Photographer's Narrative

When it comes to photography, it’s arguably a combination of two primary factors aside from equipment: 40 percent is skill, and the other 60 percent is timing. I had been out on the flightline with the KC-135 Stratotanker maintainers from the 909th Aircraft Maintenance Unit for two days trying to get the perfect photos for some training I was doing, and I was bound and determined to get a good shot. I grabbed my gear and got on the flightline that day at 5:30 a.m., waiting for the sun to rise, but I was out all alone, and I wasn’t sure which aircraft was getting the maintainers’ attention at the time. I grabbed a few test photos as the sun came up, but I noticed my window of opportunity was closing fast. I looked down the flightline and saw an Airman pushing a fire bottle toward the aircraft. The only problem was that I was about 200 yards away, and he wouldn’t be there long (the 60 percent). I started sprinting with my oversized camera backpack, praying security forces wouldn’t see me and get nervous, and I got there just as he leaned forward on the bottle.