BlackLab: Adventures in Still Pictures

Snappers – The Human Bird

Photographer George Steinmetz piloting a motorized paraglider
in a remote part of the Empty Quarter of Oman.

Here, a fusion of twentieth century technology with primal fearlessness comes together to form a formidable snapping machine. Equipped with knee pads, motorized propellor, digital camera, communications headset and a parachute, the Human Bird survives in mid-air for long periods by catching insects for in-flight sustenance. Creating stunning arial shots of exotic lands and wildlife, the Human Bird accumulates more Airmiles than most in his relentless and unflinching pursuit of beautiful images.