How Aerial Images Photography and Gold Seal Photography evolved

Here's my story (and I'm sticking to it!):

My name is Allan Goldstein and I am the owner of GoldSeal Photography and Aerial Images
Photography.

Back in the 70's and 80's, I was a computer programmer, consultant and budding stand-up
comic when I met Richard, a photographer and fellow consultant at a company picnic. We both
worked on the large IBM mainframes programming in such blah languages as COBOL, IMS and
CICS.

I was also a pilot at the time. I had gotten my private pilots license in the early 1970's when I
was a Chicago high school math teacher. I flew for a couple years, met my wife Terry and
decided to save our money for less frivilous things, like babies and a house.

In 1986, I was coerced by friends into an airplane ride..and darn..I was hooked again. Flying is
NOT a hobby..it IS a disease. One day, a computer firm I was working at held their company
picnic. I decided to fly over the picnic with a camera and take photos of the people lined up
making the letters "CTG". Surprise of surprises...my first attempt at aerial photography was a
success! The company even published the photos in their corporate newsletter.

RIchard and I were discussing the photography and ALL OF A SUDDEN...we both came up with
the idea to start a business. Credit for the Aerial Images name goes to his wife, but the logo
design was all Richard's.

Were we ever excited! But we had no idea who would use aerial photos, nor did we have any
idea what kind of equipment (or how pricey) was needed. We did some practice flights with a
35mm camera and experimented, did our research and asked tons of questions. Our
conclusion: 35mm cameras just did not produce the professional results we wanted .

The camera of choice became the Pentax 6x7 with a negative size of 6cm x 7cm --certainly a
professional piece of equipment. However in late 2003, we made the switch to digital with the
Fuji FinePix S-2 and in February, 2007, we purchased the incredible Canon 1DS Mark II with
17megapixels, which can be seen on the "Equipment List" page.)

We never bothered with marketing studies or fancy business plans--we just thought this was
something that would be needed. But we were both very hesitant to spend lots of money on a
venture that might not even work out.

We searched Crain's Chicago Business and many other sources for the "Movers and Shakers"
wrote some letters, made some phone calls; and lo and behold, slowly, (excruciating slowly),
business trickled in. Our first customer, incidentally, was a chemical company in Wauconda, IL.
We shot 35mm slides and we had to go back THREE times until we finally got it right.

In time, I earned my instrument rating, commercial license, a couple instructor ratings and my
multi-engine rating. I even had a business renting out airplanes at DuPage airport and when the
business was dissolved, I kept my favorite airplane: a beautiful Cessna Skyhawk, which I now
use mainly for personal trips and fun. Although this airplane is equipped for aerial photography
work, insurance requirements have forced us to utilize another aircraft for this purpose.

Fast forward to 1997 when we added our own darkroom with an enlarger and photoprocessor.
We could do all sizes up to 20x24" for our clients--and in a very quick timeframe. Now we have
a digital darkroom with Epson printers for highly professional work.

We are located in Elk Grove Village, IL, about 6 miles west of the Worlds Busiest: O'hare
International Airport and 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. So, if you are ever in the
area, be sure to stop in for a cup of coffee.

Oh yes...we can't forget my best friends Jammer and his step-brother Roscoe.