Winter from Above - Central Park From 10,000 Feet

The Winter from Above series is a result of passion, commitment, love of flying, and photography. For an experienced pilot and an accomplished photographer, this marriage is a natural way to express the beauty of the world as seen from above. It is also the appreciation of the simplicity and the elegance of nature. It offers a unique way to look at common things from a different perspective.

It’s the world where familiar objects take new shapes by vividly contrasting against featureless backgrounds, often recognizable only by the shadow they cast. Some structures remain unknown until the viewer dives into the details. The featureless background makes the images appear almost graphic, crossing the boundary between photography and drawing.

All photographs in this series have been taken from Cessna 172, a personal airplane and flight trainer. In majority of the cases, Filip is piloting the plane and photographing at the same time. This configuration allows him the full control over the attitude of the plane – so critical to the outcome. Sometimes, a safety pilot is present to monitor the flight. Each flight is a mission that required careful planning ⎯ the weather, the visibility, the winds, the angle of the sun⎯all must come together at the right time, with a little bit of luck and chance.