30 DIGITAL CAMERA^ MARCH 2020
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Unique formations
Santiago says: “On most
of my flights, I find storms
and some severe weather. But
storms like the ones here have
happened sometimes only once,
and may not happen again for many
months. I also lose a lot of unique
opportunities because I cannot get
my camera out, usually because I’m
flying the plane. Patience is a virtue.”2
Have an
all-rounder
“I use one lens for 99 per
cent of the time. It’s a 24-300mm
zoom, simply because I don’t want
to be switching lenses regularly,
and I cannot afford the space
and weight on my flights. I do have
another lens, a 15-30mm wide-angle
zoom that I only use for special
scenarios or purposes.”3
Play the
long game
“Most of my images
are long exposures: they can
last up to six or sometimes even
15 seconds. Plane speed is not
really an issue, since the relative
movement of the things around
it is really slow. Turbulence,
however, is a major issue that
directly affects the exposure.”Shoot at 35,000 feet
Imagine the sights you’d see if your daily commute
was from South America to Europe. Santiago Borja’s
ultimate window seat provides a view like no other...orn, raised and living in Quito,
Ecuador, Santiago Borja is a pilot
for a major airline in the region. He
has been flying long-haul between
the Americas and Europe for years, shooting
the natural surroundings of our planet.
In 2016 he was the runner-up in National
Geographic’s Landscape Photographer of
the Year contest.
“I have always done photography at an
amateur level,” he says. “My father gaveme a film camera I used to take with me all
the time, even on my first flights as a pilot.
I have been doing serious photography
for about four years now, with a DSLR.
“Initially cloud formations were not
among my interests. It was only after
some time flying that I realised about
the unknown beauty of these phenomena
and the urgency for somebody to
communicate this.”
http://www.santiagoborja.com7 | AERIALB