#BehindTheShot with #CanonExplorerOfLight @tylerstableford | “One of the most memorable shoots I’ve had as a photographer and filmmaker was flying with a sortie of five F-16 fighter pilots over the Rocky Mountains as part of an assignment for Denver’s 5280 Magazine. Here, I captured Major TenEyck LaTourrette flying our two-seater F-16D in formation over Colorado’s iconic Pikes Peak.
The project featured the Air National Guard citizen-airmen of the 120th Fighter Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base. Many of the pilots and crew work civilian jobs in the Denver area while also performing full tours of duty overseas. It was an honor to meet the men and women serving our country.
I captured this shot while trying to recover my wits in the moments after Major LaTourrette surprised me with 7.5 G forces during a vertical “sandbox” takeoff where we went 11,000 feet straight up. The only training I had for heavy G forces prior to the flight was riding swing sets at the park with our kids. On a big swing, I could reach 2 or 3 Gs…but not enough to really prepare for an F-16!” Camera: #Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 200
Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec
Focal Length: 23mm
Ciao, Nihon.