Jun 26, 2012 | Aviation
We really had no expectations when we went to the flyin Bday party for our dear friend Scottie, but one would think with so many aircraft, you might just get your feet off the ground. After a great BBQ, Scottie said, “Lets get a shooting mission going!” Within seconds my bud Kevin was in one plane and Sharon & I were in another with aircraft taxing down the grass strip and launching. Wow…fun doesn’t even come close to expressing what came next! And I was very exciting to have my first air to air opportunity to work with the D800 with MB-D12 attached along with the 70-200VR2 ring in the air. Just a few months ago I did my first air to air with the D4 and just before that, the D3x. So to see how the D800 would translate off the ground, I just couldn’t wait!
This is a 1955 V-35B Bonanza that was my first subject for the evening. John & Arron at the stick did a great job. Steve flying the Cessna 170 we were in flew a great path so all I had to do was watch the light and background and shoot. And the D800, it did a great job! I simply can’t rant enough how that MB-D12 has made all the difference in my shooting experience with the D800. That extra mass especially when shooting out the window of the 172 was key in making a sharp click. It was a great evening and…it wasn’t over yet!
Jun 26, 2012 | Aviation
One soft beam of light leaked through the trees as the sun kissed the horizon. It struck the nose of Matt’s Cessna 180 and it’s brand new paint. With the sky that unique look and feel that comes this time of year in Kansas as they burn off the fields, all the dots where there, it was up to me to connect them. Like a moth to a flame, that one droplet of light sucked me in.
With no tripod, the slow shutter speed (1/40) shot had to be done hand held. Last week, I would have grabbed the D4 because it’s a slam dunk shooting it at that slow a shutter speed. I was still struggling with the D800. But with D800 with MB-D12 attached along with the 70-200VR2 rig, I knew I could make the click nice and sharp.
I walked a small arc around the nose looking at that droplet of light, the background and the angle of the 180. The clock was ticking because the sun was basic set, I had minutes. Then the shot became obvious once I thought about “the subject,” the light on the nose! Shooting on one knee for the low angle, I focused on the droplet of light, dialed in -1 exp comp and went click. The 180, grass strip where we were having the party and the sky zeroed in and made the image. Real easy stuff producing a clean click. I like this kind of photography!
Jun 25, 2012 | Aviation
There is a question photographers often face with the answer being cut and dry yet, ignored. The question..go for the angle or go for the light? Here’s a simple example of what I mean. At a fly in birthday party this past weekend, the sun set slowly and was given extra drama as it sank through the trees. The top image is my preferred angle to this gorgeous PT-17 Stearman. But the bottom image by far has the better light. In my book, light trumps angle every time making the bottom image my favorite.
Like every piece of new gear that comes into my bag, I tie myself to it for weeks until I feel I know all its pluses and minuses. So it has been with me and the D800. These images shot with the D800 with MB-D12 attached along with the 70-200VR2 I’m finding works better and better for me. The weak link is not the gear but the photographer! By nature, I am not a tripod shooter, preferring to handhold all my shots. The D800 without the MB-D12 just didn’t fit my hands that I was use to, I couldn’t wrap my hand around the way I’ve become accustomed to for the last 30yrs. The addition of the MB-D12 has made all the difference in the world to me! Now it does defeat the purpose of the smaller body but it’s made a huge difference to me and my results.
Jun 22, 2012 | Aviation
So there I was with the 600VR set up at the end of the T Hangars at PRS shooting away. I started off with the D4 and all was well. Then I switched to the D800 and the struggles set in. I kept looking a the LCD and I wasn’t capturing sharp images. I would get one here, one there but I wasn’t getting whole series and it was driving me nut so I looked at what was going on. Everything was normal, 600 on Wimberley on the Gitzo, the only thing that was different was the D800. Becoming really conscious of it all, I realized my pan wasn’t as smooth. It seemed to be “hesitant” at times before continuing. It was driving me nuts so I really bared down on my technique but results didn’t get any better.
I knew the problem was me, but what was it? I switched by to the D4 and instantly my keeper rate went flying back up to normal. I switched back to the D800 and it instantly dropped again. What the hell was it. Then in the process of going back and forth with bodies on the 600, it dawned on me. Mass! The mass on the end of the 600 that I was swinging was less with the D800. The problem was simple physics and muscle memory! The problem wasn’t the camera, the lens the rig or technique, it was me! Us humans get so set in our ways that at times, it gets in our way. Being a creature of habit, I decided to add some mass to the D800 and test. I rented a MB-D12 from BorrowLenses.com and bang, the mass was back and muscle memory was happy again. I’ve heard from a number of D800 owners stating they’ve not been getting the image quality out of the camera that they think they should be getting and wondering what’s wrong with their camera because God forbid, they could be the problem. As I learned, if you get just one sharp image, the odds are, you’re the problem and not the gear. Such was the case for me so now that I have the mass, all is happy again! BTW…the D800 with the MB-D12 feels soooo much better in my hands!
Photos captured with D800 / 600VR
Jun 18, 2012 | Aviation
A new piece has been posted on the Nikon Learn & Explore site, Shooting for Better Photos? Details Can Make a Difference. As I’ve mentioned many times, macro just isn’t what I’m good at so I keep pushing it. This piece written by my dear friend Barry tries to explain how I approach getting better at something I struggle with.
Jun 18, 2012 | Aviation
There were many reasons why I was at PRS this past week. One of them was to use the opportunity to practice and try out some new gear and techniques. One of those was shooting video with the D4 on the 600while tracking the aircraft going around the pylons. I’m here to tell you, it wiped my butt something fierce! The rig was the Gitzo with Wimberley with D4/600 mounted with SmallHD DP-6 used as the monitor (with hood attached). There is no doubt the Wimberley is the right head for this, but that’s what I own. We walked to the top of the Grand Stands for a vantage point and clear view of the entire race course. But my panning skills to track the entire course just wasn’t up to the task. By the end of three hours I was getting better but far from perfect. I learned what I did wrong so now the challenge will be to find other subjects to practice on so when Sept comes, I’m good to go.
As the T6 go along the back stretch, you’ll notice they most definitely become fuzzy. That’s caused by the heat shimmer rising off the sage. No matter how sharp the lens, the number of megapixels or the technique, there is nothing we can do to remedy this problem. Understanding and seeing this can be a challenge. Hopefully the next post will help you out.
