Using Photo Compositing to Show Airport Traffic

Los Angeles based photographer Mike Kelley has a deep fascination with all things related to aviation. In the past, he’s done everything from capturing mesmerizing aerial shots hundreds of feet above the ground to shooting Pan-Am interiors that recreate the iconic aesthetics of 1960’s advertising campaigns. In his recent series, cleverly titled Airportraits, Kelley decided to put a creative spin on the moment of lift off.

Los Angeles based photographer named Mike Kelley merges 8 hours of air traffic in single photos

Rather than focusing on a single aircraft, Kelley created these puzzling images by combining an entire day’s worth of planes taking off into a single composition. Initially, the artist focused on LAX’s south runway – however, he soon expanded the project to include multiple airports across five continents. His dedication is apparent in the seamless final products, which feature minimalistic landscapes juxtaposed with crowded, surreal skies.

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