Airborne with the Cargopilot
‘The last six months have been absolutely crazy’, confesses Christiaan from Chicago, who has recently landed from Baku, Azerbaijan. ‘My camera has seen it all: six continents, the Milky Way, oceans, deserts covered in clear silver moonlight, and weather systems that make the jaw drop.’ He’s a passionate advocate of life aloft, with photography maintaining his love of flight despite its unpredictable nature, long hours and pressures on the body’s rhythms. ‘Seeing thunderstorms firing up through a starry night high up in the atmosphere is something that still impresses,’ he says.
His world is air cargo, the hidden artery that runs the globe. As much a commodity as affordable, dependable air travel, it’s easy to take both for granted, disconnected from their complexities. His portfolio restores the awe and wonder of both flight and what he calls ‘our little blue marble’.
His work was launched into the public eye in August, published in 2016. ‘I showed a tour guide some pictures and they later contacted me suggesting it was cool stuff for a book,’ he says. Setting to work, he was spurred on by the opinion of a contact in publishing, who said: ‘I don’t even like aviation but these are amazing.’
