Star Wars 40th Anniversary: Photographs in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Forty Years, seven (soon to be eight) movies, and billions made in box office and merchandising, Star Wars is, arguably, one of the most beloved movie franchises in pop culture history. Today marks the day that, as perfectly put by The Guardian, "the world's greatest space opera" premiered. In anticipation for its latest installment, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," celebrations (and loving remembrances for Carrie Fisher, who passed away last December) have been well underway. [caption id="attachment_4403" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Star Wars Celebration 2017 - Orlando, FL Photo: Orlando Sentinel[/caption] As the old saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery. If this is the case, Star Wars fans are among the most flattering. From cosplay, to fan art and fiction, Star Wars' legacy has lived on through the imagination and creativity of is devoted fans. More often than not, those that work in the film industry, either as filmmakers, visual effects artists, or screenwriters, often cite Star Wars as the very reason they wanted to make movies. Among these industry professionals is the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams.

“Star Wars is probably the most influential film of my generation,” Abrams adds. “It’s the personification of good and evil and the way it opened up the world to space adventure, the way Westerns had to our parents’ generations, left an indelible imprint. So, in a way, everything that any of us does is somehow directly or indirectly affected by the experience of seeing those first three films.”

Recently, the universe of Star Wars has become reimagined through a visual medium that is very popular on social media platforms, most notably Instagram: photography. From posing action figures to placing Star Wars character in the modern threads, check out these amazing Star Wars inspired photographs. [caption id="attachment_4390" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: Zahir Batin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4391" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo:Vesa Lehtimäki/Ananaut https://www.flickr.com/photos/avanaut/[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4392" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo:Vesa Lehtimäki/Ananaut https://www.flickr.com/photos/avanaut/[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4396" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: Matti and Frikkie[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_4394" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: Spencer Witt[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4395" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: Spencer Witt[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4400" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: chatsmarlin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4401" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: chatsmarlin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4402" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo: chatsmarlin[/caption] May the force be with you.