A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 jet with red, white, and dark blue markings flies nose-left against a blue sky and soft white clouds.

Precision in Blue

MG-0456

2024-07-30

About this piece

Mike Gedj captures a Thunderbirds F-16 in profile, its angular wings and vivid markings set against diffuse clouds. The aircraft’s sharply defined surfaces contrast with the soft atmosphere, giving rapid flight an appearance of suspension.

The story

I followed the aircraft through the frame, drawn to the red nose and the sweep of dark blue beneath its wings. Against the clouds, every edge seemed unusually clear. I wanted to hold that contrast: a machine built for speed appearing almost motionless in open air. For this fraction of a second, the sky offered no measure of distance, only room for the aircraft’s precise, unmistakable shape.

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