From May 29 to June 2, Donald Keith (Chairman of the Board) and Richard Coberly (Windward Media) were at the Museum laying the groundwork for the Jeremiah Murphy and Grand Turk Lighthouse exhibits. One of the things professional videographer’ and photographer Richard Coberly did was get a different perspective on the task. Richard kindly shared this with us: Quite often we look at things without thinking much about how we’re seeing them. As a photographer, I learned to look for a different perspective of even the most ordinary object in order to produce an interesting image. When it comes to very large things like lighthouses, that perspective is often from the air.
This is not only a great way to show the lighthouse in its larger environment, but more importantly it allows seeing the things that give it its purpose; the dangerous reefs surrounding Grand Turk. Views from above are unlike any other, and serve not only to make the lighthouse more interesting, but give it context and easily illustrate what a vital structure it is, not only now, but in the past when navigation aids were sparse and inaccurate.
To accomplish this, the weapon of choice is a helicopter, unsurpassed in its ability to get “the shot”. As someone who flies often, it’s imperative to locate a skilled pilot and trustworthy aircraft that are suited to the specific job. Enter J.R. Cousinau, pilot for Grand Turk Helicopter Adventure (www.flygrandturk.com) run by Mountain Air Helicopters. After only a few minutes, it’s easy to see the shoot is going to go great, and be entertaining as well. Following every direction and request, J.R. executed our flight without a single issue. Unlike some other resources, an excellent pilot and helicopter are at the top of the list when it comes to capturing that different perspective.