Our stock aerial photography is used for many things, and this week we have two very different examples.

First, Priority Dispatch (http://www.prioritydispatch.net/) contacted us to use several of our aerial photographs of Salt Lake City at dusk for their national convention at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake. The images were used to welcome participants to the conference and were printed on fabric banners 8ft tall by 20 ft wide. I stopped by the convention on Thursday of last week to see the installation - the images looked great! I shot a few photos of our images in use, and had one of the Priority Dispatch team members take a shot of me standing in front of one for a size comparison.

It's great to get this kind of feedback from your client: "Thank you for taking such a great picture and then allowing us to use it at a discounted price, Your photos made them look great, they are spectacular and everyone's favorite! Thanks for your help. If we ever have another conference in Salt Lake City, I'll be sure to contact you and see if we can work together to get some new photo shots!"

All of our stock images are available to view and download on our website - www.utahbyair.com.

Second, the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development puts out a great magazine every year, Business In Utah. In their own words the Business in Utah magazine "is published annually and contains stories about the economic development successes and opportunities in the State of Utah. Each year we focus on many of the reasons, industries and areas of the state that have had success in the past year and may be indicators for your company and how it can be successful in Utah as well."

For the 2013 edition of the magazine, we worked in conjunction with the team of writers and designers to illustrate the theme of Macro to Micro, focusing first on the diverse areas of economic possibilities in Utah, then down to specific companies and their success stories. This years magazine, over 130 pages long, features 15 of our aerial images of Utah, from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park. Our images are also featured on the cover and inside the annual Utah Facts special report which lists all the numbers about Utah's economy you could ever dream of, if you have dreams like that.

Check out their website for more information - http://business.utah.gov/GOED/about/businessutah/

The annual Professional Aerial Photographers Association, International (PAPA) convention was held in Baton Rouge this year, only a block away from the Mississippi River. From the hotel you could occasionally hear the barges as they pushed their cargo up and down the river. The convention itself consists of a welcome reception the first night, then 2 full days of seminars, meetings, demonstrations and great food and camaraderie. There were aerial photographers from all over the world, including Australia and New Zealand, and even that weird place called Puerto Rico. It's always great to see friends and photographers that you only get to see once or twice a year, all in one place.

We flew in a day early, so we rented a car and drove down to New Orleans for the best tour I've ever been on: Airboat Tours by Arthur. It was amazing! The airboats are incredible - I think I need one. We saw tons of alligators, and even got to hold the foot and tail of a 13ft, 1000lb wild alligator named Big Al. We enjoyed it so much that after the convention we went back for a sunset tour. This time our guide taught us how to catch an alligator and we each caught one with our bare hands. Then he dragged a 5 foot gator on the boat and let us hold it. We felt pretty tough. If you're ever near New Orleans, don't pass up the opportunity to take this tour!

The next day the convention started early and was filled with great presentations and demonstrations. One of meetings was with the FAA's lead man on Unmanned Aircraft, UAV's or UAS's. It was very informative concerning the legality of using these drones for commercial photography now (it isn't legal without a waiver, and you can't get a waiver unless your a government agency), and the steps necessary to create the rules to make it legal in the future. There are a lot of hurdles to get this technology into the hands of aerial photographers in the USA. The general feeling is that it will happen (there is a congressional mandate for it) and when it does it will be a great tool to add to the aerial photographers toolbox. There was also a manufacturer of drones who spoke, along with great demonstrations of new software and hardware all specifically targeted at aerial photography.

Friday night was a busy night for me. As the Chairman of the PAPA Image Competition, all the work I'd put in to organizing this years Image Contest paid off. For the second year in a row, the contest was all digital, and involved not only an online Peoples Choice competition where all members of PAPA could vote for their favorite entries, but also a panel of Judges who judged each image. The online competition had already been up and running for almost a week, but at 5:00pm I assembled my judges and went to work evaluating each image on the three basic criteria: Impact, Composition and Technical. Each image is judged on it's own merit, and is also completely anonymous. The only person who knew which images belonged to whom was me. The judging session went until almost eleven, but we did break for dinner in between categories. With the judging all wrapped up, we headed to bed.

The next day was more of the same: great presenters, demonstrations, fantastic food and great friends. The night wrapped up with the Awards Gala. This is the main event! As the Image Competition Chairman, I got to hand out the awards to the winners of each category. I enlisted my wife, Noreen, to play Vanna and get her picture taken with each winner as she handed them their award plaque. She was great! She stole the show for sure.

We didn't do do bad, either! Stan won the Judges Choice best Air-to-Air photograph, and I won the Peoples Choice in the Scenic category with a shot of Monument Valley in the winter. But the night wasn't over yet! Stan was also awarded the Master Aerial Photographer award and the Lifetime Achievement award! There was a great video on his life achievements in aerial photography and a special commemorating plaque to go with it. Then John Massman of Logix (an Epson printer dealer) came up and awarded me the Epson Aerial Photographer of the Year award. I was very excited, yet humbled to win such a prestigious award. I can't thank the PAPA organization enough for the inspiration to become a better aerial photographer and for the friends I've made there. It was a great conference!

The plan was to fly to Yellowstone, shoot aerial photos of the Park covered in snow, meet up with a friend and spend a couple of days on the ground photographing the wildlife and the unique landscapes that make up Yellowstone Park. However, one of the things you learn quickly when flying a small plane is that the weather doesn't particularly care for your plans. By Friday morning, the weather up North didn't only not care for our plans, but was actively assaulting them. But Southeastern Utah was looking great - no clouds, no wind, a bit cold, but sunny. We changed our plans.

We flew out around noon, packed with cameras, extra clothing, winter sleeping bags (just in case), food and a plan that was shaping up nicely. Our first destination was Bryce Canyon National Park. The sky was clear, the Winter sun low in the sky and the snow deeply ensconced in the shadows of the red rock spires. The park was empty, we never saw a person or a car, and I don't blame them for staying away! As soon as I opened the window at 10,000ft, I immediately regretted my decision. Our plane has a heater, but at 100mph with the window open in sub-freezing temperatures, it's more than a little deficient. But I was prepared, so with the incredible colors of the limestone and snow out the window and my gloves on, I started shooting away.

Most people who visit Bryce Canyon never get to see the slot canyons, windows, fins and spires from the perspective we get from the plane. As you visit the park walk out on the lookouts, you are always looking East over the tops of the formations. From the plane, we can look back to the West, into the fantastic plateau for a unique sight you can't get any other way. We circled the park a few times, working the plane to get just the right angles. It is such a beautiful place, you could spend hours flying around it. But we had other places to visit that day so we reluctantly headed out.

We turned the plane Southeast and headed for Lake Powell, an incredible reservoir over 183 miles long, and with more shoreline than the California coast. The glassy smooth deep blue water stood in stark contrast to red and orange sandstone cliffs and knolls that surround the lake. Flying South, low over water, we crossed over Bullfrog Bay to Halls Crossing. The houseboats stood still in their slips, and only a few fishing boats rippled the water. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful place to be than on the smooth, blue water of Lake Powell. After a few passes, we landed at Cal Black Memorial Airports just South East of the Halls Crossing Marina. We re-fueled the plane, ate a delicious lunch, and took off for Monument Valley.

Famous for it's portrayal of the Western landscape in many old cowboy movies, Monument Valley is and incredible sight from the air. We touched down at the airstrip at Gouldings Lodge, and waited for the sun to get a little lower in the sky. As the sun neared the horizon, we took off towards the famous rock formations while climbing to an altitude just above the tops. The air was perfectly smooth and cool, but not as cold as Bryce Canyon. I dialed the propeller back to a slower speed, adjusted the manifold pressure, and opened the window. What greeted the camera was truly spectacular! On the North sides of the red formations in the shadows was the remnants of the last snow storm, creating a truly unique view I'd never seen before. We circled the area for a while, and as the sun slowly dropped below the horizon, it lit up the Stagecoach, Bear, Rabbit and Castle Rock formations against the darkening background. I shot a few more images, then put the throttle to the firewall and quickly returned to the darkening airstrip, making it back as the sky faded from orange to black.

We spent the night at the Gouldings Lodge hotel and enjoyed a great dinner of Navajo tacos at the restaurant. The next morning we loaded up the plane and flew to the dirt airstrip at Fry Canyon for a day of hiking to the ancient Anasazi cliff dwelling ruins in a great slot canyon. What a crazy place to live! After our hike, we flew North to Canyonlands National Park. Once again the shadow sides of the eroded landscape was covered in fresh snow. When flying over terrain like Canyonlands you hear every little noise the engine makes. There is no where to land a plane if your engine quits!

From Canyonlands we flew to Arches National Park. The air was still smooth, and the sun was starting to get low in the sky. We flew over the Devils Garden and the Fiery Furnace to Delicate Arch. The lighting was perfect. It's easy to see why Delicate Arch is a symbol of Utah. The landscapes inside the park are unbelievable from the air. I shot a few pictures of the North and South Window Arches as the sun went down and then headed out to the Canyonlands Airport. We caught a ride into town with a helicopter pilot we met at the airport and enjoyed a great night as we loaded the days images on to the laptop and viewed the days "work".

To view the images from our trip, just visit our stock aerial website at www.utahbyair.com and click on the stock button, or just click here!

A video of our trip is below:

Hooked on Utah

A few weeks ago we met with Gary Winterton, the host of the popular outdoor show "Hooked on Utah" on KUTV Channel 2, about doing an episode on flying the Utah backcountry. Turns out, Gary is a pilot too and was excited about the idea. There is such vast, beautiful scenery in Utah and viewing it from the air allows you to see much more of it in a short amount of time than you can from the ground. Because Utah has so much to see, the first thing we had to decide was what part of the State we should focus on for the show. After a short discussion, we decided that the red rock country of South-Eastern Utah around the Colorado River and the San Rafael Swell would be perfect.

The plan was to take our plane, a Cessna 170, with Stan and me and our gear. Another plane would be needed with the pilot and Kevin the videographer and their cameras and gear, and Gary would go with his friend Brian in Brians helicopter. The other plane turned out to be Cris Childs beautiful yellow Super Cub. He is the airport manager at our airport,a good guy and a great pilot and his plane is perfect for exploring the short dirt strips we were planning on visiting.

We met at the airport on Friday around 6:00pm. Kevin got to work mounting camera's on everything - struts, landing gear, door posts, etc. No matter what happened, we were going to get lots of video of it! After he was finished with the cameras, we shot some footage of me explaining our flight plan and pointing out where we were heading on an aeronautical map of Utah. The plane was to head first to Caveman Ranch, a unique and private airstrip and guest ranch right on the Colorado River. We would spend the night there, then at first light the next morning we would fly out over Canyonlands National Park and head to Mexican Mountain then Hidden Splendor. Both airstrips are in the San Rafael Swell area and feature incredible scenery. After that we would fly to the Huntington Airport for fuel, then back home to the Spanish Fork Airport.

After getting all the cameras set and the gear loaded, we were finally ready to go. We pulled the airplanes around to the run-up area of the airport, and Brian brought the helicopter over. Kevin manned the camera and Gary introduced the show and all of us, and we jumped in the planes and took off for Caveman Ranch. Our flight path took us up Spanish Fork Canyon and over Scofield Reservoir before leveling out and flying over the open, desert country between Price and Moab, Ut. With the sun getting low in the sky behind us, we arrived at Caveman Ranch. Stan and I were the only ones who had been there before, but while the airstrip is definitely not standard, it's an easy approach and good surface. Brian and Gary landed first in the helicopter, followed by Cris and Kevin in the Super Cub. Stan was flying our plane and made a nice approach from the South and pulled up next to everyone else. A very unique place, Caveman Ranch has a lodge and 10 individual rooms, or caves, blasted into the red rocks that you can stay in. The main residence of the owners and caretaker is also a cave, but with multiple rooms and two giant garages. The rooms stay a consistent 72° year round because of the insulating nature of the rocks. Johnny, the caretaker at Caveman Ranch, met us and took us up to lodge. He fired up the generator and got us all settled in. The cave rooms are currently being remodeled and should be finished soon.

Gary and Stan fired up their Jet Boil camping stoves and we feasted on delicious Mountain Home dinners. I had the lasagna. The food is actually pretty good and it's fast to make and easy to cleanup, perfect when you are out in the backcountry. I brought along a box of Fat Boy Ice cream sandwiches and sundaes we had left over from a recent photoshoot for Fat Boy Ice Cream. They were so good, especially after a nice flight and it was still warm outside.

After dinner we hit the sack. It was warm enough outside that Gary pulled a couple of tables together on the deck and put his sleeping pad and bag on top and slept under the stars. Around midnight, a couple of guys in a raft came floating down the river with flashlights having a great time. After they passed by, we didn't see another soul until we landed for fuel the next day in Huntington.

Morning came early, and Gary woke us all up with enough time to eat breakfast and pack the planes before the sun broke above the canyon walls. The forecast was calling for daytime temperatures in the high 90's, and we wanted to get going early before the heat of the day. After a little more video shooting, we took off down stream and followed the Colorado River for a while. The light from the morning sun cut across the river gorge and lit up the red rocks in stunning colors. The air was smooth and the scenery breathtaking. Eventually we pulled ourselves away from the Colorado River and set our course for Mexican Mountain.

The Mexican Mountain airstrip is one of my personal favorites. It's about 1400 feet long and narrow, and lays in-between a bend on the San Rafael River. Left over from oil exploration in the 1970's, this strip is now in a Wilderness Study Area - which means the only way in or out is on foot, on horse or by plane. Cris put the super cub down first, and we followed landing to the West while Kevin shot some video. Gary and Brian put the helicopter down mid field and we all walked to the East end of the strip to check out the petroglyphs on the boulders at the bottom of the canyon wall. The condition of the ancient art is amazing. The paintings are hundreds of years old but look like they could have been painted last year. I'd like to spend more time there on a separate trip and explore the area. I have heard that there are many more petroglyphs hidden among the giant boulders than those that we saw.

Next, we took off to the East as Gary filmed us from the helicopter. We set our course for Hidden Splendor, a beautiful strip with an incredible approach from the South through a narrow canyon. You can't see the landing area until you make a turn out of the canyon just a few hundred yards from the edge. It sits on a plateau with precipitous drop off on both sides - don't land too short or too long! The airstrip supported the Hidden Splendor Uranium mine back in the 50's, and you can still see the old miners quarters and the entrance to the mine just down the Muddy River from the airstrip. Gary and Brian put the helicopter down first and filmed us landing to the North through the canyon. Cris and Kevin watched and shot video from above, then followed us in.

Once the engines were off, we were in complete solitude. Not a single sound other that nature could be heard. No one else was there and you could really feel how remote this area is. The wind was picking up and we decided to leave and head to Huntington for fuel. Chris and Kevin departed first, and with the Super Cubs incredible performance, made a 180° turn before they entered the canyon and flew out over the strip. We left next, and while I could have made that turn, I decided to play it safe and flew out through the canyon instead.

It was a great trip and we all enjoyed it. There is so much to see and the scenery is so diverse in Utah, and flying is one of the best ways to see it all. Gary was so happy with the feedback from our flying episode that we're planning on doing another show in the fall! Check it out below:

We woke up early on Tuesday morning and met at the studio to collect our cameras and gear. Checking the weather forecast we found that it called for calm winds and a cool 48° in the valley. For the past few years I'd had my eye on a landing strip near Scofield Reservoir, but it never seemed to fit into our flying schedule. I don't like to land on unknown airstrips without getting some good information from either pilots who have recently landed there or a reliable source who can walk the strip first and check for hazards. But this strip had gone un-landed by us for far too long, and Stan had walked it - about 4 years ago. With perfect weather on our side, and nice smooth cool air under the wings, this was the time to try it out.



We over-flew the strip twice at lower and lower altitudes to check its condition. Everything looked good, and from the air it seemed like it had been recently maintained. There were a few little sage brush plants starting to take hold, but they were tiny and the wild grass looked like it was either mowed or chewed down to a nice, even surface. The strip is at 7,800ft and is a little less than 2000ft long, with an uphill slope of about 4% to the South towards the lake. I decided it was good to go. We flew North-East of the strip and started our approach over the small stream in the bottom of a narrow canyon that leads away from the strip. As we slowed down and got progressively lower, Stan saw a huge herd of sheep on the hillside. They were everywhere! They didn't seem to care too much about us, so we continued on. The strip slowly came into view on our left and I turned final. At the bottom of the strip there is a small pond for water the livestock. Two deer stood ankle-deep in the blue water, and ran for their lives as we got closer. They didn't go too far, though, just enough to make sure we were after them.  The airplane gently touched down on the dirt and rock strip and we found that it was as smooth as it could be. I added power to taxi up to the top of the strip, turned the plane around, and shut off the engine. Success! We didn't even bend anything!



Scofield is a beautiful area and we spent a little time walking down to the pond and watching the two deer bounce farther and farther away as we got closer. At one point we scared up the largest flock of wild pheasants I have ever seen. Birds and feathers were everywhere! They flew across the strip and settled just out of view, but left us a few feathers for souvenirs.  After hiking back up the strip, and checking on the size of the windsock framework for a new wind sock, we started up the plane and took off down the strip. What a gorgeous spot to spend the morning!



After leaving Scofield, we flew back down Spanish Fork Canyon and head North to Provo Canyon, but not before getting a few stock images of the old Thistle landslide and Spanish Fork Reservoir. In Provo Canyon, we circled a few times to get shots of Bridal Veil Falls, a stunning waterfall that empties into the Provo River. We then continued up the canyon to Deer Creek Reservoir and then into American Fork Canyon to shoot Tibble Fork Reservoir and Silver Lake Flat Reservoir. It was a perfect day for flying and shooting. Check out our stock site for all of the still images, and watch the video of our landing at Scofield below. We live is such a beautiful and diverse area and we are truly lucky to be able to see it all from the air!

Saturday, May 12^th, the Utah Back Country Pilots Association (UBCP), and the Westminster College Aviation Department organized a clean-up project at the Mineral Canyon airstrip on the Green River. This airstrip is one of the best Utah back country runways, and offers camping, hiking, river access, and just plain relaxing in a spectacular setting. Although we had other aerial photo commitments on Saturday around noon, we thought it would be nice to fly down and meet everyone. The students were all licensed pilots, but had to drive down as college aircraft are not to be operated on and off of dirt strips. Brian and I left Spanish Fork airport just before 6:00pm and arrived over the Mineral Canyon air strip just after 7:00pm. It was a bumpy trip in the afternoon up and down drafts, but as we dropped below the 1000 foot canyon walls the air was calm and cool, which made for a pleasant, although curvy, approach through the canyon to a smooth touchdown. On arrival we found Steve Dirtschi (UBCP President) and his wife, Cathy, along with 10 Westminster Students sitting around the fire. Steve and Cathy's pristine red and white Cessna 185 was tied down just a few yards away. Dinner was being eaten, and although we had come prepared with food, they had plenty left and treated us to a spaghetti dinner with strawberry shortcake for dessert. At dusk we settled down to some fine flying stories around the campfire. It was a beautiful night with many stars and planets to be viewed.

Morning came with a repeat of the calm winds and clear skies. After an early flight to Upheaval Dome, a nearby meteor crater, and some air-to-air photography of Steve and Cathy's 185, we touched down again at Mineral Canyon. Our timing was perfect; breakfast was ready, and just like the previous evening, there was plenty of extra food. We graciously accepted the offer to reduce the excess bacon, eggs, and hash browns.

We were just lamenting the lack of other planes and clean-up personnel, when the radio crackled with a call from an approaching aircraft. A great looking blue and white Cessna 170 rounded the corner and rolled down the runway. It wasn't long before a group of 3 Huskys touched down, and then Maule, and a couple of Super Cubs. It became quite a group of people and planes. With all that help, Brian and I didn't feel too bad about having to depart for a Salt Lake City aerial shoot of the South Town Mall. I think we got the best part of the whole deal - the weather, the camping, the food, the camaraderie, and the morning and evening sunlight on some of the most amazing scenery, and none of the work! Oh well, we'll have to make up for that next time. I have to say that the South Town Mall was quite a let down from the red rock canyons of South Eastern Utah.

Just another weekend in the Utah skies.

It was dark and cold when the wheels left the runway early Friday morning. We had to get up early to pack the airplane with snacks, maps and cameras and depart Spanish Fork with enough time to fly to the Mineral Canyon airstrip on the Green river while the sun was still low on the horizon. We had a great assignment planned - Air-to-Air photography over the red rocks of South Eastern Utah of the one and only WilgaBeast.

The WilgaBeast is a PZL-104 Wilga, a Polish designed and built, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) Civil Aviation utility aircraft manufactured by PZL. In military service, the Wilga 35P was used as liaison, recovery and light observation platforms between 1973 and 1993. This particular plane, WilgaBeast, belongs to Cory Robin and has been modified and fitted with a much more powerful Russian M-14P radial engine. Based out of the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan, Utah, it's quite the site to see, the wings are over eight feet in the air when it's sitting on the ground!

We had arranged to meet Cory, his buddy Paris and the WilgaBeast at the airstrip early in the morning. We would have liked to camp out with them over night, but we had a prior engagement with the Utah Backcountry Pilots Association Friday night that made it impossible. As the rising sun slowly started to lighten the morning sky, we flew over airstrip and checked the wind sock for any movement. There was none. The air was as smooth as glass as we dropped below the 1,000 foot canyon walls surrounding the Green river, and flew downstream. Remaining hidden from view until you turn short final, the Mineral Canyon airstrip is 2,000 feet long runs North-South right along the river in the bottom of the canyon. We landed and taxied over the the WilgaBeast and shut off the engine. It was absolutely quiet. Cory said we were the only people they had seen since the arrived the day before at 2:00pm. A herd of Big Horn Sheep had wandered through camp the night before, and during the night something had ripped off the rain fly from Paris' tent. We decided it was either the Big Horn sheep, a mule deer or a pretty desperate coyote. We'll never know for sure.

This was the first time I had seen the WilgaBeast up close - it's bigger than I expected. The russian radial engine is imposing, and the prop blades are huge! Everything is over-built for strength, the sign of a military plane. There is no conventional starter, the big radial initially turns over with compressed air from a tank in the back. The deep throaty growl of the engine is impressive and sounds like the old warbird engines from the past. The WilgaBeast was designed to fly low and slow for observation, and that's how Cory likes it.

After going over our flight plan and discussing safety procedures, we started up our plane and departed to the South. The plan was to circle back over the airstrip and get photos of the WilgaBeast departing then flying over the river. These were shot through our vertical camera port in the belly of the plane. When Cory started the take-off roll, which is pretty short in a Wilga, we shot pictures of the cloud of dust behind. We then flew above him and shot images as he flew a few feet above the river, co-ordinating our positions over the radio. When we had shot enough images straight down, we pulled off to the left, slowed down and waited for him to climb up to our altitude and match our speed. We kept fairly low for this flight, about 1,000ft above ground because we wanted to emphasize the red rocks and the river in the background.

Cory is an excellent pilot, and Formation and Safety Team (FAST) certified. Flying close and in formation takes considerable skill to do safely, and for many of the shots we take it's necessary for the plane being photographed to be very tight to the photo plane. The WilgaBeast was close enough to share snacks between airplanes for a few of the shots. The air was so smooth and Cory was a solid pilot so the morning was perfect for flying formation. We flew along the river, occasionally making wide circles to get the lighting and background just right. Southern Utah is perfect for air-to-air work because the river and the red rocks make incredible images.

After we finished, we both landed at Canyonlands Airport North of Moab and took the courtesy van into town for breakfast. It was a gorgeous day and a perfect morning for shooting, and the WilgaBeast made for a unique and interesting subject to shoot!

Saturday morning dawned clear, cool, and crisp as we prepared for our flight to one of Utah's most unique backcountry airstrips. Located about nine miles south of Moab on the Colorado River, Caveman Ranch is nothing short of amazing. The ranch is owned by the Tangren family, and its claim to fame is that there are nine individual rooms (caves) blasted out of the red rock cliffs, where guests may spend the night. Other amenities include: a baseball diamond, basketball and volleyball courts, a trap shooting range, and a two story lodge built out of the rock extracted from the "caves". Oh, one other thing, there is a 2500 foot private airstrip that runs right next to the river. Yes, you can drive to the ranch, but not easily; it's much more accessible by air, and that makes it a fantastic pilot getaway.

The purpose of our trip was to get a little video footage of Allen and his wife, Noreen, for a little project on airplane camping that we are getting involved in. Of course we took Chuck the Dog, because everyone likes to see cute little dogs going on adventures. Chuck is not quite sure about airplane travel, but he is a good sport about it, and always loves to explore new places. I'd really like to know what goes through a dog's mind when we jump in the plane at one location, and jump out at some place totally different in about an hour's time. Chuck slept part of the time, and spent the other time looking out the window and shivering a bit . . . Mostly from the view at 11,000 feet, although it's hard to be sure. There's not a lot of communication between Chuck the Dog and we humans. Our trip to Caveman took us from Spanish Fork Airport , up Spanish Fork Canyon, and across some pretty desolate looking country between Price and Green River, and then into Utah's red rock canyon country. The ride was smooth until we dropped into the Colorado River basin, where the morning sun was warming the landscape and causing a few updrafts. Things smoothed out nicely over the river, and our landing at Caveman Ranch uneventful in a mild breeze.

We were greeted by a couple of other flyers from Colorado, and Paula T., one of the owners. There was much discussion about the joy of backcountry flying, the privilege of seeing some amazing country from a lofty perspective, and, of course, airplanes. Photographs were taken of the planes, the people, and the surroundings. We had a great tour of the ranch, and spent some time with Paula in her quite unusual home. Apart from the guest caves, Paula and Rod have a substantial multi-roomed house hollowed out of the rock. The home is nicely furnished, with hot & cold running water, electricity, and a great deck, with an outdoor circular staircase the leads up to the observation deck on the top of the red rock cliff. Across the property is a fruit orchard and garden. Like I said, it is an amazing place.

We would have been quite comfortable staying for a much longer time, but alas the pull of other responsibilities required our heading home by early afternoon. We were back on the ground in Spanish Fork a little after three, having completed a trip to a very secluded spot that would have taken days by car. An airplane is a wonderful thing.

Every ten years, the Professional Aerial Photographers Association (PAPA) holds their annual convention on a cruise ship. This was the year, and the cruise, although a short four day, three night affair, was a great learning experience and a lot of fun, too. This year Stan and I brought our wives along because there would actually be things for them to do on the cruise, and spending a few days with my wife away from work is a rare occasion. We left Salt Lake in between winter storms, and after a short layover in Atlanta, we arrived in balmy, 85 degree Miami, Florida. We tracked down the bus to South Beach and half an hour later we checked into our hotel a block from the beach. On the bus we were surprised to meet Yves Tremblay of PhotoHelico, a Montreal, Canada based aerial photographer and friend. He was also staying in South Beach with another aerial photographer, Jesper Larsen from Denmark. One of the great benefits of PAPA is the camaraderie of fellow photographers from around the world.

The next morning we went for a swim in the ocean. The water was great, but the waves were too small for any serious body surfing. We cruised the beachfront stores then flagged down a taxi and headed to our ship, the Carnival Destiny. I had never been on a cruise before and the sheer size of the ship amazed me. The power it takes to move the ship at 20 knots and the number of crew members (over 1,000) is simply astounding. We found our room, walked around the ship and settled on the deck with a couple of ice cream cones. As the ship disembarked, a local PAPA member who was not able to attend the conference flew over in his helicopter and shot pictures of our group on the deck of the ship. We then reconvened in one of the lounges and kicked off the 2012 PAPA conference.

We had aerial photographers from all around the country, and quite a few from around the world too. Canada, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand were all represented. Stan is on the Board of Directors as the Western Regional Director, and I am the Image Competition Chairman, so we had some business to take care of. This year, for the first time, the Image Competition was all digital. In the past, aerial photographers from around the world would print, mount and ship their best work to the conference. With the limited space and logistical concerns a cruise setting brings, a print competition was out of the question this year. I orchestrated the new rules, the new online Peoples Choice judging system, and hand-picked and supervised the five Image Competition Judges and the new methods of judging an all digital contest. Everything went perfectly and the competition was a great success. But more on that later.

That night, after the official start of the conference, Noreen and I walked around the boat and spent some time on the upper deck enjoying the warm weather, the cool breeze and the beautiful night sky. In the morning, we docked at Key West, Florida. We boarded the shuttle bus into town and rented a couple of bicycles. Noreen and I cruised around to a few museums and tropical gardens and found a local beach with a very, um, interesting group of locals. We didn't stay there long. We found the Key Lime Pie Factory and shared a piece of delicious Key Lime Pie, which was not as green as I expected, but was very good. The owner of the shop directed us to a local hair salon because I was in desperate need of a hair cut. After that, we biked around a bit more, did some shopping and headed back to the cruise ship.

The afternoon conference sessions included a discussion on marketing techniques, a presentation from Hasselblad, and an interesting discussion from the photographer who co-ordinated and photographed Swiss Rocket Man Yves Rossy's rocket powered flight over the Grand Canyon. If you don't know who Yves Rossy is, check out his web site - http://www.jetman.com. He straps a rocket-powered wing to his back and jumps out of helicopters and flies around using his body to manipulate his flight path. It's pretty incredible to watch.

Dinner that night was our Formal Night. Noreen looked fantastic in her evening gown, and I looked presentable in the tux I borrowed from a friend. I don't wear tuxes very often, but it was a lot of fun. We sat at the table with a new PAPA member from Australia, Noel Dawson and long time PAPA member John Mooney and his wife from Houston. I had the alligator appetizer and the Maine lobster dinner, with a delicious chocolate warming cake and ice cream for dessert.

The morning conference sessions were busy. First, John Mooney led the session on adding ground architectural photography to your portfolio, and I demonstrated a few techniques such as using a Perspective Control lens, HDR photography, Photoshop techniques needed for interior photography, and how to make good shots even better. Next, I led the Advanced Photoshop class and focused on non-destructive editing, advanced color control and changing, adding local contrast, blending modes, etc. We took a little longer that we had planned, but it worked out fine as the ship had encountered strong headwinds all the way from Key West to Cozumel and was late arriving in port.

Cozumel was amazing. We had arranged to go scuba diving through my brother-in-laws scuba shop, www.timpanogosscuba.com. Noreen and I, Stan and Corinne, Jesper and Lisbeth from Denmark, Yves and Lisa from Canada, and Noel Dawson from Australia all jumped in a taxi and headed to the pier where the great guys from Scuba Cancun were waiting for us. We were late getting there because of the ships late arrival, but Carlos and his crew were fantastic. We ended up only having time for a single dive, but it was well worth it. I put together a short video of the dive that you can see here: http://youtu.be/YhIl6d0EetI?hd=1

After the diving, we went back to the ship for dinner, then back to Cozumel to look around the shops. At one shop, a man was weaving custom bracelets with your name or anything else you wanted woven right into the bracelet. I was looking through his selection to see if he had a bracelet with Noreen on it, not very likely, when he asked me,

"What you looking for? I can make anything in four minutes. You wait."

"Oh, I'm just looking" I replied. The man smiled, reached into his display and handed me a bracelet that had "I'm just looking" woven into it. I think he's heard that before. We bought a few small things for keepsakes, Yves and Lisa had the guy make custom bracelets for their kids, and Jepser and Lisbeth bought hammocks for her parents summer home.

The following morning after breakfast was the annual business meeting and election of officers. Chuck Boyle from Charlotte North Carolina was elected President to take Pat Belanger from California's place. I hear a lot of other things were discussed, too. I slept in. Next, Susan Hedenberg let a great discussion titled "20 Hot Tips & Tricks for Aerial Photographers". Lots of great things were discussed, from shooting tips and equipment suggestions to which apps on the iPad are useful when flying.

After lunch, Julie Belanger let a discussion on aerial video, including what sells, which equipment is popular, stabilization techniques, etc. Steve Boyko then led a beginners Photoshop class. We also heard a brief experience someone had with a copyright infringement problem, that led to him getting the use of a huge sailboat and crew for the weekend! It was an interesting resolution to a legal issue.

After that, we had the print Critique. I briefly went over the rules of the Image Competition and what the judges look for in a quality image. Then I introduced our judges and they each had several images from the competition that they wanted to critique. They offered advice on composition, suggestions on what would make some images better, and also why some of the images were great pieces of art. It's a highlight of the convention because its a great time to learn what we can do to improve our imagery from those in the business with experience and experience.

Noreen had been doing her own thing, but was driven off the deck during a rain squall that had the ship tipping 20 degrees in the wind and rain. We dressed in our formal attire because the next session was very important - the Awards Ceremony. I donned my tuxedo and prepared the presentation of the awards. As the Image Competition Chairman, it is my privilege to announce the winners of the Judges Individual favorites, the Peoples Choice winners, and the Judges Choice winners of the competition. Here is a list of the winners:

Starting off with the Judges Personal Choice Awards:

Judge Yvonne Sanderson chose Little O's by Paul Cardel, Jr.
Judge Yves Tremblay chose Rain - Oxnard, CA by Marvin Derezin, MD
Judge Debbie Hooper chose Fibonocci by David Margolis
Judge Hunter Harris chose Elemental Fudge by Allen Macbean
Judge John Condreay chose Panorama by Twilight by Andrew Griffiths

The Peoples Choice Winners, picked by you online, are:

In the Air to Air category: Are You OK? by Debbie Hooper
In the Artistic category: Alligator River by Noel Dawson
In the Commercial category: Panorama by Twilight by Andrew Griffiths
In the Construction Progress category: Teamwork by Jesper Larsen
In the Scenic Category: Rain - Oxnard, CA by Marvin Derezin, MD
And the Overall Peoples Choice is: Alligator River by Noel Dawson

And finally, the winners of the judged 2012 PAPA International Image Competition:

In the Air to Air category: Twin Turbo Legacy by Stan Macbean
In the Artistic category: Little O's by Paul Cardel, Jr.
In the Commercial category: Panorama by Twilight by Andrew Griffiths
In the Construction Progress category: Teamwork by Jesper Larsen
In the Scenic Category: Rattlesnake Summer by David Wyatt
And the Overall highest scoring print goes to: Panorama by Twilight by Andrew Griffiths

It was a great event. The only thing that would have made it better was if more of the winners were on the cruise with us. However, seeing the excitement on the faces of the winners as the came forward to accept their awards was priceless. For me, it was a special experience and a highlight of the trip.

The next morning we docked back in Miami and made our way to the airport. A short flight to Detroit and the on to Salt Lake City. The next day, we had a snow storm. Hmm, Key West looks like a nice place to live and fly...

Overall, the conference was great. I can't thank enough those who put it together and do so much for the PAPA organization behind the scenes. It's a great group of people, and there is always more to learn.

This was my first cruise, and I am looking forward to doing another, but I think it needs to be at least a week long. Maybe an Eastern Caribbean cruise next, or maybe Alaska in the summer. I'll start saving now.

They're finally here! Our 2012 Utah by Air scenic wall calendars have arrived and they look fantastic! 28 pages, full-color with a heavy weight glossy cover and smooth, bright stock on the inside featuring 13 of our scenic Utah aerial photographs. Each months photo was hand-picked and matched to the color of the calendar page for that month. At 9"x12" (18"x12" opened), this calendar is a perfect way to remind yourself and others of the natural beauty the State of Utah has to offer year round. They make perfect Christmas gifts for friends, family and business acquaintances. Order on for the home and office online on our website now!  Free shipping in the United States!