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Slideshow: Surveillance

From PRI (Opens in new window) and WNYC (Opens in new window)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 22. Pasadena, CA, 1995.
Photographer Michele Iversen captured all the images in the "Night Surveillance Series" from her car, at night, without the knowledge of her subjects. (Michele Iversen)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 50. Pasadena, CA, 1995. Digital Chromogenic Print, 38"x 46."
Iversen calls her photos a "beautiful tableaux that tell a story" — the windows become a sort of theater, through which she observes the performances of her subjects. (Michele Iversen)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 59. Pasadena, CA, 1995. Gelatin Silver Print, 38"x 46.5."
All of the images are approximately 40" x 48" — roughly the size of the actual windows — to make the viewer complicit in the act of surveillance. (Michele Iversen)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 62. Altadena, CA, 1995. Digital Chromogenic Print, 38"x 46."
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 62. Altadena, CA, 1995. Digital Chromogenic Print, 38"x 46." (Michele Iversen)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 63. Pasadena, CA, 1996. Lightjet C Print, 40"x 48."
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 63. Pasadena, CA, 1996. Lightjet C Print, 40"x 48." (Michele Iversen)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 66. Pasadena, CA, 1996. Lightjet C Print, 40"x 48."
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 66. Pasadena, CA, 1996. Lightjet C Print, 40"x 48." (Michele Iversen)
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 88. Sierra Madre, CA, 1996.
"Night Surveillance Series," Untitled no. 88. Sierra Madre, CA, 1996. (Michele Iversen)
In his project, "The Other Night Sky," artist and self-described "experimental geographer" Trevor Paglen tracks and photographs U.S. spy satellites in earth orbit. In this photo, Paglen claims to have found the radar imaging reconnaissance satellite Lacrosse–Onyx II, passing through the Draco constellation. (Trevor Paglen)
Paglen finds the covert satellites by using the U.S. Strategic Command’s published catalog of everything it tracks in space, plus observations made by an international network of amateur "satellite observers." Through a process of elimination, he plots an invisible landscape comprised of those satellites observed by the amateurs, but not tracked by the government. (Trevor Paglen)
Paglen’s photo identifies the optical reconnaissance satellite Keyhole–Improved Crystal, as its orbit carries it close to the Scorpio constellation.
Paglen’s photo identifies the optical reconnaissance satellite Keyhole–Improved Crystal, as its orbit carries it close to the Scorpio constellation. (Trevor Paglen)
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