Aviation photography

Military aviation photography, especially air-to-air, requires additional skills, as the photo and target aircraft often fly at velocities of over Mach 1, while under moderate to high G. In ground-static photography, photos of stationary aircraft are taken by photographers on the ground.

The photographer has full control over lighting, aircraft placement, camera angles, and background.

The first time close head-on remote photography had been used was in 1977 when photographer Richard Cooke, working with Sqn Ldr Alan Voyle, Senior Engineering Officer of The Red Arrows, developed a camera bracket to fit on the underside of a spare Red Arrows Folland Gnat aircraft.

The Nikkormat camera with autowind pointed back at the Red Arrows team and was fitted with a wide angle 24mm Nikkor lens.

The photography was commissioned by the Telegraph Sunday Magazine and made the front cover on 3 July 1977.