Influence of Flying by Al Weber, March/April 2010

“When I photograph from the air, I feel I must have a sense of flight in the photograph. The birds eye view. The quickness required. The ever present wind. The gentle vibration of the plane. The presence of a pilot I like and trust. The wonderful sense of isolation. Everything it takes to make an aerial photograph.”

West coast photographer Al Weber, whose aerial photograph is on the cover of the March/April issue, talks about his aerial photography – the techniques and equipment he has used and the effect photographing from the sky has had on his composition on the ground.

Al Weber’s photography is exhibited in the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts in Kyoto, Japan, and in many regional museums. He has taught photography since 1963, as instructor for Ansel Adams in Yosemite, at his own Victor School, CO, and in workshops including those with David Vestal at the Photographers’ Formulary in Montana. He was Educational Chairman at Friends of Photography in Carmel, CA and spent many years in a varied career of commercial photography for national publications and major manufacturers. This article is a prelude to a book of Al Weber’s aerial photography scheduled to be published by Café Margo Press later this year.