Photographer’s stunning aerial photographs reveal busy American airports before coronavirus lockdowns left them virtually abandoned

• Photographer Toby Harriman has spent time capturing aerial views of some the largest airports in the US 
• Images show angles over airports like San Francisco International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International
• In the photos, Delta Air Lines planes and United aircraft are among those seen parked or taxiing on runway  
• Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

An Alaska-based photographer has spent the past few years taking incredible aerial photos of some of the largest airports in the United States. 

The images were captured by photographer, Toby Harriman, who developed a love for aerial photography and cinematography after taking his first doors-off helicopter flight in 2012. 

The images show breathtaking views of airports like San Francisco International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport and the Los Angeles International Airport. 

Harriman said he has also photographed smaller airports like the Talkeetna Airport in Talkeetna, Alaska.

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These incredible images were captured by photographer, Toby Harriman, who developed a love for aerial photography and cinematography after taking his first doors-off helicopter flight in 2012. This image shows planes parked at terminals at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on August 12, 2018 

The images show breathtaking views of airports like San Francisco International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport and the Los Angeles International Airport (pictured on January 28, 2020)

Harriman said Chicago O’Hare was his favorite, but hardest airport to photograph. This image shows a roadway leading to the airport as well as parked planes on August 12, 2018 

Harriman’s images aren’t just limited to the runways and terminals, He also captured aerial views of the unique designs of parking garages (pictured at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on August 12, 2018) and roadways surrounding some of America’s busiest airports

Some of the images show dozens of planes of all sizes from major airlines like United and Delta Air Lines parked at terminal gates.  

Photos show planes taxiing to the runways, while other images showed planes taking off. Harriman even captured some planes landing, including a FedEx cargo plane that was seen preparing to put its wheels down at the San Diego International Airport. 

Harriman’s images aren’t just limited to the runways and terminals, He also captured aerial views of the unique designs of parking garages and roadways surrounding some of America’s busiest airports. 

In an interview with the New Atlas, Harriman revealed that the first airport that he ever took aerial photos of was the San Francisco International Airport. 

Harriman told the site that while his favorite airport to photograph was Chicago O’Hare, it was also the hardest. 

‘The most logistical has been Chicago O’Hare,’ Harriman said. ‘I was working for client shooting properties on literally every side of the airport. So we were crossing back and forth. We were even put on hold over 15 minutes at one point,’ he explained.  

This image shows an angle of Chicago O’Hare’s parking areas on August 12, 2018. Planes can also be seen taxiing to the runways in the background of the image 

Multiple planes are seen parked at a terminal of the Los Angeles International Airport on January 28, 2020

An Alaska Airlines plane is seen taxiing to the runway after leaving a terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport on January 6, 2020

Three Southwest Airlines jets are seen deboarding and boarding passengers at a terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport on January 28, 2020

An Air France jet is seen taxiing to a terminal after landing at the Los Angeles International Airport on January 6, 2020 

Photos show planes taxiing to the runways, while other images showed planes taking off (left and right) from the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport on June 10, 2018

Harriman also explained why Chicago O’Hare was his favorite airport to photograph. 

‘Just listening to the air traffic controllers here was fascinating. You realize how difficult their jobs are, not that I was making it any easier being there for a photo flight,’ he told the New Atlas. 

Harriman hasn’t decided which airport he will photograph next, but he did say that his goal is to finish off the major airports in the US before moving on to capturing aerial images of airports in other countries. 

‘At this point, I haven’t shot enough to really narrow down my next locations,’ he explained. 

Southwest jets are seen parked at a terminal at the San Diego International Airport on January 29, 2020

An Alaska Airlines jet heads to the runway at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport on June 10, 2018

A Southwest jet is seen taxiing to the runway at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport on June 10, 2018

Harriman even captured some planes landing, including a FedEx cargo plane (pictured on January 29, 2020) that was seen preparing to put its wheels down at the San Diego International Airport

An American Airlines jet followed by a Delta Air Lines plane are seen taxiing at the San Diego International Airport on January 29, 2020

Four Southwest jets are seen parked at the San Diego International Airport on January 29, 2020

Harriman revealed that the first airport that he ever took aerial photos of was the San Francisco International Airport (pictured on June 10, 2018)

Harriman captured the winding roadways that lead to the San Francisco International Airport on June 10, 2018

The busy roadways that lead to the San Francisco International Airport are seen in this aerial image taken on June 10, 2018

The San Francisco International Airport sits by the San Francisco Bay (pictured in this aerial image taken on June 10, 2018)

A passenger jet is seen preparing for takeoff from a runway at the San Francisco International Airport on June 10, 2018 

Based in Alaska, Harriman shared this aerial image of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, which was taken on June 4, 2017

This image shows another aerial angle of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. It was taken on June 4, 2017

Harriman said he has also taken images of much smaller airports, including the Talkeetna Airport in Talkeetna, Alaska. This image was taken on September 7, 2017

Harriman captured one plane parked at a terminal (left) and another taxiing to the runway (right) while flying over the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on August 12, 2018

Harriman flew over the Chicago Midway International Airport during a sunset to capture this image on October 10, 2015  

This night aerial of Chicago Midway International on October 10, 2015, shows dozens of Southwest planes parked at terminals 

Another night aerial image of the Chicago Midway International Airport shows a close-up of Southwest planes parked at terminals on October 10, 2015 

A United Express aircraft is seen being pushed out of a terminal right before it taxied to a runway at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on August 12, 2018

This close up image of an American Airlines jet was captured by Harriman at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on August 12, 2018

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