When photographer Tyler Leipprandt saw a photo of a B2 Bomber flying over the Rose Bowl, it instantly became part of his bucket list to capture an image of it. It took three years, but luckily, Leipprandt saw his dream come true during the 2024 Rose Bowl.
As the owner of Michigan Sky Media, Leipprandt is an expert at aerial photography. He also has experience with this type of shot, having captured flyover images at other big games. Once he discovered that Michigan would be playing the Rose Bowl, he seized the moment and started planning for the big day.
This not only included booking flights and hotels in Los Angeles, but also reserving a helicopter for the big event. Accompanying him was his brother, who is based in LA. It made the moment even sweeter, as Leipprandt's brother is also an Air Force veteran.
Leipprandt's dream was certainly a big risk, big reward scenario. With the expense of travel, tickets, and—most importantly—the helicopter, if the photographer hadn't gotten the shot, it would have been a costly mistake. To minimize the risk, he worked with a five-camera setup, and even armed his brother with gear to help get additional imagery.
In the end, Leipprandt's gamble paid off, and he took the photo of a lifetime, all while being able to enjoy the moment with family. “This photo not only represents the tradition of the Rose Bowl, [and] the selflessness of those serving in the Air Force, but it also represents my dreams coming to reality as a photographer,” Leipprandt shares.
Now, he's selling prints of the image via his website and already scouting his next adventure.
Tyler Leipprandt kicked off 2024 with an incredible photo of a B2 Bomber flying over the Rose Bowl during the Michigan-Alabama game.
Go behind the scenes to see how he got this shot.
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And enjoy even more footage from the 2024 Rose Bowl.
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