Happy Monday! We’d like to introduce you to KelbyOne member Michael Dow. Michael is a Virginia based photographer. The image above is his work—click here to see the full version.

1.) Can you tell us a little bit about your photo?

I’ve been interested in aviation ever since I was a kid. My dad would take me to the park near Reagan National Airport and we would watch the planes land while listening to the pilots and the tower on the radio.

For this shot, I was at the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, VA where, every Sunday from May to October, they fly beautiful vintage Waco and Stearman biplanes. They have maybe a dozen of these gorgeous planes. I was wandering around taking pictures while waiting for the show to begin when I saw the helmet on the table near where all the pilots congregate. I looked up from the helmet to see the plane in the background and it was one of those “eureka” moments where the shot made itself.

2.) What gear/software did you use to create this image?

I recently upgraded my Canon 80D to a 5D Mark IV with the 24-105mm f/4 “kit” lens. I made most of the adjustments in Lightroom, but I also removed some distractions in Photoshop.

3.) What do you like to photograph?

Like Rick Sammon says, I specialize in not specializing. I enjoy all kinds of photography: nighttime/long exposure, landscape, travel, macro, portraits, and I’ve done some headshots for work as well. I enjoy pretty much everything except weddings. I shot my sister’s wedding a few years ago and I don’t need that kind of stress!

4.) How long have you been a KelbyOne member and what made you decide to become a member?

I became a trial member in January of 2017 and a full member shortly thereafter. I was amazed at the depth and breadth of the course offerings from KelbyOne, which are first rate, and the fact that a new course is released weekly is amazing to me. The courses are fantastic, but the best-kept secret in photography education is the KelbyOne Community, which is a vibrant forum, free from the ego and one-upsmanship that is prevalent elsewhere. Members genuinely want to help each other and everything is remarkably civilized. It’s a true gem.

Check out more of Michael’s work, follow him on Instagram and Twitter.