This month I have been very previlaged to have been invited to photograph a Robinson 44 helicopter - from the air. This photographic commission has been one of the most technical challanges to date, for me at least. Flying at 1000ft and below, harnessed to a door opening and travelling at 100kph, has to be a thrill seekers dream. Add to that, compose, focus, set the correct exposure and capture an image which your client will love, adds to the challange. I didn't like it - I LOVED IT.

Using a vintage aircraft as our photo-ship we remained in direct radio contact with the 44, to ensure we could position him where we needed him to be. A few feet in any direction changed the composition completely. Flying in close proximately things move very fast indeed. Having been involved in aviation for years my biggest fear was the shutter speed. To fast and the helicopter would appear to have stopped inflight, to slow and the shots would suffer from the effects of motion blur, this has to be right, first time. This is an expensive shoot.

The weather conditions during the pilot brief was grim. The island was surrounded with low fog. But as the sun rose the fog burnt off but remained patchy throughout our time in the air.

Its not very often commissions such as this happen but when they do I am personally very humbled to be offered the chance to work with some amazing people throughout this tiny planet.