Philadelphia from the air — a photo essay
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
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As staff photographer, I’ve always thought of the city’s streets as my office. The best part of my job is getting the chance to meet Philadelphians face to face, hearing their stories and making a visual record of this great city. I love being witness to the good and bad of it all as my assignments take me to every nook and corner.
But the images I made had always been street-level views. Finally, I was asked to photograph our city from the sky. So, early on Monday, Dec. 16, I boarded a two-person helicopter at an airport in Medford, N.J., and headed west to cross the Delaware.
Some surprises in what I saw from above: In contrast to the sprawl of South Jersey, our city is so tight and compact. The streets form gridded veins of endless blocks, while avenues that run at a slant, like Passyunk and Germantown, are the gems that break up the monotony. While flying 1,000 feet above City Hall with the helicopter’s door open so my camera had the clearest view, I was surprised by the smells of roasted nuts and street food wafting up from below.
With a fresh covering of snow on the ground, Philadelphia is just as beautiful from above as it is on the street. In my six years as a photographer, I’ve learned to always find a way to celebrate the city. The photos selected here are simply a continuation of that celebration — only viewed from a different angle.
