I recently had the opportunity of photographing a charity event from inside a helicopter in Sarnia, Ontario. The event was called the “Sarnia Bay Poker Run - Making Waves for Joanne,” which took place on the St. Clair River. During a poker run, each boat makes a stop at four unique locations somewhere on the river to receive a playing card. After collecting all four, the boats head back to the headquarters (Stoke’s Bay) and receive their final card. Whoever ends up with the best hand at the end got free docking at Sarnia Bay Marina for one year.

Until Saturday, I had never been in a helicopter before, so I was extremely thrilled for the opportunity. I was born and raised here in Sarnia, so it was a very personal experience for me seeing the city from this perspective. I took A LOT of photos.. maybe too many, but I had to make the most out of the hour or so that I was up there. The pilot, Paul, even took us over top of the Bluewater Bridges on our way back so Matt (the other photographer) and I could get some photos. Below are some of my favourite images from the day.

Gear Used:
Nikon D3 with Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8
Fujifilm X100s

If you are interested in licensing any images or purchasing a print, please contact me directly at joelpilotte@gmail.com. 

All Images Copyright © 2016 Joel Pilotte