Dayton International Airport, Dayton, Ohio
Client: LWC, Inc., Dayton, Ohio

Sometimes you get lucky, but even then you have to work on it a bit to get it right. This is a case in point. The challenge here was to photograph the newly renovated front elevation of the airport terminal, the waiting area for shuttles and buses, the rental car facility and the control tower, and do it all under a picturesque sunset. So what could possibly be the problem with that? Well, this is the point at which luck, perseverence and a certain level of skill and vision come together. To start with, what are the chances of predicting, half an hour in advance, that there'll be a beautiful sunset, so you can drive to the site and get set up in time to make the shot? Even then, if you luck out with a good sunset, consider the daunting contrast of the shadows, highlights and the brightness of the sky that must be dealt with, together with changing vehicles and people. These elements had to be captured with many different exposures, over a period of time, then merged and balanced through extensive digital processing over many hours. So, although it's true that there was never a single moment just like this, I'm pleased with how well this image tells the story of the architecture, the site layout and the quality of construction, and that it does it with a high level of emotion.