I received a call from a marine transportation company that wanted a Detroit aerial photographer to capture photographs of its tug boat bringing a Jack Up Barge down the Detroit River and past the Detroit skyline. They wanted some good aerial photographs for their web site and marketing material and were willing to pay the extra cost for photography from a helicopter. I contacted Nick McMahon at McMahon Helicopters in Canton, Michigan. Nick is a great pilot with many hours at the controls of the Bell Jet Ranger. Since we had to time the flight with the arrival of the barge in Detroit, we would not be able to wait for ideal weather. The tug boat captain was willing to slow down to give me more shooting time while he sailed past Detroit, but if it was cloudy he was not about to stop and wait for the sun to come out. If I had been able to schedule the flight based on the weather, I would have waited until the following day when the sky was much clearer. But all in all it worked out very well. Nick made my job of shooting very easy. He seemed to know just where to position the helicopter to give me the best shots and on several occasions brought the helicopter down to within a few feet of the water. Aerial photography over the Detroit River, or any body of water, requires extra caution. The great thing about working with an experienced pilot like Nick is that I can concentrate 100% on my photography while he safely positions the helicopter for the best shots. email: curt@claytonstudio.com

Aerial photography over the Detroit River

Tug boat Meredith Ashton pushing a jack up barge down the Detroit RIver

Aerial photograph of tug Meredith Ashton pushing a jack up barge down the Detroit River.