Marge Beaver and her Cessna Cardinal N177MB have shared almost 7,000 hours of flying time since Marge bought the plane in 1982, not to mention thousands of one-of-a-kind shots. Both call Muskegon, Mich., home, although her plane prefers a hangar at the Muskegon airport to a comfortable bed. Marge’s love of flying, photography and the Michigan coastline create a triumvirate of visual brilliance on the printed page.
With one book under her belt (a collection of photographs titled Above the North), Marge recently released Above West Michigan, featuring breathtaking views that run from the southern tip of New Buffalo all the way up to Holland and Pentwater and beyond. With the flutter of a shutter (and impressive simultaneous camera and plane maneuvering), she captured the beauty of blooming tulip fields, the magnificence of boats and harbors, golf greens, lighthouses, and of course, Lake Michigan’s rainbow of colors at sunset.
At 73, she’s far from done. In fact, she’s busy putting together her next book – a lighthouses collection. Here, she talks shop with LAKE and offers advice for budding aerial photographers:
LAKE: How did you first get interested
in photography?
Marge: I have loved photography ever since as a kid, my parents and I developed contact prints on the kitchen table after putting blankets over the windows to make a darkroom. My first camera was a Brownie, if I remember right. My mother kept photo albums and encouraged me to do the same. I may even still have that first picture somewhere.
Did you develop an interest in flying
at a young age?
I learned to fly in my late 40s. I had been to New Mexico to a spiritual retreat and on the flight home, I was already “high” from the experience. I had tears streaming down my face from the beauty I saw looking out the window. When I got home and talked to my husband about it, he said if I enjoyed it that much on a commercial flight, I should try it in a small plane sometime. A week later, our local airport was advertising introductory rides for just $5. Once I got my hands on the controls of a small plane and sensed the freedom, I was never the same.
I’m sure you’ve developed a routine for
what items you bring on the plane.
Any mementos or good luck charms?
For good luck, I make maintenance a high priority and I think if I take care of my plane it will take care of me. I do always pat it on the nose and say “thank you” at the end of each flight.
Has your plane seen any changes
since its first flight?
I’ve bought three new engines or engine overhauls during the years, and a number of improvements such as new paint and interiors and the modifications necessary for photography.
You’re a solo flyer – how do you take
pictures while steering the plane?
I designed an additional grip for the camera so that I can trigger it with my left hand with the camera parked on my right shoulder and my right hand on the yoke of the plane. I fly the plane from the right seat with the camera window on my right and the belly hole in the floor on my left – where the pilot’s seat would normally be. The only time I use the autopilot is when I’m shooting a vertical shot – straight down through the belly hole in the plane – or changing lenses on the camera.
You’ve been capturing Michigan in film for more than 30 years. How has the experience – and the scenery – changed?
The huge difference is going from film to digital. And there’s been a huge change in development. For example, the area near Muskegon airport that I have aerial photos of from years past showing acres of blueberry fields is now a huge retail center with several malls and countless restaurants. I also have photos of sand dunes that contrast with recent photos of the same locations after sand mining leveled them.
In Above West Michigan, you have an
eclectic mix of subjects. Which were the
most difficult to shoot?
The most difficult and the most satisfying shot is the one of the Muskegon sunrise with the fishing boats heading out of the channel. With a sunset, you know what it’s likely to look like before heading for the airport. But with a sunrise, you have to leave home before the sun comes up. You can get a pretty good idea from weather forecasts, but you never know exactly what will be there in the way of clouds. Also, low-light shots are much harder to have totally sharp. That photo is probably my all-time favorite.
What camera do you use?
I am currently using a Canon 1Ds M2. I still have my Hasselblad equipment, but I seldom use it anymore – anyone want to buy it? I’m trying to justify the expense of purchasing a Canon 1Ds M3 when it becomes available.
Ansel Adams was quoted as saying, “There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” Do you agree?
Yes. I don’t change the “facts” in photographs, but if I can enhance a sky or minimize a shadow, I see no problem in doing that.
Who’s your favorite photographer?
Jim Wark is my favorite photographer, and a good friend. (Check out his photography at airphotona.com.) He’s now 77 years old and still making extensive aerial photography flights with his Husky airplane and Leica camera equipment. Jim has an amazing eye for the artistic and the adventurous heart of a 20-year-old.
What tips would you offer to amateur
photographers on how to take amazing
landscape photos?
Shoot whatever looks good to you and then analyze your results. If the eye behind the camera is still excited over what he sees after analyzing it later, then the shot in my opinion was a success. If they have two shots side by side and compare them, most likely they will prefer one to the other. They need to ask themselves why and then try to use what they learned when they next have the camera in hand.
If money and equipment were no object,
what would be your ideal set-up (and location) for your next photo shoot?
I have flown jobs in most of the states, and I still love Michigan the most for photography. However, I would love to have a paid excuse for a week shooting mountain scenery out west. I’d want my own plane – perhaps turbocharged to better handle high altitudes – and a Canon 1Ds M3 with lots of lens choices.
Marge Beaver, Photography Plus; 866-300-9691;
photography-plus.com
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