Someone once told me, “I don’t use a gun to hunt animals—my weapon is a camera.” I’ve always appreciated that sentiment. My love for animals and my stance against eating them means I could never use a gun against them. However, I have used my camera to “shoot” many animals.

Truthfully, the only animals I’ve photographed are those in the zoo or the one lounging on my couch. It sometimes feels like shooting fish in a barrel, but animals aren’t the only subjects photographers pursue.

A few years ago, I got into street photography. Initially, I didn’t even realize it was a genre—I was just capturing people going about their day. It started with a mix of traveling and shooting wedding videos. Although I’ve never done wedding photography, I loved the feeling of being a fly on the wall at events. It’s funny because, despite being a big and imposing guy, I blend right into a crowd.

Once I mastered street photography, I was hooked. Whenever I visited a new city, I’d have my camera ready, looking for interesting subjects. My partner often gets frustrated as I wander off, chasing subjects like a cat after a shiny object. Even if I say, “I’m going to take a photo,” she doesn’t always hear me, so she ends up far ahead while I catch up. She also worries I might run into trouble with the people I’m photographing.

Photography often arises spontaneously. Recently, while driving back from a suburb of Milwaukee, I passed the local airport. I’d seen it countless times before, but this time, I saw it through a photographer’s eye. I immediately thought of how striking a panoramic shot of the airport and its runways would be. Even though I didn’t have my camera, I knew I had to capture something with my iPhone.

Milwaukee’s airport has an observation area where people watch planes, which I’d always found curious. Why would people do this? I focused on capturing a plane taking off to make the shot more interesting. There was a sign about tuning into a radio station for ground crew communication, so I did. A creepy voice announced Alaska Airlines landing. I also checked the schedule to see how long I’d have to wait for the next departure.

I quickly spotted a plane leaving the terminal and took some panoramas without planes, just in case. Despite the observation area being fenced in, I got as close as possible and captured a series of shots as an Alaska Airlines flight took off, followed by three more planes. I ended up with six panoramas and was eager to stitch them together at home.

The results were both impressive and surprising. Photoshop seamlessly blended the photos and removed some of the fence. Initially, I was concerned about a large “hole” in the fence, but I cleaned up the remaining fragments to make it look like I was inside the area. I also composited images of the airplane into a few panoramas that initially lacked a plane.

A quick side note: Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about manipulating my photos with Photoshop. I remind myself, though, that since I’m not a photojournalist, ethical concerns are less pressing, and I’m always transparent about my techniques. Compositing has been part of photography since its early days. I draw the line at using generative fill to add elements; the airplane in the panorama was one I photographed and composited into a new shot. I use generative fill mainly to remove unwanted elements, like fence fragments. Tools like the clone stamp, healing brush, eraser, and dodge and burn have long been part of my arsenal. Having used Photoshop and Lightroom for decades, I’ve seen them evolve and grown with them. Exploring and experimenting with these tools can greatly enhance your photography.

In the end, I came away with two panoramic photos that I’m really proud of. One captures the view from inside the fence, and the other shows more of the fence and parking lot from a distance. I actually prefer the second one. The airport looks more like a distant speck on the horizon, and including the surrounding environment with the plane taking off overhead creates a more compelling image. The first photo isn’t bad or uninteresting, but the foreground element in the second photo adds stronger visual impact.

Overall, it was a successful hunt. It seemed a bit crazy to take time out of my day for this, especially with people waiting for me to come home. But I couldn’t help myself; it’s just who I am. I’m a photographer, and the thrill of the hunt is what I live for.

You be the judge: which photograph is more interesting? Was it worth the effort? For me, every photo opportunity, even if the results aren’t what I expected, is a chance to hone my skills as an artist and photographer. This project is a perfect example. From a distance, a panorama of the airport seemed promising, but up close, it wasn’t as captivating as I had hoped. Still, I pursued it to see what would come of it. The results weren’t exactly what I anticipated but I made it work, and I’m glad I gave it a shot—even if it was just for a blog post.