17 behind-the-scenes photos that reveal what it's really like to be a flight attendant

• Brian Finke spent two years photographing flight attendants in the early 2000s.
• He released a book called "Flight Attendants" showing them on and off duty.
• It features photos of flight attendants in training, at home, running errands, and working on planes.

While magazine photographer Brian Finke traveled around the world for photoshoots in the early 2000s, he realized that he had a compelling subject for a photo series right in front of him.

Finke spent two years photographing flight attendants on a number of airlines including Air France, Icelandair, Air Asia, Thai Airlines, Delta Airlines, and the short-lived Hooters Air. He gained access to schools where they learn to put out fires and deploy emergency slides, as well as their homes and flight routes.

Here are 17 photos from his photo series that provide a glimpse into what the job is really like.

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Finke had the idea for a flight attendant photo series while traveling for work as a magazine photographer.

"I like having these book projects that I work on independently from assignment work," he told INSIDER.

His first photo book focused on cheerleaders and football players, sparking his interest in flight attendant uniforms.

He released a photo book called "2.4.6.8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players."

"I like photographing subcultures and telling stories," he said.

Hooters Air launched in 2003 and closed three years later.