With any photograph I create, or any Rescue Swimmer Shop design, the first step is a lot of visualization. When I came up with the photograph of the Silhouette I can remember not really sleeping for a couple weeks trying to imagine something creative and picturing the image in my head.

The process is the same for these designs, but for some reason all my ideas come to me when I am driving listening to music... embarrassingly enough, it's usually the same song on repeat for hours or days while I think about it.

I can use a camera and lighting equipment pretty damn well... I have no problem lighting a subject with strobes and translating exactly what I have dreamt up in my  imagination to a photograph. I think that's why I like creative portraiture so much, I enjoy coming up with the idea first and then bringing that idea to life.

There's one problem with these designs... I have zero artistic ability outside of a camera... I can't draw at all. I have learned to solve this problem by searching for graphic designers that are also artists. Finding someone who's work I like, and who's style is able to take what's in my head and make a reality. Usually this takes countless revisions.

Today I am going to show you where the flight mechanic design started, and where it finished. The idea starts with a photograph I created in 2006... The photograph had a couple weeks of thought into it when it was originally created... it's pretty well known in the Coast Guard Aviation community and I thought a creative shirt design for mechs would be cool.

As I thought about the photograph... specifically the hand and cable, I wanted to create something that would resinate with them. What I came up with are the commands they use while hoisting. Integrating the those commands with the photograph and trying to come out with a piece of artwork was the plan.  At first my idea was just to use the hand and cable, then have the conning commands as artsy font surrounding it.  You will see how this evolves from that, to actually using the commands as the design. A lot of, "I don't like it, it's not working, let's try this."

I have an outstanding graphic designer who is also an amazing artist... Without him, making these ideas come to life just isn't possible. So thank you ; )

How long did this take? Probably two weeks of formulating the idea, then 3-4 weeks of revisions until complete.

Huge thank you to all the flight mechanics and hoist operators out there around the world... this image is for you. I hope you enjoy it.

Chris Razoyk

All images Copyright Christopher Razoyk