A red, white, and blue U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 flies over a blue ocean dotted with recreational boats.

Above the Blue

MG-0440

2024-07-30

About this piece

A Thunderbirds F-16 cuts across the upper frame, its bright markings set against a nearly continuous field of blue sky and sea. Scattered boats below establish scale, contrasting the aircraft’s sharp silhouette with the water’s fine texture.

The story

I followed the aircraft across the blue, keeping the scattered boats beneath it in the frame. Their small hulls gave the scene a scale the empty sky alone could not provide. For a moment, the white wings and red tail stood apart from everything around them, crisp against the hazy horizon. I wanted to hold that contrast: the suggestion of tremendous speed above, and the unhurried expanse of water below.

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