One of My Best Days

One of my best days in Israel was this day three years ago. It was a beautiful day with very clear air. Days this good happen maybe once a year. But what made it so good for me is that I was able to get in an airplane and take photos. I have done this before and since, but this was the best of all because the air was so clear. It is important that the air is clear because often I want broad perspective shots (e.g., the whole Dead Sea) or because in places the plane is not allowed to fly lower than 6,000 feet (which makes a shot though 6,800 feet of air for Jericho). It was also ideal because unlike some other flights we actually got approval and got off the ground before the sun was setting. The three-hour flight wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it as we circled around from Beersheba and Arad up to Masada and the Dead Sea before cutting across to Jerusalem and then south through the Shephelah.

I put out a “temporary” CD of those photos a few months later entitled “Aerials of Judah and Jerusalem,” and soon after they were incorporated into the regular volumes of the Pictorial Library. When I started the Pictorial Library one of my major goals was to save money to pay for photo flights. Now the obstacle isn’t so much the money as it is finding a day clear enough to fly when 1) I don’t have other obligations that I can’t get out of; 2) I can get approval (this is the Middle East, not the US) in sufficient time. On the latter, one of my least favorite days was my birthday a year ago when I sat in an airport all day in an unsuccessful attempt to take pictures. If you’re inclined to pray for future success in this area for me, I’d be grateful. I know there are lots of more important things, but there is some value in this too.

Low Rolling Hills of the Shephelah,