Ken Kula

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I’m a New Englander from day one… born in MA, went to grade school in CT, moved to NH to attend Daniel Webster College 1977-81.

Retired after a 30-year career as an FAA Boston Center enroute air traffic controller/staff specialist/operational supervisor in 2009.

I live in Manchester, NH in a renovated 1910 Vistorian home with my wife Shirl, an adult daughter Liz, and multiple pet dogs. Our adult son Derek and our 7-year old granddaughter Taylor live nearby.

I began my aviation photo pursuit by combining air shows and photography while in college, my first two 35mm cameras were an Argus C3 rangefinder and a Pentax K1000. I work with NIKON equipment now. Had my first article published in the Atlantic Flyer in 1989 (Ottawa, ON air show) and have contributed ever since. Writing became a “means to an end” to get my photos published, but I’d rather take pictures! I began with a “quantity rather than quality” thought process, trying to get as many types and airlines/markings as possible on film. I’ve reversed it now, where quality is much more important than quantity; I wish I’d begun that way too.

I’ve been fortunate in that I have travelled extensively, and have photographed air shows and events in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the U.K., and across North America. I’ve spent time taking airliner photos in places such as Amsterdam, London Heathrow, and Helsinki, but I’ve spent a lot of time in my “back yard” at Boston MA too.

Unfortunately, most of my collection is on film – negatives and slides, so I have a lot of scanning to do with my trusty NIKON Coolscan V. I’m greatful that some talented and generous people have helped me with photography over the years, and I’m still learning.

My interests include airliners, modern military and warbirds, and current events. I get to 8 to 10 shows and events per year. One of my pet projects is to compile a digital photo database of every different type and model of aircraft in my thousands of images… that’ll take some time!

I look forward to seeing other’s work – so I can continue my aviation education.

Cheers,

Ken Kula August, 2010