Canopy Cleaning on a Rainy Day - F-4F Phantom II

This shot was another instance of seeing what was possible when conditions were less than ideal. The F-4 Phantom II Society had it's annual convention at Holloman Air Force Base, NM, in late October, 2004. While we were there, a mid-day rainstorm passed through. Good overall documentary shots were not going to be possible at that moment, so I wandered the ramp looking for interesting angles. This one caught my eye: a diligent contractor wiping down the canopy of this F-4F Phantom as he prepped it for its next training flight. I liked how he was framed by the rear canopy as he cleaned the front one, so I composed the image while he worked away and snapped off a couple of shots. I was quite please with the results.

Other people must've like it, too; I've had it picked as "honorable mention" in the Aviation Week photo contest for that year and it's won in a couple of local contests, as well. Sometimes magic happens when you open your mind to the possibilities....