Star Wars fans, do you know the photographic origins of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber?

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posted Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 2:30 PM EDT

 
 

Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, you are almost certainly familiar with the lightsaber. The iconic weapon from the Star Wars universe has found itself enshrined in popular culture for decades. Did you know that the basis for some of the lightsabers in the original Star Wars trilogy were repurposed camera flashes? DigitalRev In-Focus looks at the origins of the lightsaber design and its interesting connection to photography.

When collecting props for the filming of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope," set director Roger Christian went to a photography shop in London. In an old, dusty box in the shop, he uncovered Graflex camera flash handles and the lightsaber was born.

(Seen via The Digital Picture)