These warriors jump
out of Aircraft in the dark at high altitude and open their parachutes low to use
stealth to land into enemy territory to save lives, guard our nations most
powerful weapon systems, or stand ready to repel airborne attacks at a moments
notice, all are Airmen in todays United States Air Force, and their story needs
to be told to the world.
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| Me at Joint Base Balad, Iraq 2009 |
“You have to be
willing to wherever, whenever.” Says U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cherie A.
Thurlby a aerial combat photojournalist, who was quoted on the U.S. Department
of Defense website. “You have to adopt the ‘Whatever it takes’ attitude and you
have to believe that your photos are making a difference.”
The Air Force could be
one of the most over looked branch of the services, with a nickname like Chair
Force to being depicted as fighting alien transforming robots in blockbuster
movies. The men and women in the Air Force are deployed around the clock to
almost every corner of the world. They are at the bottom of the world in
Antarctica to the top in Greenland, and as far as the Middle East to the
Philippine islands. These are just some of the facts Americans should be told
these stories and be proud of the world’s mightiest Air Force.
When you start out,
you should research what your about to observe. A great source of information
is the Air Force website at www.af.mil. Links can be found to any unit
where fact sheets can be found and used to research the assignment. This
information will help you prepare your equipment.
A good camera with
charged batteries can only be enhanced with lenses you bring. Life on an Air Force base is constantly
moving and the ability to be fast on your feet is important. It is recommended
to be prepared with anything from a good wide-angle lens to a zoom lens like a
70-300mm. If you’re a photographer who also believes that your best zoom is
your feet then a 17mm lens, 50 mm lens, and a 100mm or 200mm lens may be the
best load for you. Bring extra batteries and memory cards, because finding a
place to recharge or download images on a flight line maybe difficult to find.
Don’t forget to dress
for the flight line with comfortable clothes and foot wear, with headgear to
protect you from the sun. Watch a weather report and bring appropriate items
like rain gear or sunscreen. Also good hearing protection is important around
the loud aircraft engines you will find on a flight line.
Shooting pictures of
aircraft presents issues like distance, speed, and size. A long lens will be
needed to take pictures Aircraft taking off, landing or performing in the sky
above. Also the use of fast shutter
speeds to capture images of the rocketing jet aircraft overhead.
Static displayed or
parked aircraft give photographers the opportunity to get up close and personal
with these flying machines. Be careful to observe any boundaries set up by base
security for the protection of the resource.
It takes more then the
aircrew to launch one airplane. All you have to do is standstill on the flight
line and watch. You will see maintenance crews working on the planes, pulling
apart engines, examining the cockpit, and maybe even walking on the wings. There will be airmen refueling the aircraft.
Security Forces standing watch for trouble. Airmen loading and unloading cargo
aircraft of things like vehicles, people and equipment.
Always be observant of
your surroundings around aircraft and be wary of any dangers. Having an assistant or a partner to help
watch out for safety issues is highly recommended. Moving vehicles, running aircraft engines,
and other issues working with military aircraft should be taken into
consideration.
Not everything in the
Air Force occurs near the runway. There are the men and women who keep the
communication systems going through the phones, radios, and computers. Air
Force Chefs preparing meals. Airmen maintaining and operating a wide variety of
vehicles need to keep the mission going. Civil Engineering Airmen, who build or
repairing facilities with tools and heavy machinery.
Safety is still a
concern in many work environments that Airmen work in. Some areas are
completely off limits to any type of photography for security concerns and it
should be the photographer’s responsibility to ensure it is acceptable to take
pictures there. Watch and anticipate the actions and be ready to take the
picture. A fast shutter speed can be
useful to capture the action or a slow shutter to show the movement can come in
use here.
These
events will need coordination before hand. A subject matter expert should be
contacted to advise on safety concerns and location for the best views of the
action. When in an aircraft, the crews can assist with safety issues and even
possibly securing the photographer to the aircraft. These training exercises
can occur at all different times of the day, in different environments and
locations. Good advanced planning and preparation will give the photographer
the advantage on these dynamic shoots.
During training events don’t stop for the photographer so the photographer
must be on their toes.
These are just some suggestions
and tips to make a perspective photographer’s job to tell the Air Force story
possible. With the hope that these stories will be made available to the
American people, entertaining them and informing them about the great work that
these young Airmen are doing. The Air
Force is the youngest branch of service, with a different mission then it’s
brothers in the profession of arms, but no less a force of amazing abilities,
whose story must be told.
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| Balad Reach Mission Airman with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Joint Base Balad, Iraq carry out an injured servicemember on a stretcher from the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility outside the Air Force Theater Hospital to transfer the patients on an Aeromedical Evacuation on January 24, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Craig Lifton) |
References
Marsh,
C., Guth, D., and Short, B. (2009) Strategic Writing: Multimedia
Writing for Public Relations, Advertising and More. Pearson Education, Inc.
Military
Photographers. Retrieved on 13 May 2012 from http://www.defense.gov/home/features/military_photographers/
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