8 Aerial Photographers on Their Most Challenging Shots Ever

Aerial photography comes with its own set of hardships. Discover how eight innovative photographers overcame the trials of shooting from the heights to produce these stunning images.

In 1858, the great French cameraman Nadar ascended 600 feet above the city of Paris in a tethered balloon to create what many consider to be the first aerial photograph of all time. Since that moment, Nadar has been canonized as the father of aerial photography, though his rise to prominence was not without its setbacks. Le Géant (The Giant), one of Nadar’s balloons, famously crashed and almost collided with a train. All nine passengers survived, but Nadar injured his leg in the process, and the balloon eventually burst, shocking people around the world.

Over the decades, balloons have been replaced by kites, carrier pigeons, helicopters, rockets, satellites, airplanes, and drones. A century and a half after Nadar, we still crave flight, and that impulse to reach new heights still occasionally gets us into trouble.

We asked eight aerial photography experts to tell us about their most nail-biting or challenging shoots ever. We heard about crashed drones, bad weather, and situations where things spun wildly out of control. Here, those eight photographers share what they’ve learned from their remarkable experiences.

“When he wants to, man will fly like a bird, better than a bird,” Nadar once wrote. “It is certain that man will be obliged to fly better than a bird in order to fly just as well.” His statement rings truer today than ever. Read More [Click Here]