Jasper Doest had one last opportunity to capture the effervescent energy of 69-year-old skydiver and instructor Arnold Camfferman for National Geographic’s cover story on longevity. So the photographer strapped a camera to the helmet of Camfferman’s colleague and fellow skydiver, Aaron Molloy; attached the viewfinder; placed the remote in Molloy’s mouth; then hoped for the best.

The result was the perfect shot of the elder adventurer fearlessly soaring through the sky. Doest shares credit for the image with Molloy since it was Molloy who executed the shot—using only his tongue to hit the remote.

We spoke to Doest, a Dutch photographer who specializes in conservation photography, about the story behind the stunning image on the January issue’s cover—Doest’s