Photo: Michael Nichols

Photographer and Editor-at-large at National Geographic, Michael Nichols, explains briefly in the video below on how he and a specialized team tackled the task of photographing a 300-foot tall Redwood tree in California. The photo, which ended up on the cover and in a 5-page spread in the October 2009 issue, is a spectacular feat of photography and technical expertise.

The amazing cover ended up being one of National Geographic’s most popular images and you can purchase a copy of it for $400. It’s expensive, but for a print measuring 24×74, I think it’s worth it. I only wish I had the space! Check out more images from this Redwood forrest series here.