The ‘perfect shot’: Daredevil sailing photographer hangs out of helicopter | CNN

Flying start —

Veteran sports photographer Ezra Shaw took to land, sea, and sky to capture these remarkable images of the America's Cup. "Before each race, both teams would warm up by sailing most of the race course," the 39-year-old Getty photographer explained. "The television helicopters would also start the day by flying in a close formation across the course."

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/File

Follow the rainbow —

Shaw flew in an open-door helicopter 400 meters above the waves to take his stunning images. "The picture of the light reflecting against the fog created that rainbow halo. That was somewhat of a lucky picture and it's nice to get lucky like that some times," he said.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Water world —

Shaw wasn't just limited to helicopters, jumping in a speedboat to capture the battle between Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand. "This picture was taken with a underwater housing on one of my cameras. The housing kept my camera dry while I was able to capture the splashes of waves in San Francisco Bay," he said.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/File

Row, row, row your boat —

Shaw added: "This is one of my favorite images. Living in San Francisco, I always see the red and white ferry boat in the Bay when I come into the city and I like how the New Zealand boat is framed between the ferry, rowboat, and the foggy Golden Gate Bridge."

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Smokin' —

"There was a small brush fire south of San Francisco that provided the smoke in this picture, which I think adds to the overall image," said Shaw.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/File

Visionary vessels —

Captured from above the AC-72 catamarans - used here by Team USA - have a space age quality.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Surfing USA —

Team USA take inspiration from Californian musical stars The Beach Boys as they go surfing USA style.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Bay watch —

"This picture was taken from the Marin Headlands just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. There is one spot that you can position yourself so that the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid Center building is visible through the top portion of the Golden Gate Bridge," said Shaw.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Fog City —

He added: "San Francisco also has lots of different micro climates -- the fog might roll in one day and they'd be blue sky the next."

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Landlubbers landmark —

San Francisco's arts scene made for some thought-provoking sights. Here Mark Di Suvero's sculpture called Figolu is in the foreground.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Dancing on water —

"When I was in the helicopter we either had to fly on the outside of the race course, or at an altitude of about 400 meters to stay away from the television helicopters that had priority. Although it was a little high to get intense action pictures, I was able to work the lines of the boats into the composition," said Shaw.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/File

America's Cup: Life on the ocean wave

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Story highlights

Veteran sports photographer Ezra Shaw reveals the secret to 'perfect shot'

Flew in open-door helicopter 400 meters above sea during America's Cup

Remarkable images capture prestigious race from land, air, and sea

High-tech underwater camera equipment show how far photography has come

CNN —

While the rest of us were watching two boats battling it out in one of the most thrilling sailing competitions of all time, there was another man soaring 400 meters above the waves watching our every move.

Hanging out of an open-door helicopter flying high above San Francisco Bay, is all part of a day’s work for sports photographer Ezra Shaw, who took these remarkable images of the America’s Cup.

It’s not always easy finding an interesting angle when photographing endless blue sea and sky, but Shaw managed to capture the grace – and adrenalin – of sailing, using high-tech equipment on land, sea, and air.

“I don’t like flying that much,” admitted 39-year-old Shaw, a photographer with one of the biggest news agencies in the world, Getty Images, for over 15 years.

“But having a camera makes being in a helicopter a little easier because I’m concentrating on my job and trying to get these pictures – rather than actually thinking ‘I’m flying above the water with no door.’”

Golden backdrop

This was one of the first times the prestigious race had been held in a city, rather than out at sea, giving Shaw a rare opportunity to capture the dramatic skyline of his hometown.

As U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison’s yacht Oracle made a dramatic comeback against Emirates Team New Zealand, in one of the most nail-biting finishes in the competition’s 162-year history, it was up to Shaw to capture the drama, with his images used in newspapers across the world.

Read: America’s Cup 2013 – sport’s greatest comeback?

“Golden Gate Bridge is pretty spectacular and the skyline is beautiful. So to be able to work those two elements into the picture gave me a chance to get a variety of different images that wouldn’t have been possible in other America’s Cups,” said Shaw.

“San Francisco also has lots of different micro climates – the fog might roll in one day and they’d be blue sky the next, which made for interesting images.”

Speed machines

But it wasn’t just helicopters helping Shaw get a fresh perspective of the historic race.

The photographer – who covered last year’s London Olympics – also jumped aboard a powerboat to get close to the action.

It was hard work keeping up with the futuristic yachts – which glide along the waves at 80 kilometers per hour – not to mention taking photographs on a violently bouncing speedboat.

Read: Meet the new America’s Cup ‘flying yacht’

“These sailboats go so fast that the motorboats we were on really couldn’t keep up with them. So you have to pick a few key spots on the course,” explained Shaw.

“I was carrying heavy equipment going out on a boat day after day – I went to the gym a lot more,” he joked.

Brave new world

It’s an indication of how far sports photography has developed in recent years, with international agencies using everything from helicopters to high-tech underwater camera equipment to get a shot no one else has.

“One of the guys on the motorboat had been photographing sailing for 30 years and was talking about America’s Cup in Newport in the 80s,” explained Shaw. “He would have somebody bring him more film on the boat because he’d run out.

“It’s great shooting on digital, because you’re rocking up and down on a boat so much with these long lenses. I’d be taking thousands of images a day to get it down to 30 or 40 pictures that I would transmit to the Getty website.”

Capturing the moment

But for Shaw, the secret to taking a good photograph isn’t necessarily gadgets or extreme helicopter rides – it’s having a good eye.

“The moment is very important – one of my photos of the two boats passing behind Golden Gate Bridge captures them just as they’re between the lines,” he said.

“Great moments in sports photography are very important, where you’re capturing the millisecond of something happening.”