Reflecting from 10,000 feet: Vincent Laforet on aerial photography and capturing intimate shots from above

Photographer Vincent Laforet recently sat down with B&H for their B&H Prospectives series to discuss aerial photography.

The New York City / Los Angeles-based photographer was asked last year to illustrate an article for Men's Health magazine and he asked them if he could shoot aerial images for the article. That's what he did and his AIR project was born.

Laforet is drawn to aerial photography because it provides a distinct perspective and it gives viewers an opportunity to take a step back and see our world in a very different way. His aerial images have resonated well with photographers and non-photographers alike.

Laforet's aerial photography is a delicate balance between what he wants to do, what the helicopter pilot can do, and what local authorities will allow. Planning ahead is critical, because it allows him to be more spontaneous when he's up in the air. "If you've prepared so heavily, you have that liberty to be spontaneous," he says -- whereas if you're not prepared, you might buckle under the pressure.

As far as lenses are concerned, he uses a wide variety of fast prime lenses, including a 14mm f/2.8, 24mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2, 135mm f/2, and 200mm f/2. Despite how good modern zoom lenses are, Laforet really needs the extra stop or two that fast primes offer. For cameras, he uses a Canon 1DX and a Canon 5DS.

To see more of our previous coverage of Laforet's aerial photography, see here and here. If you're interested in purchasing Laforet's book, AIR, see here. 

(Seen via Fstoppers)