SUPERMAX • ADX FLORENCE
In 2015, I got a call from The New York Times Magazine to undertake an aerial photo assignment over the Supermax, or ADX Florence, the most secure federal prison in the country.
We confirmed that the airspace above the prison was public and that I could legally fly over the Supermax to photograph. However, I knew the Federal Government would strongly prefer I not do so. I did not ask for permission, as none was required. Still, I notified the public affairs office of the prison that I would be photographing over the facility for a national editorial publication and would maintain an appropriate altitude and distance from the prison.
I drove up to Colorado midway through an evening blizzard, knowing that the next morning's forecast was clear. The helicopter pilot and I took off at dawn, taking advantage of first light raking across the fresh snow of the winter landscape. The sunlight was stark and dramatic as I framed the maximum-security prison within the picturesque and complex geography of Fremont County, home to fifteen state and federal prison facilities. Visual irony...