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PREMIUM CONTENT/BEHIND THE LENS

Henry Howard
Cruising down the Newcastle coastline at 500 feet while hanging out the door of a helicopter shooting this rare formation was definitely a crazy experience that I will never forget. The ‘Racer 3’ formation consisted of Matt Hall’s Extra 300, MXS-R and Edge 540.
A Virgin Australia 737 approaches Queenstown, the most picturesque airport I’ve spotted at. It’s a shame that I can’t show you more Queenstown photos, as I was able to capture a few different angles from around the town, including one looking down on the aircraft from the mountain pictured and one from a moving Gondola!
A famous photo for me. This image of a Qantas A330 approaching Sydney’s RW16 was used on Qantas’ Instagram feed. On a clear morning you will get almost perfect reflections on the canal. This is one of the reasons I love spotting at Qantas Drive in Sydney.
Being from near Newcastle, you’d often find me sitting at the end of the runway at RAAF Base Williamtown. As a kid my parents would take me out to Fighterworld, a museum situated to the side of the runway. I reckon I racked up a good 20 trips to Fighterworld, which shows a lot about my passion. Last June I was lucky enough to capture this scene of FLTLT ‘JB’ Melville vacating the runway in the late afternoon as the sun was setting. Coincidently, three weeks later FLTLT Melville ended up taking me for a tour around 77 SQN, where I showed him these photos and he excitedly pointed ‘that’s me!’
Probably the most viral photo that I’ve put up on social media. This shot of a Qatar A380 taxiing past the beach at Sydney Airport grabbed the attention of Qatar Airways, which used the photo on its Instagram. Since then it has amassed over 3,000 likes on my Instagram.
An iconic scene captured at Dubai International Airport. As we pushed back onboard EK15, I looked out the window and saw this scene emerging. I scrambled to get my camera and hit the shutter button. With perfect timing I was able to grab a once in a lifetime photo opportunity.
A scene I’ve seen a few times in my life. This frame was captured at the Hunter Valley Air Show in 2019, as Paul Bennet carried out his signature knife edge pass to a magnificent display of pyrotechnics.
This frame was taken at Gold Coast Airport in 2019, as a Jetstar A320 soars overhead a bike rider at the local skatepark. I had this idea in mind, along with my brother who captured a similar scene. I imagined it would take a few tries as the timing would be hard to nail, given the bike rider had to do a 20-metre run up to get to the ramp. However, we nailed it on the first go, which rarely happens.
I love capturing close-ups of aircraft, as the vivid details give people an insight into parts of the aircraft not often shown. It can also add to the duality of an image. Here we have an Atlas Air Freight B748 taxiing past the beach at Sydney Airport. I thought this would be an appropriate close-up of the 748, due to her famous engine chevrons!
Martin Sonka, the Czech Red Bull Air Race pilot, passes a chicane during the second free practice session in Chiba, Japan. To this day this is still one of my most memorable shoots. The light was spot on, and I was given the opportunity to capture the race from the harbour, an angle only a few other photographers were given.
Perfect timing! A bolt of lightning is captured above the Tokyo city skyline from the observation deck at Tokyo Haneda International Airport. This is also one of those once in a lifetime shots. I had arrived at the airport four hours early to ensure that I had enough time to spot, as the observation deck at Tokyo Haneda had been on my bucket list since I started spotting. I set up my tripod to capture some long exposures, and then noticed some lightning building up in the distance. Luckily, it ventured closer and closer, and then boom! I ended up with this shot, a single frame, two-second exposure of the storm.
I’d had this shot in mind for a couple of years after missing the opportunity to get it at Avalon 2017. In 2019, I made sure I was early to set up the composition. I set my tripod up in front this this RAAF Growler and waited for the pyrotechnics display. It came eventually, and I was in heaven, moving around to capture a few different angles of the aircraft as the fireworks went off.
The one flight deck to beat them all! This photo was taken on the flight deck of VH-OEG, after my flight from Tokyo Haneda to Sydney in September last year. The crew were extremely accommodating and allowed me to explore the features of the aircraft they came to fall in love with. Long live the Queen!
I did a bit of architecture photography in 2018 with my school. I loved the texture and clarity that this type of photography offered, so I thought of how I could incorporate this into aviation photography. I ended up capturing this scene at Sydney Airport, looking up at a Polar 747.
Every colour of the rainbow and more! As Matt Hall prepared for a public display at the Wings Over Illawarra air show in 2019, the sun appeared from the clouds that had pelted down rain all morning. This provided some pretty cool weather conditions where I captured this shot on the wing of his Extra 300
It is my dream to fly F-35s in the RAAF, so no wonder I love capturing them with a camera! This shot was taken towards the end of 2019, as a 3 SQN F-35 from RAAF Williamtown performed a practice demonstration for the upcoming Edinburgh Air Show. I arrived early for the display but became stressed when it was five minutes until start and there was no sign of action. Thirty minutes passed and still no sign of the F-35. Then it appeared out of nowhere and went straight into the vertical leaving everyone at the end of the runway stunned!
I’m always a fan when nature does most of the work to set up the perfect scene. I just stand there and press the shutter! Rainbows are a special treat, rarely seen captured due to the fact that you’ve got to get drenched in order to capture the shot. For this photo, I stood on the edge of Qantas Drive in the rain as an Emirates A380 approached Sydney Airport.
I had always wanted to capture the Vietnam A350, as it was one of my favourite looking airliners. I had the chance to at its home in Hanoi, Vietnam, during a layover on my way back to Sydney. I was extremely happy, as I got to do so at night. Long exposures are some of the trickiest types of shot to master, but very rewarding, especially if you’re not using a tripod!

Through The Lens

Henry Howard

1. How did you get into aviation photography?

The passion for aviation has been present ever since I can remember. Having no family members connected to the aviation industry, it has always puzzled people why I have such a strong passion for it. I got into the photography side of it in 2016 when my younger brother got a DSLR. Before this, I’d go out to the airport and film videos for my YouTube channel. However, the DSLR opened my eyes to the creative aspect of photography, which I fell in love with.

2. Why aviation photography?

Aviation photography provides me with a creative outlet. I love the excitement of going out to the airport and nailing the perfect shot and then getting to share it with the world. I also enjoy the social side of it. I have made many friends because of the shared passion, not just locally but globally as well.
3. Is this something you do as a hobby or is it a commercial operation for you?
Aviation photography is a hobby for me. However, from 2017-2020 I worked part-time for Matt Hall Racing as a photographer and videographer. This opportunity allowed my eyes to be opened to the corporate side of content creation and at times had me contemplating the prospects of a commercial operation. Due to my main passion being laying in flying, I have not pursued a commercial career in photography.

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Through The Lens

1. How did you get into aviation photography?

2. Why aviation photography?

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