Photography by Craig Woods
If you’ve spent some time in Pensacola, you already know—when the Blue Angels are in the sky, everything else pauses.
For local photographer, Craig Wood, this feeling isn’t new. It’s something he’s been chasing since he was a kid, sitting at airshows with his dad, watching those blue and yellow jets rumble overhead. Now, years later, that same fascination has turned into something much bigger: his newly released photography book, Anthology in Blue.
This project didn't just land in Craig’s lap—it grew naturally. Craig, along with fellow local photogra-
phers, Kyle “JK” Adams and James Baldwin, had each toyed around the idea of creating their own Blue Angels book. But during the last airshow season, something shifted. The idea became collaborative.
Instead of each person chasing their own best shot, they decided to bring everything together—their work, perspectives, and experience. The result is a collection that goes beyond what any singular photographer could capture alone on their own. As Craig put it, “No matter how good you are, someone else is always going to catch something you didn’t.”
While the images are the heart of Anthology in Blue, the book goes a step further. It tells the full story of the Blue Angels, the precision of the formations, the power of the solo pilots, and the behind-the-scenes work most people never think about. From Fat Albert to the support crew to the traditions bringing the team back home each week, it gives a fuller picture of what’s really happening. Because it’s more than just jets in the sky.
Every photographer has a favorite, and for Craig, one image stands out. It’s a solo jet flying low over Pensacola Beach, captured from the fishing pier, just feet above the Gulf. But what makes it even more interesting is what sits right beside it in the book—a nearly identical shot taken by co-author Kyle Adams. Same maneuver, same location, but a different year, different light, and a different pilot. Together, the two images tell a bigger story. It’s the same moment, but not the same at all.
Photographing the Blue Angels isn’t as easy as it looks. These jets fly between 400 and 700 miles per hour, which means there’s no time to hesitate. Technical skills matters, but so does anticipation. Knowing the sequence of the show helps, but instinct plays just as big of a role. Then you add in everything else—lighting, weather, humidity, even the density of the air—and every shot becomes a moving target.
Even with experience, there are moments that get away. Craig remembers one in particular—a jet banking upward through humid air, bending light around its wings in a way that looked real. He saw it happen, but couldn’t move fast enough to capture it. It’s a shot he’s still chasing.
When it comes to lighting, Craig doesn’t hesitate—sunset, every time. Most Blue Angels demonstrations happen earlier in the day, but every now and then, everything lines up perfectly. The timing, light, color all come together to get something completely different. And when it does, that’s the shot.
For locals, the Blue Angels aren't just a show, but an identity unique to Pensacola. You see them everywhere, on signs, billboards, and in the sky nearly every weekend during the season. For Craig, photographing them isn’t just about getting a great image. It’s about representing an event and culture that means a lot to this community. Something people here take pride in.
When Anthology in Blue arrives at the National Naval Aviation Museum, it won’t just be a collection of beautiful images, but a reminder that behind every pass, formation, and perfectly times moment in the sky, there's a lot going on most people don't realize. And thanks to three local photographers who decided to work together instead of alone, that story is finally being told the way it deserves.
The Design Team
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