Crow's Nest Photography Artist Bio

I am a Gloucester, VA "come here" (1963 at age 5). I grew up living, sailing, crabbing and water-skiing on the Ware River, off the lower Chesapeake Bay of Virginia. My original career was a professional civilian pilot, and culminated as a Boeing 727 and 767 pilot for TWA. This career lasted until a bout with a rare cancer in 1996 when I became a laboratory rat for The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Md. (Your tax dollars at work and I thank you!). Crow's Nest Photography has been in business since December 1997 though has been part time since 2003. . I play keyboards in a very popular cover band from Hampton, VA (www.slapwater.com). I have two children I adore, Thomas 20 and Ashley 18.

Contrary to popular belief, I DO NOT GO UP IN THE BLIMP!! It is tethered to me, filled with helium, and it carries a remotely-controlled camera system beneath it. A microwave video downlink allows me to see on a ground monitor what the camera is viewing. This system allows the camera to be positioned in places not normally accessible to aircraft.

Photographs are made using a medium format film camera using standard lenses (not telephoto) requiring the maneuvering of the blimp to within a close proximity to the subject. The close proximity of the camera to the subject allows for greater detail and color saturation of the film or digital sensor. The lack of aircraft induced vibration and it's magnified effect if using the long telephoto lenses, gives me the ability to use slower shutter speeds, slower film (or digital ISO equivalent), and to shoot aerials in more artistic lighting situations.

Using a tethered, unmanned, NON-powered, quiet vehicle for my camera, grants me legal access to many normally off-limits-to-aircraft sites. These include public parks and crowded outdoor events where FAA regulations prohibit aircraft from being closer than 1000 feet ABOVE the crowds. Unlike remote controlled helicopter photography, there is no danger of loss of control signal to the vehicle, no noise, and no whirling blades to contend with. I can also hang around above an event or photographic site for hours while I wait for appropriate lighting.

With tremendous visibility, the blimp also allows for advertising sponsorships, please inquire here.