Artist, pilot has bird's eye view of Vermont

For Springfield resident Len Emery, there's a fine line between engineering, aviation, and art. Emery crisscrosses the thresholds of all three realms, again and again, during both his work and leisure time. An engineer who is also a pilot and aerial photographer, Emery is best known as and a contributing photographer to Vermont Life magazine. The artist's website – www.lenemeryphotography.com/– contains many examples of Vermont aerial and landscape photography. Art collectors interested in the work may contact Emery through the website for specifics about his work. Emery's website contains several insights into what motivates him to produce art from on high– "In late 2004 I started the Vermont from One Thousand Feet, or VT1K, project. Since I wanted to work toward my commercial pilot's license, I figured I could get in some flying time and take pictures of the Vermont countryside at the same time.The two seemed to go hand in hand. I started to fly further out from Springfield, I'm based here at Hartness State Airport." So, Emery began flying and taking photographs from the cockpit of a private plane. "I had enough prints to compile a collection of these photos—60 photos of Windsor and Windham counties. As I took more and more photos and began to compile them, a friend suggested that I make a book for sale at a gallery in Springfield where I also sell some of my other fine art photography." Emery found that as he began building up flight hours, there were more Vermont vistas worth capturing through the camera lens. "I kept flying and taking pictures. In 2004 I finished Windsor and Windham counties. Then, in 2005, Bennington and Rutland counties, In late 2006, I started Orange, Washington, and Addison counties. Most recently I have been flying over Lamoille, Chittenden, Orleans, Caledonia and the other northern counties." Last in Emery's list of Vermont counties to photograph from the air are Franklin, Essex with Grand Isle counties. He plans on finishing his Vermont grand tour soon. "I am in the studio for the winter editing, compiling and readying for print," he noted on the website. "But I continue to fly, year round, and take picture so the project never sleeps." You can view Emery's astonishing bird's eye images at the VAULT Gallery's Open Wall room in Springfield. According to the Vermont Agency of Transportation, Emery is documenting, via camera, all public access airports in the state from the air. Similar images appear in his book, "Vermont from One Thousand Feet". "There are seven books of photographs in various stages of completion waiting to be published. To date there are several thousand individual frames that have produced several hundred useable photos ultimately to be incorporated into this project. This project is an ongoing one and is supported by my photographic efforts. I sell my various works, books, cards and calendars, art prints and aviation art at selected galleries in Vermont with new projects added as needed." According to VAULT director Melody Reed, who helped set up the recent Emery photo exhibit, "Many people have told me stories about a place after viewing his aerials, from back road adventures to the changing landscape; it's fun to see the world from a bird's eye perspective." To purchase a copy of Emery's book, visit the VAULT State Craft Center at 68 Main St. in Springfield. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Artist, pilot has bird's eye view of Vermont

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