If I’m in Wichita and with my best friend Kevin, I know that in some way, I’ll be up in the air. The day before we’d flown down to Ponca City for lunch. We’d spent this morning 650′ underground so what better way to finish off the day then a flight. Kevin had arranged a flight in a PT-17 Stearman at what no better place, then Stearman Field. When our pilot (a great pilot) Mike asked who wanted to fly, the first with their hand up and most eager was Sharon. She loves to fly (I’m incredibly fortunate) so in the front seat she went.
Here’s the problem, get a photo of the wife flying. Talk about pressure! The top shot was easy, simple portrait in the cockpit before launch. It was after this things got dicey. Kevin & I grabbed our 200-400 and ran across the field (I mean ran) so the plane would be front lit on lift off. After getting permission, off we ran and we got into place. This was the first time I’d been on that side. The Stearman went to the end of the grass strip and warmed up the plane. He was going to take off on the grass strip that was right in front of us. I’d never photographed from this location a plane taking off on the grass strip. As the Stearman started down the strip, it became obvious I had too much lens from the get go. While the 70-200 was on the ground next to me, there wasn’t time to grab it. By the time the Stearman with Sharon were in front of me, I was at 200mm and so close to the plane, it was screaming by. There was no way I could swing the lens fast and smooth enough for a sharp photo. Not a good thing!
Once off the ground, it was far enough away and simply just pulling away from us so getting a sharp image was simple. It’s that up close, lots of lens and fast swing which is a killer when it comes to panning and getting a sharp image and I failed.
And here’s the great thing about photography. Once off the ground, Mike took the Stearman and Sharon for a great flight. They circled up and over the field before heading out and turned on the smoke at they went overheard. We can’t see it in the photograph, but Sharon is looking down at us. She knows that, we don’t so this last photograph is the one the means the most because it was the special moment. And that’s what photography needs to be about, capturing those special moments so we can relive them as time goes by. It’s kinda funny how many clicks we make in that process and when it’s all boiled down, it’s just the one that often sums it all up.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film