| It was over 50 years ago that the author made | | | | 35mm camera. It is actually an Olympus IS-3. All |
| his first Monday with aerial photography. The | | | | of the photographs we take are obliques. We |
| occasion was right after the terrible floods 1955 in | | | | initially deliver to the customer 4 x 6 inch proofs. |
| northwestern Connecticut. Since that time it has | | | | These are large enough for the customer to see |
| remained a steady source of income. So work is | | | | what he is getting an order whatever additional |
| not hard and it produces a steady stream of | | | | prints he wants. Very rarely, do any of these |
| income. | | | | prints exceed 11 x 14 inches in size. If the |
| The author first went into this business over 50 | | | | customer doesn't want larger prints may have to |
| years ago. It seemed that the accepted way of | | | | tell me at the very beginning so that I can take |
| doing business then was to take the photographs | | | | the photographs with a camera that makes larger |
| first, and then try to sell them. It didn't take too | | | | negatives. This camera is a Linhof Aerotechnika |
| long for the author to realize that this was a fast | | | | that takes a 6 x 7 mm negative. With a negative |
| way of going broke. After about the first year | | | | of this size you are able to enlarge the print to a |
| the author switched his tactics and went actively | | | | much larger size. The largest photos we have |
| seeking customers. | | | | ever made are 4 x 5 feet. |
| It absolutely amazes me how well this worked | | | | To take these photos we use both airplanes and |
| we managed to get a list of clients that reads like | | | | helicopters. The ideal airplane is a Cessna 172 |
| the Fortune 500. It seemed that the larger the | | | | Skyhawk. The front seat window conveniently |
| company the more willing they were to spend | | | | opens up, and swings up under the wing allowing |
| money on aerial photographs of their property. | | | | you a clear shot of the site. The alternative when |
| This included the top 10 companies on the | | | | we are using a helicopter we take the passenger |
| Fortune 500 list, as well as hundreds of lesser | | | | door off and just shoot out the open door. |
| clients. The lesser clients actually paid for most of | | | | With an airplane you are a limited to how close |
| the work that was done by the author. | | | | you can fly into the ground under normal |
| Most of the assignments that the author | | | | circumstances the minimum altitude is 1000 feet, |
| developed were made by telephone. This included | | | | or over open countryside 500 feet. In practice |
| any number of real interesting clients. One of the | | | | however, we don't like to use an airplane under |
| clients that developed called me on the phone cold | | | | 1000 feet. Any photographs that we have to |
| early on eight March morning. The author | | | | take at lower altitudes are made using a |
| answered the phone and the voice on the other | | | | helicopter. |
| end inquired if he was home. Obviously he was or | | | | With a helicopter you are legally able to come in |
| he would not of answered the phone. Once the | | | | at a lower altitude. This has many advantages |
| person on the other end became aware that he | | | | when you are photographing small sites, but under |
| was speaking to me he introduced himself over | | | | most circumstances you are able to work with an |
| the phone with this, "Good morning my name is | | | | airplane for a little over $100 an hour versus using |
| Stephen Spielberg." | | | | a helicopter for about four times more. |
| My answer to that was, "Yeah, well I'm the King | | | | In order to make this pay I tried a bunch the |
| of England." | | | | assignments together, so that I am taking more |
| He assured me that he was indeed Steven | | | | than one assignment per flight. I prefer having it |
| Spielberg, and he needed some aerial photographs | | | | leased for assignments or as many as eight per |
| for the movie the Amistad. This was a movie | | | | flight. |
| about a cargo of slaves that took over a slave | | | | Aerial photography is a very interesting business, |
| ship named the Amistad. As interesting as these | | | | and you meet some of the most interesting |
| assignments were, this was the kind of | | | | people while doing business. One of the things that |
| assignments I got. Over 50 years later I'm still | | | | we don't recommend doing though is trying to be |
| getting assignments called in to me although I am | | | | both photographer and the pilot. You can't do both |
| no longer actively soliciting assignments. | | | | jobs at once, and you should have a pilot along to |
| One of the things that most people never believe | | | | fly a plane or helicopter while you are doing the |
| even when they hear it is how much money | | | | photographs. This is from my own bitter |
| there actually is in the aerial photography. Now we | | | | experience many years ago where I did try it, |
| don't do anything special in taking these | | | | and almost killed me. |
| photographs. We work with a single lens reflex | | | | |