Mar 28, 2011 | Aviation
Part of the airshow are the pyrotechnics set up to simulate bomb drops. They are a HUGE crowd pleaser! When they go off you can feel the heat from the blast. Some pilots tend to avoid the fire and smoke while others seem to gravitate right to it. I like those pilots because I’ve had some great success shooting the planes in the smoke. The A-10 Warthog pilot today was one such pilot who made his first pass through the smoke as you see here during his tight bank turn demo.
His next pass he changed his orbit and orientation so now we’re looking down on top of the plane. The best part is the smoke is diffusing the light to some degree giving a better lighting pattern then I had shooting without the smoke. It was simply a cool photo op that happened for just a moment.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 28, 2011 | Aviation
You might have seen it, but there are some really great fighter images out there with amazing vapor waves forming around the aircraft. The vapor waves come from humidity in the air being excited by the airstream going over the fighter. We’re here at the FL Int’l Airshow this weekend shooting my next Kelby Training video and when the F-16 took to the air and I saw the vapor saves, I thought that I might get one of those cool shots. I tracked that fighter for every inch of its flight but the best I can do is what you see here. I had my hopes up but no cigar for that killer wave shot.
What is so, so, so cool about this airshow is you are up close and personal with the planes. That F-16 on one pass as you can see was right on top of us and it banked and turned. It was a killer photo op! Now how did I captured this photo? You’ll have to check out the aviation class when it’s posted on Kelby Training. I was miced the entire time and we recorded hours and hours of click by click commentary (sure glad I don’t have to edit that thing). How soon will the class be posted? Contact the folks at Kelby Training and ask them, the more you ask, the sooner it will get posted.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 26, 2011 | Aviation
Sharon, Jake & I left Kauai and came straight across to FL to be at the in Punta Gorda. We made that flight because not only is the airshow a really good one (really, really good one) but also because we’re filming my next Kelby Training class on, aviation photography. There are two main attributes making this a great airshow. One is the aircraft, they have a great force here, you can see a sample above. The other is the show is “small” in that if it’s very personal, not spread over a huge acreage and all the aircraft in the air are right overhead. We’re really enjoying it and can highly recommend. We’ll be there again tomorrow and if you’re at the show, I hope if you see us you’ll come up and say hi!
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 16, 2011 | Aviation
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We ended our day as we started, with this gorgeous T6. We saw so much, much of which was “Top Secret” back in the day and now is covered with vines and decaying. Much is left in only little pieces as development builds on top of a very important part of our history. We are very thankful Bruce & Rob took the whole day to share with us their lifetime of knowledge of this history. Also very thankful we had Jake along to see and hear all of this!
Photo captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 16, 2011 | Aviation
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We came over to the islands early in part just for this day. We started with a aerial tour of Dec, 07 1941 to put it all in perspective. The airstrip you see in the background is Wheeler Field. This is where all the aircraft were parked wing tip to wing tip to prevent sabotage. That turned out to be perfect for the Japaneses to strafe and destroy the vast majority of the aircraft. Hind sight of course is 20/20, but it is amazing as we learned this day, how so many miscalculations lead to the outcome of that fateful day.
Photo captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 15, 2011 | Aviation
We’re here on O’ahu working on a project but managed to squeeze in some time to reflect on our history. Jake had never been to the Arizona Memorial so while we waited for our time to sail over to it, we took in the pretty new Pacific Aviation Museum. We actually love visiting new museums for many reasons, one is the business side of photography.
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The PAM is on Ford Island, where the first bomb from the attach on Pearl struck on 07 Dec, 1941. This is the old tower which that survived the attack and still stands over the field. You look south and go 100yards, you come to the USS Missouri and go a few hundred yards east and you come to the resting place of the USS Arizona. Hangar 37 the is the primary portion of the museum was right in the thick of it that fateful morning. That’s what the museum in part is all about.
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How do you bring that story across photographically? When you have bus load after bus load of visitors cruising through, how do you even make a photo to begin to tell a story to meet that challenge? That’s what was going through my mind as I made my clicks. I wanted to tell the story of this museum and its mission in just three clicks. And at first, the hoards got to me but then I just started to read more and be patient. As I cruised I came to this SBD Dauntless and as I walked around the plane I noticed the cool display lighting. And that was it, the light!
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When I came around to this side and looked through the lens, you couldn’t tell I was in a museum or this was an exhibit. They’ve done a marvelous job making it feel and appear as if you are in a hangar during WWII prior to the attack. All I had to do was frame up the photo taking advantage of the lighting, finish with Nik Silver Efex Pro and keep on looking. The Pacific Aviation Museum is really worth your time and support. And any photographic challenge you can set for yourself in which you find solutions and success is especially always worth your time to explore. It’s how your move your photography one more step down the road!
Photos captured by D3x, 14-24AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
