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Shooting the September 2011 Cover

Ed Darack, the photographer and writer who documented a Colorado Air National Guard unit for our September 2011 issue, tells how he got the cover shot. “We launched gently into the sky—as opposed to a vertical takeoff which, while dramatic, uses up a lot of fuel that we needed to save for climbs over the mountains. As I readied to make the shot, Lt. Col. Turner rocked his aircraft toward me for the best view of his jet, just as we’d briefed. But at the critical moment I realized the camera had been firing the whole time—the G forces had depressed the shutter release. And by that time, so many shots had been fired that the camera's buffer was full.

"We regrouped and did it again, then again, and again. By the end of the fourth try I was disoriented and feeling nauseous. But I still wasn't satisfied with the shots I’d gotten. We had just enough fuel for one more try, so we pulled up in formation for a last attempt. We flew into a cloud opening, well lit by the sun and with views of the mountains below as we hit the perfect angle—for just a half second. I hit the shutter at the very last moment before all three aircraft rolled out.” (03:41)

Video: Ed Darack

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Comments (4)

Outstanding pictures such as this do require more than yeoman's effort.
You were rewarded with a perfect shot indeed.
Congrats to you and the pilots who had to work for it also.
Bob McPherson

Posted by Bob McPherson on August 21,2011 | 07:39 PM

Fantastic work, Ed! I love all the preparation and work you did before you took the final shot.

Posted by Glenn Ducusin on August 23,2011 | 02:11 PM

This footage and pictures as well as the expertise of the pilots was awesome! It's amazing the feats they accomplish! Thank you for sharing the details on how they performed this amazing task!

Posted by Sue markowski on September 13,2011 | 09:14 PM

What a fantastic way to shoot jets. Awesome video and awesome images.


Thanks
Stevie

Posted by StevieBeats.co.uk on September 23,2011 | 07:56 AM

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