Ivan Izquierdo Elliot

HISTORY OF A FLIGH
411 Squadron
GRUP4-La Joya 1992

- Ivan, we need photos for the end of the Training Plan of the year.
- What do they have in mind?
-What do you think about... Machu Picchu!
-Cool!
For fighter pilots, the sky is the limit, literally and figuratively. I can't refuse the offer to
climb into the ether in a technological ingenuity of war, especially if it means performing
the job I hold most dear, that of photographer.
In no time we are ready to take off. That day I decided to use a new Kodak Ektar 25 film
that I bought in Lima and recently introduced to the market, a decision that I would regret
later.
Four SU-22 aircraft departed. Me in the two-seater, of course. The plan was to take the
photo of the other three "Sukoys" with the citadel of Macchu Picchu in the background. In
a few minutes we covered the short distance between Arequipa and Cusco with the
powerful fighters.
The squadron began the descent into the valley of the Vilcanota River that meandered
below. As we descend between the mountains, they begin to caress our metal wings with
increasing concern. We should look down on the Apus (mountain Gods of the Incas), but by
that time they were already higher than our squadron!
—The mountains are beginning to surround us! — is heard over the intercom.
—Yes. They're very close indeed—
—Can you see Macchu Picchu? — Another voice asks.
—I don't know if we should go that low. We're in the middle of the mountains—
—There's Macchu Picchu!" shouts “Bronco” over the intercom, "take the picture!" Take the
picture! You see it! —
Suddenly, I see the "Bronco" plane on my left against the valley floor. Below, far below and
obscured by shadows, I perceive the faint path that leads up to the citadel, invisible to me at
that moment.
—Yes, I see it! — I shout— Photo! Photo! Photo!...
Just three frames before the fighters quickly escape the from the trap, outwitting the wrath
of the Apus. It was the consequence of the technology of the time. The limitations of the
film, the small exposure latitude, and the absence of a motor to pull the film were important
considerations to consider. Every shot, every frame, meant the difference between a good
photograph and disaster.
Ivan Izquierdo Elliot

I took the roll of film to be developed in a laboratory in Arequipa. I didn't realize that the
new film hadn't reached that market yet and that it required a different development
process. In addition, the film was ISO 25, a very low sensitivity but not a problem for
photographing airplanes in flight at high altitude, where the sun shines very strongly.
The result? A disaster. The negative ended up under-exposed and with very little definition
(in sight).
The uselessness of the images turned out to be a serious blow to my prestige and pride.
Still, I saved the negatives carefully, hoping that the future would provide solutions.
And so, it was. Digital photography technology has come a long way and artificial
intelligence provides new tools (AI has been used somehow since the 1990s with the
introduction of Photoshop).
After digitizing the "lost" negative and subjecting it to a digital development process, in a
few hours I was able to extract this image, unpublished, unusual - and now that the
venerable SU-22 is resting their retirement - it will be unrepeatable.
Ivan Izquierdo Elliot

HISTORY OF A FLIGHT I

411 Squadron
GRUP4-La Joya 1992

- Ivan, we need photos for the end of the EDP.

- What do they have in mind?
-What do you think... Machu Picchu.
-Cool!
For fighter pilots, the sky is the limit, literally and figuratively. I can't refuse the offer to
climb into the ether in a technological ingenuity of war, especially if it means performing
the job I hold most dear, that of photographer.
In no time we are ready to take off. That day I decided to use a new Kodak Ektar 25 film
that I bought in Lima and recently introduced to the market, a decision that I would regret
later.
Four SU-22 aircraft departed. Me in the two-seater, of course. The plan was to take the
photo of the other three "Sukoys" with the citadel of Macchu Picchu in the background. In
a few minutes we covered the short distance between Arequipa and Cusco with the
powerful fighters.
The squadron began the descent into the valley of the Vilcanota River that meandered
below. As we descend the mountains, they begin to caress our metal wings with increasing
concern. We should look down on the Apus, but by that time they were already higher than
our squadron!
- The mountains are beginning to surround us! – is heard over the intercom.
- Yes. They're very close-
- Can you see Macchu Picchu? Another voice asks.
- I don't know if we should go that low. We're in the middle of the mountains-
- There's Macchu Picchu!" shouts Bronco over the intercom, "take the picture!" Take
the picture! You see it!
Suddenly, I see the "Bronco" plane on my left against the valley floor. Below, far below and
obscured by shadows, I perceive the faint path that leads up to the citadel, invisible to me at
that moment.
- Yes, I see it! – I answer into the microphone – Photo! Photo! Photo!...
Just three frames before the fighters quickly escape the tread, outwitting the wrath of the
Apus. It was the consequence of the technology of the time. The limitations of the film, the
small exposure latitude and the absence of a motor to pull the film were important
considerations to take into account. Every shot, every frame, meant the difference between
a good photograph and disaster.
Ivan Izquierdo Elliot

I took the roll of film to be developed in a laboratory in Arequipa. I didn't realize that the
new film hadn't reached that market yet and that it required a different development
process. In addition, the film was ISO 25, a very low sensitivity but not a problem for
photographing airplanes in flight at high altitude, where the sun shines very strongly.
The result? A disaster. The negative ended up under-exposed and with very little definition
(in sight).
The uselessness of the images turned out to be a serious blow to my prestige and pride.
Still, I saved the negatives carefully, hoping that the future would provide solutions.
And so it was. Digital photography technology has come a long way and artificial
intelligence provides new tools (beware, AI has been used since the 1990s with the
introduction of Photoshop).
After digitizing the "lost" negative and subjecting it to a digital development process, in a
few hours I was able to extract this image, unpublished, unusual - and now that the
venerable SU-22 is resting their retirement - it will be unrepeatable.