I just documented an annual event called Fantasy Flights. United and Continental take a group of children—usually children being treated for a variety of serious conditions at a local hospital—and “fly” them to the North Pole. The company donates staff, space and the airplane.

More than forty children who have recently been treated for serious illness at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and University Hospital in Newark “flew” to the North Pole aboard a 767 piloted by United’s chief pilot Mike Bowers. (I’ve previously photographed Captain Bowers for his work with the company’s Breast Cancer Month awareness program.)

Unfortunately a display malfunction in the cockpit prevented an actual flight, instead the plane did a “fast taxi” to simulate a flight to the North Pole. That didn’t really matter as the kids were blown away by the display at the terminal—Gate 90 had been converted into a giant snowy landscape with Santa, elves and costumed characters.

The kids ran down the jetway to see Santa. They hugged him and the other costumed characters, they ate great food, had ice cream and got presents. A day without doctor’s appointments, treatments or worries.

Yeah, I cried a few times.

You can read the excellent coverage of this event over on the NJ.com site.

This pose of Jariel is from that perspective, it’s something I also do at weddings and portraits, but a more extreme example. When shooting on location I’ll bring a step ladder or find a chair and hop up on it so that the camera is shooting from just above the subject. Jariel here is lower so I had him look right up at me, the camera being held directly above his head.

We were all laughing over the photo booth pictures as well—their guest were really great in the photo booth. Here’s one of the night’s first shots from the booth; I usually grab some of the kids and ask them to help me start it off. Everyone sees them playing with the props and gets interested and by the time the guests get tipsy they kick the kids out and take some really great photos.

Captain Bowers is an incredible guy, he formerly flew F-14 Tomcats for the U.S. Navy, he’s been with Continental for decades and is at the helm of some of the most incredible planes in the world.

He’s also generous with his time and friendly, something you want from the guy in the front of the plane. We stopped a few times during the shoot for Captain Bowers to chat with everyone from pilots to the ground crew—he seemed really happy to be working with this great group of employees.