Anthony J. Peritore’s captivation with Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island was set in motion by his initial National Geographic assignment. His experience in photographic equipment management and specialty in remote image capture for aviation brought him to Florida’s Space Coast to photograph the inaugural Space Shuttle launch, continuing with two decades of assignments. On his days off, Peritore was drawn to Merritt Island, a gathering place of the Atlantic Flyway bird migration route.