A drone’s perspective meets photographer’s thoughtful eye to create powerful crash photograph

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ethan Swope is a Los Angeles-based freelance photographer who has worked with The Associated Press since 2019, covering breaking news and sports. His first AP assignment was the Kincade wildfire in Northern California.

I saw a notification of a potential news helicopter crash near Chatsworth and my heart sank. It is always difficult to cover a tragedy, but knowing that those in the crash were fellow journalists added another layer. There was still smoke rising when I arrived at the scene for AP, and journalists were gathering along a fence trying to figure out any additional details of what happened. The police perimeter was so far back from the scene that even with a telephoto lens, it was hard to make a photograph that showed the entire scene and provided readers with a better understanding of what happened.

As a photojournalist, part of my goal is to make timely images that provide context. That can sometimes mean looking for other ways of viewing a scene. Using a drone is one way I can make that possible.

When the sun rose the next morning, I launched my drone with the goal that I would be able to find a better perspective that I couldn’t see from the ground. Through my controller’s screen, I quickly saw the charred frame of the helicopter and surrounding vehicles.

The ability to get above the site allowed us to see the remains of the helicopter and view what was impossible from the ground. I made the composition intentionally straight-down. I wanted to focus on just the crash so as to not be distracted by the surroundings. As I flew around, I spotted the remnants of the NBC logo that was part of the helicopter, and I recomposed. I wanted to include that context to place the wreckage to those involved.

The overhead image works as it draws the eyes directly to the center of the photo in a way that was impossible from the ground and clearly conveys the extent of the damage in one photo. Beyond just an aerial image, the logo adds an extra layer of meaning within the details.

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