A black Airbus H130 lights up nicely when illuminated by three strobes. PHOTOGRAPHERS HAVE A DIFFICULT TASK. They must be in the moment in order to see and appreciate what's happening, and also be an outside observer, capturing the feeling for the rest of us. Professional freelance photographer Heath Moffatt straddles this paradox perfectly, giving us incredible images of the moment that put us in the action. The challenge was especially poignant when he was hanging from a hoist, being lowered onto the deck of a moving ship in the Netherlands' shipping channels. The assignment was to capture a major operator's capabilities to pluck sick people off cargo ships and rescue those who had dropped in the water. " I was yelling with adrenaline excitement as I'd never experienced this situation before. While lowering down I started photographing my approach to the ship to give the viewer a sense of what it's like for rescue personnel being lowered to a moving vessel. Describing that situation is one thing, presenting the visuals to the viewer tells a better story of what SAR personnel do answering the call for help out in the shipping channels. " In a career that has taken Moffatt around the world photographing helicopters in a variety of places and roles, he considers dangling out of one to be a top-three experience. Helicopters can be incredibly difficult to shoot, and Moffatt is adept at nailing the technique while telling a story. ian.twombly@aopa.org heathmoffattphoto.com AOPA PILOT / November 2021 69http://www.heathmoffattphoto.com