Jun 7, 2011 | Aviation
We are at a location where biplanes and Stearmans are everywhere so it only makes sense that you’d have opportunities to photograph them. But here’s the trick. The location right from the get go appeared to be a static location. We drove past the large static display being set up at Gillespie Field for the airshow, there were four biplanes parked when we got to Mr. Allen’s house so static photography seemed to be the afternoon shooting. If you thought that, you might only have with you lenses like a 14-24 or 70-200, all you really need for statics. If you didn’t follow the ol Boy Scout motto of Being Prepared, some really cool photo opps would slip through your fingers. Jake & I having learned the hard way long ago, put our 200-400s on our Sun Sniper straps so they were with us all the time. Then when the Stearmans went cruising by, all we had to do is swing them up and shoot. Have admit, we have gotten real fast at switching the shooting mode from Aperture Priority to Shutter Priority and AF from Dynamic to AAA with the hands free operation with the Sun Sniper making it possible.
Jun 7, 2011 | Aviation
After our killer time at MCAS Miramar, the ISaP field trip continued on to a land that has no description where few men have ventured before. To say we went to Bill Allen’s house really doesn’t cut it. That because it’s not just some house, but a hangar converted into a barn with vast collections of helmets and aviation posters and oh yeah, biplanes! It really overwhelmed the senses and was a ton of fun just to meet our host and cruise his home he opened up to us. We weren’t there long before someone said, “Hey, you might wanna go around the corner, there’s a gorgeous Fairey Firefly parked there.” Sure enough, it was parked there and oh yeah, it was gorgeous! But how do you make something from this opportunity?
The fact it wasn’t really parked for photography is like many subjects, you’ve gotta make the most of what’s presented you. You can see from the top shot that your basic poses aren’t going to fly. What you can’t see is all the photographers around the plane also shooting it. I’ve come to learn that others in the photograph really isn’t a problem so I shoot without stressing about them being in the frame. I do try to minimize the hassle by looking at where they are at and lines to match, but otherwise I just click. So with a plane set in place and with folks walking about, I saw only one place to shoot the overall Firefly.
That’s right, the Butt shot was the pose to go for. While I like the PT-17 Stearman in the upper frame, it’s the gesture of the Firefly in the bottom frame that makes it my favorite. The difference is the top frame I was on the ground and the bottom frame I was on one knee. That coming up those 18″ permitted the wings to come into the frame, the D Day stripes to appear and gives the plane some visual depth. And if there were no clouds in the sky, I would have not even made the click. The top frame I used OnOne Software to finish and the bottom two frames are 1 image HDR. But you knew that. It’s a real sweet plane that some day I hope I have a whole lot more intimate time with.
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 6, 2011 | Aviation
Gotta make something of this great opportunity. You’re on the flight line with 22 Osprey, how to sum up the experience in one click? That often goes through my mind, summing up the experience in one click. An Osprey spooled up and taxied over to warm up. Can you tell? You can’t because the rotors are hidden by the background. Damn…
OK, it lifted off. I made a quick click because I had no clue how long it would be there.
After that click, took another moment placing the Osprey where I knew I’d want it finishing it with the Split Grad in ACR. But man, gotta make something more of the opportunity. Time to move, walk down the line to get a better position.
I get back to where I started, an image with all the Osprey “bills” all stacked up shooting at 400mm. Luckily the Osprey was still hoovering so I made the first click. I’m liken it better but it’s not what I had in mind.
I move down the line more and find a hole in the photographers and I make the next click. I think about the exposure and a took another click lightening it up. I’m getting closer but I need to move again.
I get down to the left and found a hole and made the click I had in my mind. Is it the most amazing photo of a V-22 Osprey? Well, it is in my files but not in the world. The elements weren’t lining up to make the world’s most amazing Osprey photo and with no control and total lack of movement, all you can do is make the most of what’s presented you. The light is the light, the time with the subject is predetermined so you’ve gotta take a moment, take it all in and then come up with a course of action. All the images on today’s blogs were taken over a 15min span of time. So to come away with this one vertical for a 15min investment, I’m pretty happy. I could have walked away with nothing which does happen. And I’ve learned somethings so when a better opportunity comes along, I will have the tools to take advantage of it.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital fiml
Jun 6, 2011 | Aviation
OK, moving this thing forward with the panic starting to set in as the clock tics by, I walk the line. I’m looking and looking and I see this lone Osprey. With a little Content Aware fill, I made a shot, moving it forward a little. There isn’t any other way they could position those large ass rotors but they make the photo, their position and size. And while I made a click, it’s still doesn’t have much drama, much pazzaz!
OK, now we’ve got something going for us. Light isn’t any better but with a little Content Aware Fill, getting those big ass rotors spinning and a person, we start telling a story. To make this whole thing work though, those big ass rotors gotta be spinning otherwise they look like the top image. Those rotors spin mighty slow compared to a prop on a plane so in order to get a blur to talk about movement, I had to shoot at 1/30. Yeap, I’m hand holding the 200-400VR2 at 1/30 to make the image. At the same time I’m hoping the crew member doesn’t move because at 1/30, it takes very little body movement to make him soft.
Now compare the bottom two photos, both with movement but one is definitely stronger IMHO then the other. This bottom image to he has a number of problems. The first is the background, next is the attitude of the V-22 and lastly there is no story, it’s just doesn’t do a thing for me. OK, the minute is about to hit the bewitching hour, what can we pull out?
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 6, 2011 | Aviation
Simple enough, start photographing the pilots and crew. Can’t walk out on the flightline and stage them, too far for flash, so you make the most of it. Watching, waiting, using long glass and constantly moving to set up the angles between the people and the Osprey is key. Thinking about using the Split Grad in ACR to control the light in post since you can’t in camera is another option. And the outcome? You now have little more visual interest because when you see someone, you visually stop to see what they are doing. Placing them in the right space you give a little visual depth. And finally, they give some scale to the Osprey. You’re no closer, lighting no better but with the simple addition of the human element, the opportunity is improved. Can we do better? mtc
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 6, 2011 | Aviation
On our ISAP field trip as I mentioned, we went to MCAS Miramar to photography the V-22 Osprey. We could photograph the two in the hangar and all of them on the flightline, but we couldn’t go past the hangar doors. Just like a nat’l park where you have limits how close you can get to a critter, we had the same invisibly line here. Even worse, we were going to be here just an hour and the light is what you saw, it wasn’t going to change. So, how do you make a photo from this? Basically a once in a lifetime opportunity, it ain’t going to happen again, what do you do? Well, comeback by today and I’ll show and explain how I went about making the most of this opportunity. mtc
Photo captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
