Hot Load with Marie Love (Patreon)

Marie wanted to do a skydiving-inspired shoot, but since I don’t exactly have my jump license yet, we brought the concept down to the runway instead. Honestly, it ended up creating something way more unique than I originally imagined.

Getting access to a real Huey already makes this feel like uncharted territory. You really don’t see shoots like this very often, especially with someone who’s actually connected to aviation and skydiving culture. The helmet, the rig, the tarmac, the late-day light reflecting off the metal — everything came together naturally instead of feeling over-styled.

One thing I liked shooting here was using the helicopter itself as part of the composition instead of just a backdrop. The rotor blades created leading lines everywhere, and the scale of the Huey made every frame feel cinematic. The warm Arizona light bouncing off the aircraft gave the photos this almost movie-scene look straight out of an old aviation film.

It’s funny because technically this is a “skydiving shoot” where nobody actually left the ground… but honestly it still feels airborne.