To be me on a random Thursday
The names have been changed to protect the innocent. [me]
{As some of you know I am a photographer for:
"...the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined..."
who shall go nameless here.}
It's long and potentially uninteresting so text is behind the cut.
I got up at 6am on Thursday and went back to bed at 4AM on Friday morning. Here is what happened in between.
I get in the office and my two immediate co-workers are not there. They aren't going to be here on Friday either. Let the party begin. I put a CD of my favorite Cake songs in the player and with no co-workers around... there is no need to wear restrictive pants!
It's going to be a nice calm day. There is actually nothing on my schedule to photograph until late in the day, but I have plenty of editing to do.
So... I sing along with Cake, Blind Boys of Alabama, Mo Vida, Johnny Cash and John Lennon and pound out photos on the computer.
Eleven AM comes along... time for lunch. How about a Subway cheese pizza today? OK.
With the pizza eaten and appropriately regretted I come back to the office to begin the after lunch portion of my work day. So far... it's been very laid back and I've actually found myself smiling quite a bit. And why not? No co-workers troubling me with their trifles, the music is good... and I'm not wearing any pants.
Then the phone rings.
It's always the phone isn't it?
It's the Assistant to the Vice President and General Manager of the [high public profile new airplane] program.
They need some photography done on number one for a presentation they are making to the chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of the previously not mentioned company. (That is one person btw - the big boss of all bosses... the head cheese)
And when do they need some photography done of the aircraft that the entire world is wondering about? (for those who wonder about such things)
RIGHT NOW. They are giving the presentation in the morning and need the photos within 2 hours.
RUSH job... HIGH profile... HIGH pressure.
I meet with him and his entourage near door number one at plane number one. He shows me what he wants... about a dozen photos in various areas inside the plane. There are tons of people on there working... doing all kinds of things. Then he leaves. Poof... a puff of smoke and he's gone. I was thinking... hmmm... did I just doze off at my desk... and THIS is what I dream? I don't usually put myself in dreams where I'm placed in high pressure scenarios. Damn... it must be reality.
It takes a little over an hour to QUICKLY make the photos.
I need some time to set up the photos, light them, move people out of the way etc...
Did I mention he's using the fucking photos in the morning in his presentation to the President of the company! The really big cheese in Chicago! Fuck! This presentation is part of what will help them make the final decision on their official press release to the world on the status of this product which has thus far been a bit behind schedule and the stock holders aren't happy about all the bad media on the topic. [run on thought]
So... the biggest boss of bosses will be looking at those photos to see what's going on... what the status is... etc.
I wasn't quite done editing the photos when his hot little assistant emailed to ask if they were ready yet.
FUCKING PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPH!
Everyone has a camera right? All you do is point it and push the button right? Well... someone else had already done that and the Vice President and General Manager of the [high public profile new airplane] program didn't like those snapshots... so they called me.
Fucking pressure!
She says... I'm meeting with him in 15 minutes... are the photos ready? To which I responded... I'm peddling as fast as I can. Give me 30 minutes.
20 minutes later I am delivering the photos on the super secret server. This is highly sensitive proprietary information that tons of people would LOVE to get their greasy little mitts on.
So... the photos are delivered and my afternoon is gone in a flash of sweat and panic.
But no... it's not over...
At 9:30pm I have to be in position outside the factory for a plane rolling out... I talk to the supervisor over there around 5pm and she says there is no way it will roll out before 10 to 10:30PM. Great. I go home... get a little food and try to nap but can't. I'm still revved up from the day.
I arrive at 9:30... which should be a minimum of 30 minutes early... only to see the factory door open and a plane half way out of it already. Normally... since it's night... I'd be in position with my camera on tripod and even a light or two set up since it's after dark. There is no time for that luxury now! I grab the 1Ds Mark II, crank it up to ISO 1000 throw a 580 EX on top, throw on my highly fashionable reflective flight vest and RUN!
After about a 100 yard dash... I remember that I had intended to put fresh batteries in the flash before I started tonight. I have about 2 or 3 pops left in these batteries. It's ok... it's only a triple seven dash three hundred extended range... I don't need much light... right?
*rolls eyes*
Ok... that's done. Quite an adrenaline rush actually... running along beside the plane as it's being tugged to it's new position... hoping that the Image Stabilization is working overtime for me. Security stops me at the front of the plane and the rear of the plane asking to see my credentials... No one is allowed to do what I do... except me. (and my fellow photogs)
Is that enough excitement for one day. It sure is. It's enough excitement for a few days really.
But no... there is more.
There is one more event I need to cover. This is a factory related event that happens sometime between 11:30pm and 3 AM. Without going into too much detail... it's a special time in an aircrafts life when the three main pieces come together for the first time. Now... being that this too is a triple seven these pieces are somewhat HUGE!
This is a fairly involved process... and for pieces to move into that position... the previous plane has to be moved. And for it to move... another one has to be moved from where it is going. Are you keeping a score card here? So two planes have to move to their new position so the one I am photographing can [insert Beatles song]
"Shoom doom doom doom... COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW... over me"
What this takes is time. So... I get into position on the fourth floor and over look the entire thing. It's quite a spectacle to see. And I'm guessing that pretty much no one on my flist has seen this... since it usually happens in the middle of the night there aren't exactly bleachers set up to watch the event. [not to mention all that tedious security stuff]
So.. as is typical for this event... the last few photos I made of it... were just before 3AM. This is the epitome of hurry up and wait. In the dictionary under "hurry up and wait" you will see one of the descriptions of my job. And then right after it you will see... "work feverishly under impossible lighting conditions and get the images to me immediately".
Hell of a day.
Friday I slept till about 10... Wondered into the office in a haze about noon. Worked on images
all afternoon. Then of course... around 4pm on Friday...
The phone rings...
But today... it's my birthday! Line up for spanking.
{As some of you know I am a photographer for:
"...the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined..."
who shall go nameless here.}
It's long and potentially uninteresting so text is behind the cut.
I got up at 6am on Thursday and went back to bed at 4AM on Friday morning. Here is what happened in between.
I get in the office and my two immediate co-workers are not there. They aren't going to be here on Friday either. Let the party begin. I put a CD of my favorite Cake songs in the player and with no co-workers around... there is no need to wear restrictive pants!
It's going to be a nice calm day. There is actually nothing on my schedule to photograph until late in the day, but I have plenty of editing to do.
So... I sing along with Cake, Blind Boys of Alabama, Mo Vida, Johnny Cash and John Lennon and pound out photos on the computer.
Eleven AM comes along... time for lunch. How about a Subway cheese pizza today? OK.
With the pizza eaten and appropriately regretted I come back to the office to begin the after lunch portion of my work day. So far... it's been very laid back and I've actually found myself smiling quite a bit. And why not? No co-workers troubling me with their trifles, the music is good... and I'm not wearing any pants.
Then the phone rings.
It's always the phone isn't it?
It's the Assistant to the Vice President and General Manager of the [high public profile new airplane] program.
They need some photography done on number one for a presentation they are making to the chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of the previously not mentioned company. (That is one person btw - the big boss of all bosses... the head cheese)
And when do they need some photography done of the aircraft that the entire world is wondering about? (for those who wonder about such things)
RIGHT NOW. They are giving the presentation in the morning and need the photos within 2 hours.
RUSH job... HIGH profile... HIGH pressure.
I meet with him and his entourage near door number one at plane number one. He shows me what he wants... about a dozen photos in various areas inside the plane. There are tons of people on there working... doing all kinds of things. Then he leaves. Poof... a puff of smoke and he's gone. I was thinking... hmmm... did I just doze off at my desk... and THIS is what I dream? I don't usually put myself in dreams where I'm placed in high pressure scenarios. Damn... it must be reality.
It takes a little over an hour to QUICKLY make the photos.
I need some time to set up the photos, light them, move people out of the way etc...
Did I mention he's using the fucking photos in the morning in his presentation to the President of the company! The really big cheese in Chicago! Fuck! This presentation is part of what will help them make the final decision on their official press release to the world on the status of this product which has thus far been a bit behind schedule and the stock holders aren't happy about all the bad media on the topic. [run on thought]
So... the biggest boss of bosses will be looking at those photos to see what's going on... what the status is... etc.
I wasn't quite done editing the photos when his hot little assistant emailed to ask if they were ready yet.
FUCKING PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPH!
Everyone has a camera right? All you do is point it and push the button right? Well... someone else had already done that and the Vice President and General Manager of the [high public profile new airplane] program didn't like those snapshots... so they called me.
Fucking pressure!
She says... I'm meeting with him in 15 minutes... are the photos ready? To which I responded... I'm peddling as fast as I can. Give me 30 minutes.
20 minutes later I am delivering the photos on the super secret server. This is highly sensitive proprietary information that tons of people would LOVE to get their greasy little mitts on.
So... the photos are delivered and my afternoon is gone in a flash of sweat and panic.
But no... it's not over...
At 9:30pm I have to be in position outside the factory for a plane rolling out... I talk to the supervisor over there around 5pm and she says there is no way it will roll out before 10 to 10:30PM. Great. I go home... get a little food and try to nap but can't. I'm still revved up from the day.
I arrive at 9:30... which should be a minimum of 30 minutes early... only to see the factory door open and a plane half way out of it already. Normally... since it's night... I'd be in position with my camera on tripod and even a light or two set up since it's after dark. There is no time for that luxury now! I grab the 1Ds Mark II, crank it up to ISO 1000 throw a 580 EX on top, throw on my highly fashionable reflective flight vest and RUN!
After about a 100 yard dash... I remember that I had intended to put fresh batteries in the flash before I started tonight. I have about 2 or 3 pops left in these batteries. It's ok... it's only a triple seven dash three hundred extended range... I don't need much light... right?
*rolls eyes*
Ok... that's done. Quite an adrenaline rush actually... running along beside the plane as it's being tugged to it's new position... hoping that the Image Stabilization is working overtime for me. Security stops me at the front of the plane and the rear of the plane asking to see my credentials... No one is allowed to do what I do... except me. (and my fellow photogs)
Is that enough excitement for one day. It sure is. It's enough excitement for a few days really.
But no... there is more.
There is one more event I need to cover. This is a factory related event that happens sometime between 11:30pm and 3 AM. Without going into too much detail... it's a special time in an aircrafts life when the three main pieces come together for the first time. Now... being that this too is a triple seven these pieces are somewhat HUGE!
This is a fairly involved process... and for pieces to move into that position... the previous plane has to be moved. And for it to move... another one has to be moved from where it is going. Are you keeping a score card here? So two planes have to move to their new position so the one I am photographing can [insert Beatles song]
"Shoom doom doom doom... COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW... over me"
What this takes is time. So... I get into position on the fourth floor and over look the entire thing. It's quite a spectacle to see. And I'm guessing that pretty much no one on my flist has seen this... since it usually happens in the middle of the night there aren't exactly bleachers set up to watch the event. [not to mention all that tedious security stuff]
So.. as is typical for this event... the last few photos I made of it... were just before 3AM. This is the epitome of hurry up and wait. In the dictionary under "hurry up and wait" you will see one of the descriptions of my job. And then right after it you will see... "work feverishly under impossible lighting conditions and get the images to me immediately".
Hell of a day.
Friday I slept till about 10... Wondered into the office in a haze about noon. Worked on images
all afternoon. Then of course... around 4pm on Friday...
The phone rings...
But today... it's my birthday! Line up for spanking.