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Aerial photographer presents life from above

Jeffrey Milstein, 71, has made a name for himself by capturing breathtaking images from high above
Aerial photographer shares view from the sky 02:12

KINGSTON, N.Y. - Dangling out of a helicopter above New York City is just a typical afternoon for 71-year-old photographer Jeffrey Milstein.

From 2,000 feet up, Milstein captures our world from a different perspective.

"You see where everything is," Milstein said. "You see how people are moving, how housing is formed and the different patterns and the roads. You get a feel for how they look from the air."

Milstein started flying and taking photos as a teenager. Fifty years later, he still loves to do both. He spent 20 years as an architect, but 15 years ago, he turned his focus to his camera.

"I like to try to create some order out of the chaos by getting things very lined up and balanced," said Milstein.

His unique approach of shooting the underbelly of an airplane landed him a show at the Smithsonian.

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Photographer Jeffrey Milstein, 71, hangs out the side of a helicopter while taking aerial photos of New York City. CBS News

"The thing that I like about it is you get all the detail and then you can blow it up really big so you get the sense of what it's like when a big giant plane flies over your head," he said.

He flies below an object and over others. He's photographed skylines, airports, and cruise ships, just to name a few.

"You start looking at it and you start seeing the golf putting course, and the basketball courts," said Milstein, pointing to one of his photographs of a cruise ship. "Each one is its own little story."

Milstein's work will be on exhibition at the Benrubi Gallery in New York from July 9 to August 22.

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