“Flight Attendants” by Brian Finke

Photographer Brian Finke spent nearly two years traversing the friendly skies, following the life of flight attendants in the air and on the ground, from Delta and Hawaiian Air, to Hooters Air, Southwest, Air France, British Airways, Air Asia, and dozens more. His images of flight attendants waving, applying makeup and deboarding plans while smiling appear as if they were ripped from an advertisement in a glossy magazine.

Tiger Airways, Singapore, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Sara, Iceland Air, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Yumiko Cathay, Pacific Airways, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

British Airways flight attendants, 2005. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Cathay, Pacific Airways, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Christy, Southwest Airlines, 2004. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Lily and Azriza, Air Asia, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Kikuchi and Imada, Japan Airlines, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Roshayati, Air Asia, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Sara, Icelandair, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Sarah, Hooters Air, 2005. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Unnur, Icelandair, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)

Wenyi and Kate, Tiger Airways, 2006. (Photo by Brian Finke/The Washington Post)