Combining his artistic talent with a love for aviation, Russ Heinl has earned a reputation as one of Canada's most notable aerial photographers. After two decades of studio and commercial work, he moved from Toronto to Vancouver Island in 1992, and began specializing in shooting landscapes from the air.

Working almost exclusively from helicopters, Heinl has gathered material for several books and publications through North America and overseas. Russ was the principal photographer in 1996 for the book Over Beautiful British Columbia: An Aerial Adventure. Among his other books are :

Russ is under contract as an aerial photographer with the Canadian Armed Forces aerobatics team, the Snowbirds. He lives in Sidney, on Vancouver Island, with his wife, Anne, and their children Matthew and Megan.