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https://www.kameramarkt.eu/flight-dirk-jan-de-ridder
What
inspired you when creating Flight?
In these
modern times, it has become so easy to share your photos with anyone located
anywhere on the planet. You publish them on your website or social media and
thousands of people can enjoy them. But then you just forget about them. I
wanted to create something tangible as there is no denying that photos still look
best in print. After visiting and flying with 30 different armed forces across
four continents and celebrating 20 years in the business of military aviation
photography, it was the right time to publish a book with the highlights of my
work so far.
Who is
your target market for the book?
As a
photographer I am interested in all forms of military aviation you can imagine.
This is also what sets me apart from most other great photographers in aviation.
The majority only work in one or two countries, or they only shoot a specific
subject like fighter jets or helicopters. I do it all. I have flown with and
photographed attack helicopters in countries like Cyprus and Lebanon, fighter
jets over the Arctic Circle and in Brazil, firefighting aircraft in Croatia and
Greece, training aircraft in Canada and Turkey, transport helicopters on the Canary
Islands off the coast of Africa and between the Swiss Alps… Anyone with as wide
an interest in military aviation and a passion for photography, should consider
buying this book.
Can you
tell us a little about your background?
I have been
interested in military aviation from childhood. At the age of 7 I visited my
first airshow and I started taking photos of military aircraft with my own
camera when I was 16. I gradually started taking that hobby more and more
serious. I continuously looked for ways to improve my photography. Many people
ask me whether I’m a pilot or working in the military, but I’m just a
photographer running my business. My photos ended up in magazines, I got press
access to airshows and public events, air forces allowed me to visit them. They
then sometimes invited me to fly with them during regular training flights and
that ended up in them letting me fly with them and having me instruct the
pilots on how they should fly to get the best photos. It is an upward spiral. As
you get better, you get better opportunities, better opportunities result in
better photos and better photos result in even better opportunities. That
process of continuously looking to improve my photos is still going on. It will
never stop. Or maybe it will, but then I will quit.
How does a
photoshoot come together?
First and foremost,
it all depends on the cooperation from a higher level of the armed forces that
I want to visit. Writing requests and arranging permissions takes a lot of time,
but if it works out and I do get permission, that is more than half the battle
won. I then start looking for the pros and cons that every specific aircraft
type offers as a photo platform and photo subject, and I work out my ideas for
photos that I have in mind. I pre-visualize everything for every shot that I
want to take; the position of the aircraft, the location of the sun,
backgrounds, etcetera. The plan that I come up with has multiple events which
are discussed with some or all of the pilots, adjusted where required and finally
briefed to everyone involved before going airborne. Pilots are generally very
eager to do whatever they can to get great photos. And the further I’ve come in
my career, the more eager they seem to be working with me.
What is
your most memorable flight?
There have
been so many memorable flights, flying with the military never gets boring.
Your first fighter jet ride is always something special, I guess. I got to fly
the MiG-21 in Romania and we did a takeoff in formation with another MiG-21 right
next to us. The acceleration from the afterburner is quite something, but what
I didn’t expect was the feeling when the afterburner turns off. Then engine becomes
very quiet and the instant deceleration, or actually the decelerated
acceleration because speed is still increasing, made me feel like something was
very wrong with the engine. Of course, nothing was wrong. It was an amazing
flight.
Did you
ever encounter a dangerous situation on one of your flights?
Not really. I
do remember a helicopter flight in Spain when oil started leaking from the
rotor head along the window. We had to return to base, but we could have landed
anywhere in case of a real emergency. I guess it was not that critical. While
flying the Tucano turboprop trainer in Brazil we had some hydraulic issues on takeoff.
Several warning lights turned on and alarm bells went off, but the pilot
remained calm and put his aircraft on the ground. No, the biggest technical
failure I have experienced was a camera breaking down by itself while flying
the Hawk with the Royal Canadian Air Force. That felt pretty embarrassing. They
had put four jets in the air for me and I had to tell them it was all for
nothing. Luckily, we had another attempt the next day which turned out one of
my favorite flights ever.
Where can
readers find out more about your work?
I have my own website www.ridder.aero where you can find
a selection of my photos and articles that I write for magazines. When it comes
to social media, I am mostly active on Instagram. You can find me at
@djderidder.