On the lunar surface, the astronauts’ movements were encumbered by spacesuits and they were unable to align the cameras with a view-finder. Because they were wearing helmets, the cameras were mounted on the chests of the spacesuits. Without the benefit of a view-finder, crews were trained how to point, shoot, turn slightly, point and shoot again until a panorama of overlapping photographs was generated. During the last three missions they even used a telephoto lens to shoot distant features. Once the crews returned to Earth, the images captured with this technology had to be printed and then hand-assembled into David Hockney-like panoramic collages that provide a spectacular boots-on-the-ground view of the lunar landscape. This exceptional panorama was captured during a quick stop on the return traverse back to the LM from station 7. The 500m wide Dune Crater in the foreground had originally been intended to be the first stop (station 4) on EVA 2 but was canceled due to lack of time. From left to right, Pluton Crater in the North Complex, Mount Hadley and the Swann Range are in the background behind the rim of Dune Crater. The LM Falcon is barely visible in the very far background as a tiny dot in a slightly lighter area in front of Pluton Crater. Irwin couldn’t complete this panorama toward Mount Hadley Delta (to the right) because of a failure in his camera.

“Vistas without parallel in human experience surrounded the crews on the great voyages of exploration.” Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt (NASA SP-250, p. 265).

“I felt like I was an alien as I traveled through space. When I got on the Moon, I felt at home. We had mountains on three sides and had the deep canyon to the west, a beautiful spot to camp. I felt in a way Adam and Eve must have felt, as they were standing on the Earth and they realized that they were all alone. I talk about the Moon as a very holy place.” James Irwin (Kelley, plate 46) From the mission transcript when the photograph was taken: 146:30:31 Scott: Jim, I’ve got to change my film Mag here. 146:30:33 Irwin: Okay; I’ll take a pan. 146:30:35 Scott: Take a pan, yeah. Good idea. 146:32:28 Scott: Jimmy? (Pause) 146:32:34 Irwin: Camera’s stopped working. 146:32:36 Scott: It has? Maybe you’re out of film. 146:32:41 Irwin: I just put this on! 146:32:45 Allen (Mission Control): Is it your camera, Dave? 146:32:46 Scott: Well, I’ll take the (sample documentation) pictures. Let’s get one sample. (Answering Joe) Jim’s out of film, or his camera stopped, and I can take the pictures.