SkyTime’s Serendipity
Visionary Photography Vacations, Creative / Imaginative / Ingenious
Photography & Videography The Eastern Sierra by Helicopter
Doors Off Aerial Photo Experience
(A Happy Coincidence)
Imagine yourself inside a helicopter photographing or videotaping the outside world, getting that once in a lifetime shot. You ask the pilot to go a little higher and a little to the right, so the sun and the shadows are absolutely perfect. For a moment you lean a little outside the protection that the shell of the helicopter and the downdraft from the rotors can be felt blowing the little hairs on the back of your neck. Below you is a Giant Black Bear, three Does and a Big Buck Dear, none of which seem to notice you are even there. They just keep on grazing minding their own business living life. A behemoth Sequoia sometimes called a giant redwood tree sets the foreground with many of its seedlings Sequoioideae framing the ultimate photograph you have taken let alone ever seen. Your eyes blur a little after you have drawn focus of the camera and the shadows twice as long as the objects themselves make a Merlin or wizard like face. It's funny how your brain tries to make a magical human face out of a dimensional abstract image. The sun is strong and there are sizable bright puffy cumulus clouds spread out all around the sky. As you review the picture in your viewfinder you notice a god like beams of light one that seems to surround the smaller one of the Does. You think to yourself “nailed it” this has to be the best picture ever taken. You have captured a moment in dreamtime that you can share and will be seen by all.
Take to the sky’s on SkyTime’s magic carpet ride and experience the surreal nature of floating above the magnificent Eastern Sierra Mountains while clicking shot after shot from amazing and unthinkable vantage points. The rush is addicting. The SkyTime experience is unforgettable, the results are simply breathtaking.
One of the best reasons to take up aerial photography is that it is the only way to see and photograph those portions of The Eastern Sierra that are fenced-off hard or almost impossible to get to, on private or barricaded areas or just too high or too tough to reach.
With a helicopter, you can fly with the door removed, giving you almost complete freedom to use your camera as you normally would in any other circumstance. If you do not want to remove the doors your photos will still come out fantastic. We can supply custom proprietary window cups/shades that will help reduce glare from the sun through the windows.
The Experience
Most of all, don’t forget to lower your camera from your eye from time to time and simply enjoy the fact that you’re flying! Shooting from a helicopter can be a great experience and SkyTime’s aspiration is to make the greatest experience of your time with us in the sky.
Group Size
SkyTime’s helicopter seats a total of 5 people, but the pilot always gets one of the seats in the front. Ideally, it is best to have only one photographer in the aircraft, that way the pilot and the photographer can focus (forget the pun), communicate and work together to conquer the best shot in every situation. However, it is possible to have 3 photographers all with window seats or the doors off. This in not ideal because the pilot will have to maneuver the helicopter from the left side to the right side so the photographers on both sides can get their shots independently. The most cost effective thou is with 3 Photographers per flight.
We can tailor any aerial Workshop or Experience to your desires and needs. All Photographers Beginner to Pro Photographers are welcome.
SkyTime suggests 1 to 1 ½ hours for a quality photo flight. We do not charge any extra $ for "Photo Flights". Our standard pricing is $1,445 an hour and $2,000 for 1 ½ hours.
Photography Workshop classes can include transportation, airfare to and from Mammoth, food, lodging, instruction, the helicopter and gyro rentals.
Call for Workshop times, dates, and pricing!
