Northrop Grumman

Intent

Defense and aerospace work carries inherent gravitas — these are machines built for serious purposes. The lighting needed to feel monumental, almost reverent. Not action-movie flashy, but the kind of considered, powerful imagery that makes you pause and appreciate the engineering. Think cathedral light, but for aircraft hangars.

Challenge

Superbowl spots have massive audiences with wildly different viewing conditions — some on giant TVs, some on phones in noisy bars. The lighting had to read clearly at any size while maintaining the premium quality Northrop Grumman expects. And aerospace subjects have complex surfaces — matte panels, reflective canopies, subtle curves — that all respond to light differently.

Approach

I used a lot of motivated practicals — hangar lights, runway lights, the glow of instrument panels. This grounded the dramatic lighting in something believable. Large soft sources from above gave that hangar feeling, while careful edge lighting revealed the aircraft forms. Kept the palette restrained — blues and silvers mostly, with warm accents from practical sources.

Reference

Aviation photography by guys like Paul Bowen, who somehow makes military aircraft feel both powerful and elegant. Also the cinematography of Tony Scott's Top Gun — that golden-hour glamour applied to serious machinery.