Pilot Captures Storms And Other Changing Weather Conditions From His Cockpit

If you’re one of those people who always opt for a window seat while traveling by plane, eager to enjoy the unique view, you might be interested in checking out the images captured by Santiago Borja. For those who don’t know this photographer, you can check out our previous post where we featured his incredible shots of thunderstorms captured from a unique perspective and more… Sound interesting? Well, then you will like to discover more of this aerial photographer’s work.

Pictolic reached out to Santiago and asked what inspired him to start capturing photos from the unique vantage point of an airplane. The photographer shared with us: “As a pilot, I quickly realized that we have a truly unique perspective of the world and nature all around us. I then began attempting to capture some of the incredible phenomena I had been witnessing on every flight. Eventually, I recognized that storms were a fascinating subject but very challenging to capture. Despite the difficulties, I persisted until I finally developed a technique to capture these extraordinary events.”

More info: Instagram | santiagoborja.com

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We were wondering what challenges Borja faces when shooting photos from an airplane. We learned that “Shooting a storm from a moving airplane is quite challenging. You are inside a moving object, sometimes very shaky, with extremely low light, and you cannot use any stabilization devices like tripods or gimbals. Additionally, storms are so fleeting that you cannot easily focus on them. These and many other challenges make it very difficult to capture them, and I often find myself missing great opportunities.”

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Many of Santiago’s images capture fleeting moments and perspectives that are only visible from the air. He told us about some of the most memorable experiences he’s had while photographing from a plane: “At the beginning, many of these phenomena are surprising and often incomprehensible events. St. Elmo’s Fire is like very small lightning happening right on the windshield, just a few inches from the pilot’s face when flying into electrically charged clouds. Sometimes, a similar phenomenon occurs when water droplets appear as little sparks upon hitting the windshield. I remember feeling extremely amused and perplexed when first experiencing these events.”

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Finally, Borja shared a tip for aspiring photographers who are interested in exploring aerial photography from airplanes, particularly those who may be new to this type of photography: “My advice would be to learn everything you can, but ultimately, you have to develop your strategy and techniques. Don’t settle into the idea that photographic ‘rules’ are unbreakable. Discover your limits.”

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