Photographing a pair of Spitfires for Lilham Aviation at Sywell was a rare opportunity to capture not just iconic aircraft, but the living reality of keeping history airborne, one of them a genuine combat veteran with stories etched into every panel, including a bullet hole patch behind the cockpit.
Beyond the glamour shots, I focused on the day-to-day work required to operate an historic warbird: the hands-on maintenance, quiet checks, and practical tasks that make each flight possible.
Carefully arranging the aircraft to find strong photographic angles was a collaborative process with Iain & Rob, balancing authenticity with light, lines, and perspective to do justice to their sublime forms.
Being able to get up close and personal with these machines, standing beneath their wings, inches from the Merlin and the scars of service, was an absolute privilege, and a reminder that these are not museum pieces, but working survivors of history.
NORMANDY SPITFIRE
