Dallas Editorial Photography - Jet Linx and Jason Witten

.With football hopefully kicking off soon (had to do it), I thought it would be great to share some images that I took a while back of Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. The project was shot for SOAR Magazine, which is a publication that is produced by the private jet company Jet Linx. I’ve done other work as a Dallas commercial photographer for them, and was super excited at the opportunity to work with Mr. Witten.

For the shoot concept, the client wanted to shoot our subject going through the different segments of the private jet experience, so we created a shoot plan to move through three different locations at their Dallas jet base. As with most people I photograph, speed and efficiency is the key, and this shoot was no exception. We had to be able to move quickly from shooting in the waiting area to outside in the hangar, then move the setup over to where the jet was stationed. I decided to have as much of my lighting preset in the different locations as was possible, though we did encounter a slight wrinkle. The shoot took place in the winter, so it was everything this Dallas editorial photographer could do to keep his hands from going numb. My assistant did his best to resemble a sherpa and fight the cold, but it was super chilly and very windy. 

As I have found on previous shoots, lighting equipment and wind are not usually seen hanging out together having a great conversation over drinks. It actually more resembles a kindergarten playground, where one is just trying to throw the other into the ground. I’ve had a little bit too much first hand experience of this as a Dallas editorial photographer, and decided to keep some of the gear that would be fully exposed set closer to the building until it was show time. I also had sandbags. A lot of sandbags. This did slow us down a bit, but better than having to tell the client we no longer have lights. 

Once Jason came in though, we snapped into action. It also helped that he was super chill and flexible. I was incredibly impressed by his demeanor, and you would have no idea he was one of the best players for the Dallas Cowboys, or in the NFL. I am always curious as to how subjects will be behind the camera, especially for celebrities. I always held him in high regard, but now have even more respect for the guy, and now that he’s back, can’t wait to cheer him on. 

We ran through each scene, and had him in the waiting room, then talking with the Jet Linx executive team and customer service team, and finished out all of our shots around and in the jet. It was a great experience, and I hope that I get another opportunity to shoot Dallas editorial photography with him again!