Aviation

When Orville and Wilbur Wright took to the skies in 1903, they were relative latecomers; insects already had been buzzing around for 325 million years. But in a little over a century, our species has more than made up for its earthbound origins.  Stunning technological advances have propelled mankind’s aviation capabilities. Non-stop trans-continental commercial flights now make the distance of near 10,000 miles. People have walked on the moon, space probes gather information from the surface of Mars, fly-by planets in the solar systems, and penetrate interstellar space. Satellite networks orbit the Earth to transmit data, voice, and location.

Photographing the facilities which support commercial air travel is a fascinating network of transportation and technology that requires an interesting mix of experience and expertise. The overriding concern with any aviation facility is security. In our portfolio, you will see the gamut of aviation venues ranging from small regional airports to international airports, to NASA facilities. Every one of them has multiple levels of security within which the photo team must function. Our photo team has had to submit to, and pass, numerous security screenings, equipment searches, and background checks. Fortunately, we’ve secured permission to access every facility to date.

Once within a facility, care must be taken to be as much of a “fly on the wall” as possible, not interfering with the normal operation of the facility, nor the movement of people within. Extra time is factored into the photography schedule, since the security aspect of an aviation facility tends to impede fluid movement, particularly with a cartload of equipment and lights. The image results with site coordination are truly stunning.