Advertising Campaign for an Alpaca Farm
Brigantine Golf Course Community, Brigantine, New Jersey
This year the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an active hurricane season for the Atlantic coast. Now that Hurricane Irene has safely passed, New Jersey’s shore towns came through the storm relevantly unscathed.
With this in mind, I was looking for a unique vantage point to illustrate the development of Brigantine Island and how precariously perched the people that live on it are. With the back bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, most of the island is just 5 to 10 feet above sea level.
I made this photo from a Robinson R44 helicopter. The pilot took the doors off and I was strapped in and able to lean out. From this unrestricted perspective I had complete freedom to look out at spectacular views up and down the coastline.
When shooting aerials you need to use a high shutter speed. The vibration from the helicopter and its wind drag from the main rotor wash can make for a wobbly flight and some possible blurry images. It’s important to keep your elbows in, isolate yourself from the vibration by not touching any part of the helicopter, except the padded seat, and shoot a lot of frames. And don’t forget to keep your camera strap around your neck!
My setting were 24mm, 1/1000sec, ISO 400
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Steve,
That is a compelling photo for many reasons. Particularly though, following the hurricane activity, not a place I would seek to live. I like the composition, too bad there were no foreboding clouds boiling in the distance. I can’t image the type of clearance-related issues to do aerial photography in that region.
Patrick,
New Jersey’s coastline is approximately 150 miles long. With only 9 miles of it protected from development, it’s a place where people review their evacuation plan as much as they do their 401K.
I remember my conversation with the pilot well. My part consisted of repeating 2 phrases over and over, “a little lower please” and “let’s hover here”. His response was always “ok, but make it quick”. That and a vague sketch on a cocktail napkin for a submitted flight plan made the photo shoot possible.