Sep 15, 2010 7:00 AM

Gallery: Inside the World's Most Opulent Private Jets

Nick Gleis-Copyright Reserved
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*"The important high-tech instruments," says Nick Gleis, "are surrounded by the warmth and outer glow of an inviting command center. The lighting draws the viewer’s attention to the center - while the glow of the screens keeps the focus there." Photo: Nick Gleis*
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*Gleis: "Utilizing the mirrored ceiling and specialized optics I was able to make the room appear much larger than it really is." Photo: Nick Gleis*

Nick Gleis-Copyright Reserved
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*"Combining the room lighting with supplementary lighting - then hiding the supplementary lighting so it doesn’t appear in the high-gloss cabinets - is always a major challenge." Photo: Nick Gleis*
Nick Gleis ©
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*"Styling a photograph so that the room looks comfortable and inviting -- without overpowering the interior itself - requires a delicate touch. I often use a professional stylist I‘ve worked with for years to get just the right balance."* Photo: Nick Gleis

Nick Gleis 540-459-8996
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*"Designers go to great lengths to add fine details that sometimes become lost in overall room photos. About 20 percent of the photographs I take of large aircraft show small but important design elements in an artistic manner. Each element needs to be properly lit to accentuate the design and function artistically." Photo: Nick Gleis*
Nick Gleis ©
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*Photo: Nick Gleis*

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*Photo: Nick Gleis*
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*"Dealing with reflections is always a major concern. Keeping both myself and my equipment out of the photograph is an art that takes many years of practice. Today’s technology allows the photographer more latitude with reflections, but one still needs to be very aware of them." Photo: Nick Gleis*

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*"Lighting is everything. The highly reflective surface and the abalone shell made this photograph a real challenge to take." Photo: Nick Gleis*
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*"On an aircraft the chairs, tables and divans cannot be moved other than to make small adjustments."* Photo: Nick Gleis

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*Photo: Nick Gleis*
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*"The reflection of the lighting behind the camera creates the effect of a golden angel spreading its wings. To achieve just the right look involves a lot of trial and error lighting - and more than a few hours."* Photo: Nick Gleis

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*"Lavatories are always too small. Making such a small space look spacious without optical distortion requires the right equipment. The photographer must know how to minimize the inherent optical distortion of a very wide angle lens." Photo: Nick Gleis*
Nick Gleis ©
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*"The combination of accent lighting, house lighting and photographer’s lighting must be effectively blended to give the viewer a clear feeling of what it’s like to stand in that room." Photo: Nick Gleis*