For my first decade of wandering around the Rockies and career as a landscape and adventure photographer, I “earned” my altitude. Hiking, scrambling and mountaineering were my gateways to moments spent up above the treeline, looking down at the winding rivers, turquoise lakes, sweeping forests and shimmering glaciers. I’d be curious to know how many metres I gained in order to collect the images that appear in my previous books. While I still primarily rely on my feet as I seek photographs that fulfill me, in more recent years I’ve had the opportunity to leave firm ground altogether and fly by helicopter over the Canadian Rockies on multiple occasions.

The first time I ever flew was during a rescue off of Castle Mountain in 2009 after an unfortunate climbing incident in which my partner broke his foot on Eisenhower Tower. Though we were only in the air for mere minutes, and I had the safety of my friend front-of-mind, I could not help but be blown away by how quickly Castle Mountain, an icon, became almost unrecognizable. I was immediately struck by the boundless potential for photography that flying could open up.

Since then, through my commercial assignments, as well as some personal work over the last few years, I’ve boarded helicopters several times, hovering over much of the Canadian Rocky Mountains UNESCO World Heritage Site, which comprises the contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks.

Shooting from a ridge, face or summit, with one’s boots firmly on the ground, is for me more exciting, creatively speaking. The availability of foregrounds allows for a lot more compositions. There is also the possibility of using the human element or long exposures on a tripod in order to make images more compelling. There’s the luxury of time and immersion with one’s surroundings. And of course there’s the fact that a journey and effort are required to afford the heights as opposed to finding yourself up high in an instant, and that journey can offer countless photo opportunities along the way.

Yet, photographing from a doorless helicopter offers unique opportunities and can be extremely productive. In fact, all of the images found in this book were photographed over a total of perhaps eight to ten hours! The ability to reposition the camera at a moment’s notice and improve an angle without the limitations of spatial barriers makes for very fruitful sessions. What’s more, seeing the summits from above them provides a perspective that even a mountaineer can’t obtain.

Even though aerial photography does not require much in terms of physical effort, it still presents specific challenges. Even with the doors off, the angles are often limited. With the wind, proper communication, which is paramount for a productive shoot, can be extremely difficult. With all the motion involved, image sharpness can be hard to achieve. Weather can wreak havoc on the best-laid plans. Along with the ever-changing conditions, the possibilities for images are so plentiful that aerial photography can be mentally taxing as one has to constantly adapt and assess conditions and camera settings. Removing the doors of the aircraft means becoming very exposed to the elements, such as bone-chilling temperatures and powerful winds. Finally, there’s the fact that you find yourself hundreds of metres above the ground in a tiny metal box that is at the mercy of the weather. Unlike in mountaineering, where safety largely comes down to one’s own skills and decision making, flying means trusting a pilot’s skills in order to get up and down safely. When I find our position slightly unnerving, I focus on my purpose out there and keep shooting – it keeps my mind from wandering!