Not so long ago we presented here Sam Chui’s wonderful new book, Air2. Many readers who saw his striking aviation photography had been wondering: how does he do it? In this exclusive interview Sam reveals some of his secrets and plans.
Sam, you are making some of the most fantastic aircraft pictures on the planet…. How did you start your career as a photographer and how did you get into aviation photography?
I grew up in Hong Kong, my fascination with airplanes stemming from regular visits to Kai Tak airport after school as a teenager. My first flight was aboard a United Airlines B747 from Hong Kong to Tokyo. Since then my fascination with airplanes and air travel has taken off. I got hold of an SLR camera in 1998 and started to photograph airplanes to produce both slides and prints. I have developed a deep and heartfelt passion for plane spotting and collect various airplane die-cast models. The endless photographic opportunities, the surprises while shooting, the friendships formed through this hobby and the opportunities to travel and share with others are the things I enjoy the most.
The views in your photographs reveal that you are using some very special techniques. Will you tell our readers how you do this?
I always have a passion for extraordinary photos of airplanes. I determined to strive for something different rather than making those conventional types of photographs. To make a standout photo, I realize you need to do it differently. Standing side by side with another photographer will make your photos look much alike, without able to differentiate. Through flying Cessna 172 in the USA, I found out that the photos of planes in the air looks much more desirable to capture. I really like the angles. Throughout the years, I tried many times on Cessna 172, various types of Robinson and Bell helicopters. I am still learning every time.
Once, on a Cessna 172 cross country night flight from Long Beach, CA to Phoenix, AZ, the single engine stopped turning at 20 miles out of Phoenix at night. We ran out of fuel and declared a full emergency to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l. A DHL B727F went go- around in order to make room for our little Cessna to land. We were fortunate to land safe in the middle of night. Needless to say, that was a long night to go into sleep. Later we found out the engine had just been serviced and it consumed more fuel than we estimated.
On a recent helicopter photo flight over LAX, I took my seatbelt off shortly after takeoff. With the doors already removed, the pilot must have thought I was deranged. But the truth is that I simply wanted to get a better shot. I admit I am so passionate about my hobby that I will sometimes put myself in a dangerous situation to achieve the best possible results.
That’s who I am. Aviation photography has been my hobby for the past 14 years and it is going stronger than ever! I will never settle for second best. I truly love my hobby.
It is not easy to get onto the operational areas of airports these days. You do not seem to have any barriers… If it is not a secret, how do you do that?
I believe the real keys to producing quality photos are the people and the connections that help make them possible. In my travels around the world, I have relied heavily on the goodwill and the kindness of people. The people I have met make all the difference in my photos.
You have just published a book. Can you tell us a few words about it?
The new bookis the second book I have published, 4 years after my first book.
The book is one of a kind; it is a photography book featuring 16 unique Flight Reports and 12 Aviation Photo Galleries. It has 140 full color pages with over 300 photographs specially selected by me.
My flight and photo experiences have left me with great memories and more exciting tales to tell than I ever would have had otherwise. This book is all about sharing that experience with you. Through my trip reports and photos, I hope to reveal details and key moments that recapture my own experiences to bring you closer to my passion and my hobby.
In short, it is an ideal collection for any enthusiast into commercial aviation.
You can read a review of Sam’s new book here.
Are you planning follow on editions?
Yes, hopefully. We have never thought the books would do so well and that we would receive so much support from the aviation enthusiast community. Many who have bought my first book have now also bought my latest book. The first bookhas now completely sold out. We are considering a re-print of the popular book.
How do you select your subjects? Are there specific planes or types you are looking for?
I am looking for anything that is extraordinary, with few attempts and little coverage previously by anyone. From the book, we have covered Flight Reports onboard Concorde, IL62, IL86, B707 etc. I need to stress that all of these aircraft types have now been withdrawn from service. I also have aviation photos from countries such as Sudan, Bangladesh, South Africa, UAE, China with all of them presenting unique photos in terms of objects and location.
Do you have any long-term projects you would like to tell our readers about?
The longer term goal would be to go to more airports in the world to carry out my hobby and passion, often to those ones with difficult access, such as Lhasa in Tibet, various airports in Africa and Pakistan. Ultimately, with enough photographs, I would like to publishin the future!
You can find Sam’s website here.
