Behind the Shot
Zachary enjoys hanging out with his friends when he visits Southern California. Bad puns aside, he literally was hanging out with his friends when this picture was taken. He describes it best: “Picture this: It’s 11:47 p.m., you’ve only slept five or six hours in the past two days. You get a call from your friends in Los Angeles who insist that you hop on a plane first thing in the morning. You don’t ask any questions, you just do it. Fast-forward, you’re now waking up at 4:40 a.m. to drive to three helicopters that are going to fly to 7,000 feet in the blistering cold, and let you jump out. The sun is rising over the mountains, the waves are crashing on the beach, the cameras are rolling, and it’s time to jump.”
As invigorating as it was terrifying, Ryan nearly slipped off of his skid before the planned drop moment. Although he was wearing a parachute, falling too soon would have ruined the shot for the others who were jumping with him. “This was my second helicopter skydive ever. It was timed with the other helicopters for us to all drop at the exact same time. I was so cold and shivering that I nearly lost my grip. It was minus 6 degrees Celsius up there. An unforgettable morning, an amazing experience, and one I’m not sure if I’m ready to do again anytime soon.”
