy and space exploration that makes me both curious and happy to be in."
Reviews from national media like Newsweek, GQ, Discover, American Photographer, Photo District News,
Sky and Telescope and SPACE.Com have praised the book for its breathtaking imagery and solid, accessible
Soluri researched 15,000 images to select the 212 in the book, always seeking photos that were both
aesthetically insightful and scientifically relevant. They came from a variety of Earth-based observatories,
robotic space probes and human space missions. He also included the work of advanced astro-photographers
from the U.S. and Europe. With assistance from senior astronomers at the Vatican Observatory, Soluri
was also able to secure esteemed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking to write the book's foreword.
"WOT is very international in scope," says Soluri, "and that's symbolic, because
there are no borders in space. I think these images give us a broader view of the scale and fragility
of our own planet. For me, it's about awe and wonder as it is about time and scale. That's
what made authoring this book such a fantastic journey."
As a result of intensive communication with astronomers and scientists while editing WOT, Soluri became
interested in portraying the people behind the scenes of space exploration. With access from NASA, he
photographed the scientists and engineers building NASA's New Horizons probe launched in January
to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Some of those photographs appeared in an exclusive eight-page story in
the March 2006 issue of Discover magazine. What's Out There has also propelled Soluri into the
public with presentations at the Smithsonian Institute and the National Science Foundation.
"Up close, spacecraft are amazingly beautiful objects of engineering design - they're
unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of sculpture," says Soluri. But he's come to a deep appreciation
that the exploration of space goes beyond awesome technology. Soluri is compelled to photograph the
workers involved in space. "I'm fascinated with the people who both create the tools of
space exploration and learn from the results they provide."
For more information about Soluri's work, visit michaelsoluri.com.
The University Magazine, Fall 2006