Everyone fortunate enough to have a window seat during a flight knows first-hand how beautiful the world can look from the skies. However, photographers also know how hard it is to actually get good photos from a plane, especially a commercial flight, even if the views are spectacular.

Professional photographer Graham Washatka recently traveled from Chicago to San Francisco and then San Francisco to Denver for a commercial photo shoot and took the opportunity to capture some stellar aerial shots, proving that photographers can capture great photos from a commercial airliner.

Lightroom Saves the Day

“These are all processed in Lightroom and most of the settings were not different than my normal editing,” Washatka tells PetaPixel. “The big difference from my normal edits are the Dehaze, Texture and Clarity.”

The photographer set the Dehaze and Texture sliders in Lightroom to around +50. The Clarity slider was set to around +20.

“These photos came out really flat in the RAWs and on the back of the camera. I had no idea I got images of these stunning scenes until the right settings clicked together in Lightroom.” He also used Adobe’s AI-powered LR Denoise for some of the photos.

How to Give Yourself the Best Chance for Success

Now that the photographer knows how great images shot from planes can turn out, he has some practical advice for other aspiring aerial photographers. Washatka says to research the airports you’ll visit on your journey and determine which side of the plane will work best for the time of day and location.

Beyond avoiding a seat near the plane’s wings, the photographer also recommends picking a seat on the north side of the plane, if possible, to prevent the sunlight from disturbing others around you and to reduce the glare on the window.

“You won’t have the dramatic effects of backlighting, but the terrain provided plenty of the drama and the focusing and composing is easier in this direction,” Washatka explains.

The Nikon Z8 in a Plane is Different From Washatka’s Typical DJI Drone

The commercial photographer is no stranger to aerial photography in general, as he is a licensed drone pilot and does some professional photography work using his DJI Mavic Air 3. “I probably used a drone on 5% of my jobs last year,” Washatka says.

Since he doesn’t use a drone all that much in his professional work, he can’t justify spending the money on a drone with a very high-end imaging system, like DJI’s Inspire series.

Camera Settings and Advice

For these new airplane photos, Washatka went with his trusty Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera and the Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens. He says about 90% of the photos were shot at ISO 400 with a 1/1250s shutter speed. “But at 120mm, I don’t think the 1/1250s shutter speed was fast enough… I didn’t factor in the 600 MPH speed of the plane enough. I think I missed a decent shot of the merging of the Green and Colorado rivers because of it, and other interesting compositions.”

Washatka originally planned to just snap a few photos during takeoff and landing. However, during the flight, he was in awe of the landscape below him and spent more than an hour shooting continuously.

“I took over 800 photos and was constantly looking for an interesting composition… I had zero idea they would turn out so good!” Washatka says.

Your Next Flight Is a Great Chance to Take Photos

For any photographer with air travel on the horizon, it is well worth planning, scouting the flight path, and picking an ideal seat. While weather and lighting are unpredictable, it’s immediately apparent that taking great aerial landscape photos from a commercial flight is possible.

With thoughtful planning, good compositions, a bit of luck, and some Lightroom magic, it’s amazing what can be accomplished. And hey, the worst-case scenario is that you found a fun way to pass the time on your flight.

Image credits: All photos © Graham Washatka.

Graham Washatka is a commercial photographer based in Wisconsin. He also recently founded a non-profit photograph organization, Photo Opp, alongside John Adams and Mark Ferrell. The organization has a large studio, event space, and darkroom in a newly renovated 100-year-old synagogue. The organization hosts events, including photography workshops, photo walks, film development nights, and gallery shows.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, was admitted to The London Clinic on January 16, 2024, where she underwent abdominal surgery for an undisclosed medical condition that was not cancer-related. On Sunday, March 10, 2024, she released a photograph which she later admitted was edited on a Mac along with the text: “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C”

Kensington Palace said the photo had been taken by her husband, heir to the throne Prince William, last week.

Michael Holden for Reuters:
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Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, issued an apology on social media on Monday for “any confusion” caused by an edited photograph which had been issued by her office Kensington Palace the previous day.

Several leading news organisations including Reuters withdrew the picture of Kate, 42, posing with her three children after post-publication analysis showed it did not meet their editorial standards.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the message on X said, signed with a “C” meaning it was sent by Kate. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”

A royal source said Kate had wanted to post an informal picture of her family to mark Mother’s Day, which was celebrated in Britain on Sunday, and had made minor adjustments.

Broadcasters with access to the original image said an examination of its metadata showed it had been saved in photo editing software Adobe Photoshop twice on an Apple Mac.

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MacDailyNews Take: The mystery deepens!
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Celebrity photographer and acting coach Kenneth Howard Dolin was arrested last Monday on suspicion of sexual assault. Now, authorities believe there may be even more victims from his past.

The arrest came after Dolin, who is 64 according to authorities, allegedly sexually assaulted a 29-year-old woman in his Wilshire Division home/studio, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Police believe there are more victims, who they are encouraging to come forward, after a further investigation found two other sexual assault accusations from 2017 brought by two separate women, according to NBC.

Dolin has significant connections in the entertainment industry and is known to seek out models online, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

All three known incidents began similarly, police say, “with professional contacts that led to reports of Dolin touching women inappropriately during photo shoots when they were alone in his studio.” The arrest was for penetration with a foreign object, though no other details were released. Though Dolin was booked, it’s unclear if he faces formal charges at this time or if charges may come in the future. He has since been released from custody, police said, “pending further investigation.”

The LAPD released an image of Dolin to help identify and speak with any other possible past victims.

“These victims felt trapped and had to comply with his advances,” Detective Brent Hopkins, a supervisor with the Special Assault Section, said in the statement. “There’s a huge difference between art photography and sexual assault. We want to make sure we know everything that happened and make sure that line does not get crossed again.”

“If you have been a victim or have information about this investigation, you are urged to contact Officer Richard Podkowski, Special Assault Section, at 213-473-0447. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247),” the LAPD said in its statement. “Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.”

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

By Amelia Rodriguez

Amelia Rodriguez is San Diego Magazine’s Associate Editor. The 2023 winner of the San Diego Press Club’s Rising Star Award, she’s covered music, food, arts & culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her three-year Duolingo streak.

INDIANAPOLIS — Recognized for their families’ longstanding commitment to agriculture, 103 Indiana family farms were presented the Hoosier Homestead Award at the Indiana State Fair from Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb. “The Hoosier Homestead ceremony is always a highlight of the Indiana State Fair for me,” said Crouch, […]

It’s that time of year again to celebrate some of the community’s best shutterbugs.

Winners of the Halton Hills Camera Club’s annual PhotoArt contest were recently honoured at an awards night, with their work now on display at the Halton Hills Cultural Centre.

The juried photography competition, show and sale is open to both amateur and professional photographers, with a goal of promoting photography as an art form. 

Winners were selected from almost 300 images in a variety of categories, including ones open to children, youth and adults.

To view their work, visit http://photoartcompetition.weebly.com/ or the Cultural Centre at 9 Church St., Georgetown until April 1.