A red U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies above a blue-and-white vessel with an American flag suspended from its crane, against a pale sky over choppy water.

Above the Colors

MG-0448

2024-07-30

About this piece

A red U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crosses the upper portion of a tall maritime composition, while a crane-equipped vessel anchors the scene below. The broad expanse of pale sky separates aircraft and water, linking them through the red accents of the helicopter and the suspended American flag.

The story

I followed the red helicopter through the viewfinder, leaving room beneath it for the flag and the vessel. What held my attention was the distance between them: so much pale sky, with the water gathered into a narrow, restless band below. The flag stretched outward while the rotor blades blurred. For a moment, the scene seemed arranged around two kinds of movement, one crossing the air and the other answering the wind.

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