My friend Jim likes to fly a Cessna around the Niagara region. Sometimes he takes me along, and I take photographs. Sometimes we have a specific goal to achieve, like getting aerial shots of events or for documentary video. Others, we roam the air and go wherever he wants. He’s steering. I’m glued to the window enjoying the scenery and working up a sweat changing lenses and bouncing around like a kid in a candy store. He could take someone else. He takes me. As a thank you, I wanted to give Jim a gift.
My passion is printing my photos. I feel great photos should be printed, large and beautiful. It’s an art, a skill, a craft. And sometimes a challenge. Whatever you call it, nothing beats the impression and emotions of holding that print in your hands. Though seeing them on the wall is a close second.
I chose a photo from one of our journeys. We were almost directly over Niagara Falls. He had tipped the wings so I could look straight down. A perfect moment. We could see two rainbows. Well, I could. Jim was flying. This was the one. This was the gift.
Printing it was a pleasure. On the day I popped it into my art case for safety and set off to meet Jim at the airport. On arrival, I set up the static camera and recorded this video. The wind was very strong that day and I didn’t have the necessary gear for the job, plus it was a one-man recording so I had nobody to monitor or assist. I cleaned up the audio, but it is still not great. Sorry.
I would like to thank my fellow passenger for the unsolicited praise. We had never met until then. From a stranger, that kind of appreciation is pretty cool. I would blush, if I could remember how.
Suffice to say, this gift was a hit and the rest of the day was too. Even the turbulence bouncing me all over the plane and ricocheting me off the roof and door frame. Hey, no complaints, calculated risk. I chose not to put down the camera and hold on. Totally worth it. Thank you, Jim. Until we do it again, my friend…