Move the Horizon – Change Perspective

On the ground outside an ordinary neighbourhood coffeehouse, under a gray, cloudy mid-morning sky, I recently experienced an extraordinary conversation with Ottawa pilot, photographer and entrepreneur Louis Helbig, owner of Egami Image.      

Once settled with a coffee in hand, Louis leaned back in his chair with only the slightest trace of uncertainty. Then he delved immediately into our discussion.  It was very quickly evident that ours would be an intensely personal exchange, and likely one from which we each might take something away.  Louis offered no simple, off hand, or superfluous answers to my intentionally provocative questions, treating each one as an opportunity to gain insight, and was both honest and thoughtful in reply.

Louis found his way to Ottawa only six years ago having grown up in rural British Columbia.  After test piloting a few different post-secondary endeavours, Louis ultimately completed a Ph.D with stints at McGill University and the London School of Economics, and then returned to B.C. for work in the political realm.  During these same years, he travelled extensively, developed a genuine interest in photography, and learned to fly.  He also remembers making a difficult choice between finishing university and enrolling in photography school.  Coming to Ottawa was a logical step for someone of serious academic pedigree, an inclination toward public policy and a strong desire to make a meaningful contribution.   Louis first worked in a non-profit organization, but eventually found himself in the federal public service.  He also found himself feeling considerably constrained by its dominant culture. 

When describing the moment in time when he realized he could not continue working for the government, it seems so obvious in retrospect.   “I couldn’t bear the thought of a ground floor office…with no natural light” he says, recalling the day he was offered a job in middle management, and noting with irony the physical location of the particular position.  For a guy who so loves the sky, the ground floor was simply a non-starter. 

Never having been driven by notions of financial security, Louis very perceptively calculated his risk.  For him, sitting confined to an occupation where he felt his idealism and creativity squandered posed a very serious hazard.  Unwilling to see his potential contribution wasted, Louis took a pass on the job.  On the road with a friend at the time, with no plan B, he decided there was no reason to rush back. 

At first, it wasn’t clear what he should do, but Louis had a plane and he loved photography.  He began taking aerial pictures of farms and houses, and sure enough, he discovered people were willing to commission him for this highly specialized work.   With no official training, Louis’ aptitude is easily recognizable.  He slowly got himself organized-planning his business, building a website, and marketing his services.   Since submitting his pictures to a portfolio review at the School of the Photographic Arts Ottawa (SPAO), Louis has also been exploring the more creative aspects of his unique aerial photography, and is now showing and selling his aerial imagery as art, as well as teaching at the SPAO.  His course title and description are quite revealing:

“GO UP, LOOK DOWN AND SEE: AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY – See the world with fresh eyes. This interactive course is about changing your perspective, literally and figuratively.”

While Louis freely admits that running his own company comes with its own stresses and strains, he is unmistakably engaged, and openly pleased that business is improving.   He says he thrives on the positive feedback he receives from admirers of his photography and conveys genuine satisfaction about earning a living through his own creation.   He repeats over and over again in different ways just how wonderfully unencumbered and unfettered he feels when taking pictures in the sky, and expresses how rewarding and nourishing his interactions are with clients, students and others who appreciate his work.    

He is grateful that he has managed to “slip the bounds of structured space, both literal and figurative”.   As a pilot and a photographer, Louis knows what happens when you move the horizon and rearrange how you see things.  He understands what a change in perspective can bring.  Floating in his plane, he captures beauty in the ordinary and patterns in nature, and he shares his vision through his stunning photography.  “It’s almost like cheating” he confesses. “It’s so easy and so free of constraints”!  

Interestingly, Louis’ characterization hints of a challenging internal struggle, although not in the classic ‘tortured artist’ sense.  It seems that the joy he derives from flying and photography may not be entirely unreserved, and that he sometimes grapples to reconcile his own happiness against a more conventional interpretation of meaningful work, particularly given his education and background.  This twinge of guilt and obligation may be a bit of a headwind for Louis, but there is no doubt that he, more so than many, will always examine the horizon from a different perspective.  

Living with integrity, in alignment with one’s individual talents and passions, does have redeeming social value – simply in setting the example.  Louis is doing just that. 

 Here, Louis offers some additional perspective:

• What do you crave?  Like everyone I guess -positive feedback.  Oh, and unfettered engagement.
• What is your greatest fear?  I’m a bit afraid of myself maybe, and of not being true to myself.
• What impresses you?  People who live with integrity.
• Where would you choose to have your portrait taken?  In my plane, or on my skis, or in the midst of conversation. 
• How would you describe your personal style?  Stream of consciousness!
• What about your living space?   I drop things all over the place like a teenager, and things are often where they are because I don’t know where else to put them. If I could hit ‘reboot’ on a daily basis, life would be great!  I do think that I am most comfortable in spaces where people live unconsciously, because it’s so real, but I do still aspire to a more uncluttered space.
• Favourite Ottawa restaurant?  The Coconut Lagoon on St. Laurent.  It is really delicious South Indian food.
• Favourite Ottawa bar?  That’s a tie between two very different spots.  Irene’s Pub on Bank St. and Barrymore’s for the music.
• What about shopping?  Where do you like to shop?  I’m actually really happy to be leaving my money behind when I’m at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market, and I think Mountain Equipment Co-op is a great institution.

Photos: Louis Helbig