Were All Low Quality Apollo Photographs Released?

[TippedIceberg]

These images are taken from an eBay listing of an "Apollo 70mm first generation duplicate":



It's AS12-46-6779. The chopped and blurry photographs without written IDs above and below the main exposure are interesting, as only sharp counterparts appear to exist in the Apollo image catalog.
It looks like the previous frame on the strip was taken from the same angle and is brighter - which doesn't match the previous photo in the Apollo catalog, AS12-46-6778.

Same with this one from another listing, AS12-46-6791:



There is a blurred exposure above the main photograph, which isn't the previous photo in the catalog (AS12-46-67990).

I've read somewhere (wish I could remember where!) that astronauts were encouraged to "shoot twice" as a contingency for bad exposures. The Apollo 11 mission report mentions "to ensure good photography, the crew varied the exposures one stop in either direction from the exposure indicated".

I wonder if we're seeing photographs that were never assigned an AS12-... ID or released? It would be fascinating to see the blurred and blown out images if they exist somewhere.

[Peter B]

These images are taken from an eBay listing of an "Apollo 70mm first generation duplicate":



It's AS12-46-6779. The chopped and blurry photographs without written IDs above and below the main exposure are interesting, as only sharp counterparts appear to exist in the Apollo image catalog.
It looks like the previous frame on the strip was taken from the same angle and is brighter - which doesn't match the previous photo in the Apollo catalog, AS12-46-6778.

However the bottom of the three images is very obviously a blurred example of AS12-46-6780.

Same with this one from another listing, AS12-46-6791:



There is a blurred exposure above the main photograph, which isn't the previous photo in the catalog (AS12-46-67990).

AFAICT you're right. However I wonder if the simplest explanation is that these aren't a simple copy of the whole magazines, reel for reel, but instead copies of selected images.

I've read somewhere (wish I could remember where!) that astronauts were encouraged to "shoot twice" as a contingency for bad exposures. The Apollo 11 mission report mentions "to ensure good photography, the crew varied the exposures one stop in either direction from the exposure indicated".

I wonder if we're seeing photographs that were never assigned an AS12-... ID or released? It would be fascinating to see the blurred and blown out images if they exist somewhere.

As far as I know, all the Apollo photos were released. If you look at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, they show all the photos, including all the blurred, poorly framed, or sunstruck photos: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/apollo/catalog/70mm/

Otherwise, someone may be enough of an Apollo photo nerd as to be able to identify the blurred photos.

[Peter B]

I looked again.

The two blurred photos are blurred versions of 6779 and 6791.

Whoever created those images seems to have had multiple goes at copying an earlier generation of the photos.

I'll leave it to the people with actual photographic knowledge and experience to confirm this.

[Obviousman]

I've read somewhere (wish I could remember where!) that astronauts were encouraged to "shoot twice" as a contingency for bad exposures.

I used to be a Mission Co-ordinator with Coastwatch during the late 90s. The one thing that was always drilled into us was to take multiple images of a target because film is cheaper than fuel (i.e. we didn't have to get the film developed, found we missed things, re-locate the contact, then fly out to it again and take more photos).

(Well, it was until Customs changed the rules and ensured photography would be degraded....)