Photo Shoot on New Years Eve

This was lots of fun right here. My son wanted some shots taken in his flight gear (He is an aviation rescue swimmer for the Navy). So I was kind of thinking about where we should go. My first few ideas weren't met so well.

"So, how about we go to the Coast Guard Station and borrow a chopper?" His eyebrows shot straight up in alarm. I gather taking a Navy Swimmer's photo by a Coast Guard helicopter is some sort of no-no. Next plan.

"Well, we could go and borrow the helicopter from the Fire Department."

"Mom? You can't 'borrow' a helicopter. People don't exactly loan those out."

"Why not? They loaned me gear and the big truck that is full of water. No one had a problem with that." Only I would ask for this. It was a great shoot, by the way.

"OK, Mom, I grant you that - but letting you dress three little boys up in fireman gear and spray water out of the hose is not the same as letting you fly their helicopter, which, might I point out, you CAN'T FLY!"

"I know that. But you can fly it!"

"Yeessss, but who is going to fly it when I jump out of it?"

Hmmm. This was a point. He suggests some field somewhere. That seems absurd to me, you don't go cruising around and randomly find people in flight suits wandering through fields. I decide on an airport. A SMALL airport. I've tried to shoot at airports before and ever since 911 they have all of us photographers down as potential terrorists. I swear, try and take your camera out around an airplane and they are on you like you cannot believe and fast, too. I briefly wonder if I could pull it off if I put my camera in the ever-protective zip lock baggie, but I doubt it.

So we headed up to a small airport in our county. I saw the runway when we drove in and immediately wanted to use it. My plan was just to walk out there, take a shot, and suffer getting yelled at on the way out. I do this kind of thing alot. As long as I have the shot they can holler at me all they want. Collin, on the other hand, being as he was in his Navy stuff, thought we should ask first. But there wasn't a soul to be found. Nobody. So we just walked out onto the runway, fired a few photos off, accented by the timely departure of the Reach helicopter in the background and it was smooth sailing. I couldn't believe how easy it was. And I love the shots. Much better than the random field business.