Aiming High: Aviation and Space Imagery by Photographer and Contributor James Michael Knauf
Launch of Starlink 15-9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, photographed from Rancho Palos Verdes.
I was thrilled to learn that one of my photo entries to Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine’s Annual Photo Contest won First Place in the Space category.
This and other winning images are online now at https://aviationweek.com/.../aviation-week-2025-photo..., and will appear in print in the December 8-21 issue of the magazine. After a few years of trying, this is my first win, although I’ve previously had two photos published in Aviation Week in 2023 and 2024.
Those earlier selections were Editor’s Picks (a sort of Honorable Mention) in the new Photo Illustration category, which allows for heavy digital post-processing. One photo illustrates the operation of an F-22 fighter plane’s weapons bay, while I manipulated the other to create a high-contrast black-and-white image of two men talking on the wing of a WWII P-38J fighter plane.
F-22 Raptor Demo (four-image composite photo illustration of weapons bay door operation)
Hangar Talk. P-38J “Skidoo” at Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, California.
I’ve learned over the years that in any photo contest, gaining recognition is somewhat random. Of course, one’s talent and execution in making the photograph count. But assuming one has followed the contest rules, getting selected for an award then depends on what’s trending in photography at the moment, the quantity and quality of other entrants’ work, and the judges’ artistic preferences (and maybe even how they feel the day the work is judged!) But one tries, and half the fun is just getting your work out there.
Here are a few of the other images I submitted but were not selected for Aviation Week’s contest this year.
Twilight launch of Falcon 9 / Starlink 11-6 carrying twenty-three satellites to orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base as viewed over Santa Monica Bay from Palos Verdes. Honorable Mention, Orange County Fair.
Canadian Forces Snowbirds Big Diamond formation over the top, Pacific Airshow, Huntington Beach, October 2025.
Luke Czepiela’s Carbon Cub approaches for a spot landing on the beach before the airshow crowd at the Pacific Airshow, Huntington Beach, October 2025.
“In the cockpit” with Vicky Benzing preparing to take off in her 1940 Boeing Stearman for an aerobatic performance at Apple Valley, California.
Sometimes I like to take a colorful photo and digitally manipulate it in post-processing to create a digital art piece with a more painterly or even nostalgic aesthetic.
Jason Somes’ High Alpha Airshows Soviet era Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, Apple Valley, California.
Planes of Fame WWII combat veteran SBD-5 Dauntless Dive Bomber, Apple Valley, California.
Aviation Week editors posted a video shedding a little light on this year’s contest. There were more entries this year than they’ve had in a while. Here’s my summary of what they said the judges were looking for and what appealed to them about the selected entries:
o A degree of professionalism, sharp photogs, and varied subject matter.
o Not photographs of just an airplane in a blank sky, or an unexciting side view.
o Some kind of landscape in the photo, something happening, something of interest, something that tells a story.
o Things they haven’t seen before. Not surprisingly, they get lots of imitations of previous years’ winners, so…do something different!
o Good caption information is beneficial to the judges. Aviation Week’s readers are, after all, deeply interested in the technical details of aircraft, spacecraft, and their technology and operations.
In short, judges are looking for originality, creativity, and technical proficiency from the photographer. But that’s what judges are looking for in any contest, gallery, or publication. To win, be invited, or get published, all you need is proficiency, practice, and persistence…and a bit of luck.
Although you won’t find them in Aviation Week, I’m occasionally out there photographing birds. The magic of flight is not just about airplanes and rockets.
Hummingbird hovering amid Birds of Paradise. 2nd Place, Animals Division, Los Angeles County Fair.
I’m a photographer in Rolling Hills Estates, retired Air Force colonel, and former aerospace engineer who worked for 35 years in space programs. In addition to aviation and space photography, my work ranges from night skies and landscapes to city streets, architecture, and wildlife. But it all starts with curiosity and a sense of “wow.” Lately, I’ve focused on getting my work into local and online galleries and juried photo competitions, and of course, into Aviation Week. Several images have been invited or recognized at the Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego Fairs, as well as the Gallery of Hermosa, Covet Gallery, Peninsula Library, and several online galleries.
See more of my work at https://www.jamesknaufphotos.com. Follow me on Instagram @knaufj.