A while ago, a project for a travel website at my company was征集 aircraft photos as material. I provided a head-on shot of a 787, and to my surprise, it was selected.

Thinking back, that kind of photo is indeed quite difficult to take. After all, most shooting locations only allow you to capture the side of the aircraft. There are very few spots where you can grab a shot of the “face,” and even then, it’s just for an instant. Clear, high-resolution images are genuinely rare.

So, I’ve organized some of my past shots to share a few and see how they look.

The one selected was this All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787, taken outside Osaka Itami Airport, about 20–30 seconds before landing.

The wing shape characteristics of the 787 are clear at a glance. With the Flaps deployed, it really looks like a giant bird.

Also, there were some clouds in the sky at the time, so the light contrast wasn’t too harsh, making the details more visible.

Taken at the same spot, here is a Boeing 777. I included the Runway lead-in lights and the photographers on the ground in the frame to give it a better sense of “being there.”

Another JAL Boeing 777 at the same location. There was a bit of a crosswind at the time, and the pilot was constantly adjusting the Attitude (attitude), so the fuselage is slightly tilted. In this kind of situation, if it were captured as video, it would be even more dramatic.

Still at Osaka Itami Airport, let’s look at a 787 on the ground from a different angle. Since the line of sight is basically parallel to the ground, the 787’s high vertical stabilizer leaves a particularly deep impression.

A 747-400 on the ground looks the most majestic. This was taken at Osaka Kansai Airport—a true “big head” shot. Also, look at its winglets; the shape difference compared to the 787 and 747-8 makes them easy to identify.

Above the 747 in the previous photo, a 777 was being pushed out. It’s like “two brothers,” taking a photo together. With the 747 as a foil, the 777’s “face” looks even more handsome.

A close-up of this Delta 747 at Nagoya Chubu Airport. It really does look like a goofy big goose head from this angle. This might be the most classic angle for the 747.

The photos above were all 747-400s. Let’s see how the latest 747-8 looks?

This was taken at the Hong Kong New Airport. I feel the body lines of the 748 are very smooth and fluid. The raked wingtips are quite striking. Sure enough, as times progress, the 748 is much more handsome than the 744.

Also at Hong Kong Airport, here is a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330. Perhaps the telephoto lens was pulled in too close, but the face feels somewhat distortedly fat.

An Airbus A320 at Osaka Kansai Airport. I first learned about this model when it participated in the Beijing International Airshow in 1988 and have liked it ever since. Its petite, exquisite size is truly cute.

In contrast, look at this Airbus A340 at Narita Airport. The face shape feels similar to the A320 and A330. This is what “looking like a family” means. I don’t know why the brothers in the Boeing family look so different from each other?

Let’s end with a close-up of the youngest member of the Boeing family, the 787. How else can you describe it other than “cool”?

Speaking of which, I haven’t managed to get a head-on shot of the A380 yet. I need to strive to fill that gap soon.