A former Indian Navy officer has offered us all a front-row seat to the raw, unfiltered force of high-altitude winds. Captain Navtej Singh has posted a video in which he is battling gusts of up to 740 kmph while photographing from a helicopter at 10,000 to 20,000 feet above sea level.
The footage, shared on Instagram, showed Singh, wielding his camera, at the entrance of the helicopter; the aircraft sliced through the sky. The wind was so violent that it rippled his face - cheeks pushed back, lips fluttered, and eyes narrowed.
Singh's skin vibrated in waves as the cold, high-altitude winds slammed him.
“The wind doesn't just touch you, it slams into your face, making your skin ripple, your muscles twist, and your eyes stretch and blur,” Singh wrote in the caption.
According to Singh, the aircraft intentionally flew without cabin pressure, a method used in military missions for aerial photography and rescue. Once the door opened, Singh struggled to stay steady against the intense wind. Secured by a seat belt and rope, he had mere moments to align his shot, describing what it was like to work in fast, cold, and strong winds.
“Breathing becomes hard, thinking becomes harder, and every part of your body wants to pull away, but your finger has to stay steady.”
He explained that in that split second, through the roar, the cold, and the shaking, he had to find his frame, find his focus, and take the shot. It was hard to see and hard to hold the camera still.
“But that's the only moment you have, and the world below won't wait. The wind tries to push you back, but the shot pulls you forward,” he wrote.
Singh, now retired, spent 32 years in the Navy, where his assignments often took him to some of the most challenging environments. Today, he continues to share his experiences and images with the world.
His journey with photography began about a decade ago, almost by chance, when he acquired a Nikon D60.
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