PROFILE
Claes Axstål is a photographer with probably a unique photo technique, using his own developed AIRBORNE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY system. His speciality is to illuminate aircraft & boats in full action. He does also photograph other topics with the same enthusiasm.
Claes grew up playing with cameras and flash bulbs at his father's photo store FOTOMAN in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In the early 80s he started his professional photo career photographing skiing. He wanted to find his own style and used medium format cameras and flash on the mountain sides. Ever since his trademark has been stunning sunsets with perfect illumination of sports, travel, boats, automobiles and aircraft in their real environment.
With the new millennium he wanted to take his flash photography to new heights and first thought to prove it for aviation and then of course with the same realistic photography action and style as of his skiers he ones pioneered flash photography in the high mountains. According to Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine the AIRBORNE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY was born 28 March 2001 when he for the first time photographed the Saab Gripen fighter jet for the Swedish Air Force.
The flash generators, which are not only shielded electromagnetically for operation onboard aircarft, but also sealed for protection at sea, has a total weight of 250 kg. When shooting straight in to the sun there is no substitute for power. The AIRBORNE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY is, in other words, real photography and no computer work.
