17cÍøÒ³°æ

IN A FLASH: Night Flight

When 17cÍøÒ³°æ ROTC students were picked up on campus for a weekend exercise by a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter early Friday morning, capturing the event presented special challenges in photographing the arrival.

ROTC student awaiting the arrival of the helicopter

At 6 a.m. it was still completely dark on the soccer field near Stewart Hall. Veteran 17cÍøÒ³°æ photographer Bob Christy, senior photography coordinator for University Communications and Marketing. said that to the naked eye, the helicopter appeared as "a black blob on a black background."

ROTC students waiting for the arrival of the helicopter

Applying expert skill and decades of experience, Christy came up with the precise photographic recipe (ISO 40,000, 1/25, f/2.8) necessary to get the digital shot. He said "I would have never even attempted this in the film days when 3,200 was the max. 

The helicopter returned the students to campus on Sunday morning.

CH-47 Chinook helicopter parked on Centennial Field, with ROTC students boarding

Want to see one of YOUR photos in “IN A FLASH?†Submit your 17cÍøÒ³°æ-related photos to InAFlash@kent.edu and you may see them in a future 17cÍøÒ³°æ Today post. Photos should be framed -horizontally- and include a brief description of what’s happening in the photo along with when and where it was taken.

POSTED: Tuesday, October 17, 2023 10:22 AM
Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 09:51 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Phil B. Soencksen