Aerial Photography Featured at Western Springs Starbucks

Western Springs resident John Hill may be the most expensive photographer you ever hire—and for good reason—he will probably be shooting your photos from the skids of a helicopter.

Samples of Mr. Hill’s photography are hanging at the Western Springs Starbucks through May 18. The pieces reflect a view of some famous landmarks and scenes people would otherwise never be able to enjoy.

One of the photos is of the Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade. The photo, taken from above, offers a unique sense of just how many people came out to cheer on their team that day. 

His unique perpective may be one reason Mr. Hill is drawn to his non-traditional career, “It is a way of staying out of offices. Way out,” he said, “I do not like the downtown train stations and crowds. Besides I get to be an artist.”

Mr. Hill himself has been a pilot since 1967, but he now relies on young pilots for safety and efficiency. Hiring a pilot also helps him focus on the task at hand, “Composition is better when I concentrate on the photography aspect of the flight,” he said. 

Despite his safety focus, Mr. Hill has had some dangerous close calls. “After 9/11, the controllers were twitchy,” he said, “We were the first ones chased by F-16's. People with scanners panicked and emptied many buildings in the Loop.”

Although he is known for his stunning views from planes and helicopters, architectural photography is a large part of his business, “My bread and butter clients are real estate brokers and developers. I do an increasing amount of architectural photography for architects and high-end residential brokers.”

 In addition to his photography and video services, Mr. Hill also offers brave clients a “tag along” session for a fee.

John Hill has been a Chicago area photographer for over 30 years. His business, Tigerhill Studio, specializes in architectural and aerial photography.