WORLD SHIP SOCIETY

The PONY Branch welcomed Captain Jonathan Atkin who specializes in meticulously choreographed aerial photography for the maritime industry. Early in his career he had numerous photos published in the Washington Post, and later produced over 850 assignments for the Arts/Leisure and Travel sections of The New York Times. His first aerial assignment for The Times was photographing Royal Caribbean’s abrupt departure from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal for Bayonne, NJ. He soon became the “go-to photographer” for the Travel section anytime a new cruise ship had its debut.

Jonathan later turned to corporate aerial maritime photography for Cunard, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, numerous cargo companies and the workboat community. His aerial photography relies on robust helicopters supplemented by a fleet of professional drones to create immersive images for maritime clients.

Jonathan has been photographing Carnival Corporation ships for decades, beginning with a Bermuda sailing aboard the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 for The New York Times, creating his first aerial photos of that vessel with an industrial kite. Flying from the helo deck on Friday the 13th while in the Bermuda Triangle, he managed to fracture his wrist in the effort. In NY Harbor, his first “real” aerial of the QE2 was achieved on a foggy morning by hanging from a parasail backwards, a technique he perfected for Holland America Line at Half Moon Cay. In 2003, traveling to St. Nazaire, he photographed the QUEEN MARY 2 under construction, beginning a love affair with that beautiful ship. In Florida, at the debut of CARNIVAL GLORY, former Carnival President, Bob Dickenson quipped, “It isn’t an inaugural if Jonathan isn’t here.”