Mar 7, 2011 | Aviation
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Our Saturday afternoon flight was one that, if we were shooting editorially or commercially, we probably would not have flown. That’s because the light just wasn’t great. When the props turned, $8k instantly hit the bill. But this is a teaching, learning workshop as well as just producing great images so we went up. We had a great group of photographers with us which includes Jakub from the Czeck Republic (we have a number of int’l participates this year which is fun!). You’ll see in the video I was pushed around a bit from the occasional turbulence, you’ll see Sentimental Journey a bit sideways coming down the runway from the crosswind. Even with these little bumps, as you’ll see, we had a great time and a great flight.
We have three more Air2Air Workshops on the board for 2011 and we’re scheduling our 2012 flights as I type. We have some spaces available in all the workshops:
Apr 29, 2011 – Fantasy of Flight, FL
Nov 04, 2011 – Lonestar, TX
Nov 11, 2011 – AZ CAF, AZ
We’ve got B-17s, Ducks, Bearcats, Corsairs, Mustangs, GA and a lot more on the schedule. To our repeaters, welcome back! And to the rest, come experience your first photo mission today!
Mar 4, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s1097.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
You might recognize the “Red Baron” as it was one of our subjects last fall at our Air2Air. It was the last plane up and as such, it had the really hard light. Well, it was scheduled to be the last plane up again and all I could think was, “not again!” That’s because the light was so hard I really didn’t like the final results except for this one. Many are happy with just getting that “one” solid image. But there is something very wrong with me, I’m always looking to make the better image.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s1113.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
We were so lucky that there were some clouds still floating around, enough to diffuse the light and make for some great opportunities. Oh, there were times in our orbit when we were in strong sun and at those times, I wouldn’t shoot. But when the light mellowed, I hit the hammer. We had the amazing Casey at the stick providing us with some great gesture in the great light. It’s the magic that our workshop is becoming well known for. We’ve announced the rest of our 2011 Air2Air Workshops dates and we have a couple of openings at each one. We are working on our 2012 schedule already so we’re not going anywhere. In fact, we are waiting for you to join us, get bitten by the bug and let your photography take flight. As I told Jake the first time I took him up, “Don’t blame me if you get hooked!” Speaking of which, be sure to head over to Jake’s site, he’s got some amazing images from the flights as well.
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 4, 2011 | Aviation
Our next subject Sunday morning was this gorgeous T-6 Texan. This gorgeous plane is a polished, painted to match the original scheme for Falcon Field (where we’re based out of) during WWII when it was one of many training fields around the country. It’s owner and pilot Brian did an amazing job flying for us in the great conditions we had.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0709.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
That great polished body is a two edge sword. When the light is working like it was this morning, with the light filtering through the clouds, shooting doesn’t get any better. When you light sucks, that gorgeous polished body reflects the yuck and you’re toast. If anything, we had marmalade on our toast this morning! I wish I could share with you all the magic but I just picked a couple of images and ran the poster action on them to create the posting.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0739.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
As it turned out, it was a 2788 image morning and still, I’ve not got them all edited or processed. Can’t thank Brian enough for sharing his great plane with us.The one aspect of aviation that I really enjoy, the people! We finished again with our patented drag down the runway which was still wet from the earlier rain making for a killer flight! This was a magical addition to our photo mission.
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 4, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0285.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
Background, what background? DOF, what DOF? You’ve heard me rant about how I hate bald skies and how I love clouds, well, let me tell you about clouds! When it comes to air to air photography and they say the sky’s the limit, they weren’t talkin about having clouds!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0431.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The only real challenge as I saw it was my buffer. Shooting with dual D3xs, I would go back and forth between bodies as the buffer would fill. One body had the 70-200VR2 w/TC-17e and the other had the 24-120VR. Both were set to ISO L1, Shutter Priority with a shutter speed of 1/125. All I did was focus on the clouds, the whites, blacks and all the shades in between. When the Shrike was amongst those that seem to be magical, I would hit the hummer.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0483.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
It was great while it lasted. The storm was moving fast and the clouds moving out while dissipating. It is the desert and as one of the AZ CAF folks mentioned after we landed, “we only have clouds like five days out of the year.” It was the amazing foresight and talent of our fellow instructor and 2nd seat pilot Doug that we had this amazing shoot. The best part, this was just the warm up, we had more great stuff right around the next orbit.
Mar 3, 2011 | Aviation
Air2Air has an awesum staff! Our safety officer, 2nd seat in the photo ship, amazing pilot and instructor Doug Rosezdal saw the light on the horizon and headed us in that direction. In the back of the skyvan, you can see where you’ve been and that’s all. Doug though up front and in the 2nd seat see’s it all and being great as what he does, it makes it all work!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0213.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
By the time we took to the air, the last downpour that had past overhead was now out to the east. We were able catch up to it and play a little in the clouds. Wow!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0245.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
This is were the skill of our pilots really plays a pivotal roll in our success. They are the ones putting us in the right place at the right time and all we have to do (making it sound simple) is go click. There is actually more to it all away around with your having the easiest part, simply enjoying the fruits of our labor.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0249.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The best part, these are the ~worst~ of my images from this shoot. Yeah, the morning just kept getting better and better. I’ve always said that the worst weather can produce the best images and while you really don’t want bad weather shooting air to air or even flying for that matter, the photo gods smiled on us this morning. mtc!
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 3, 2011 | Aviation
Backgrounds, they are everything! I can’t talk about them enough because they plague all of us. If there is one rule in wildlife photography that is nearly always true, it’s if you can’t find a good background, throw something green behind the subject. Well, this holds true for other subjects as well.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0099.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
There is a golf course just past Falcon Field so this time I made a point of having us fly over it a couple times with the various aircraft we were photographing after the great success we had with it last workshop. The green of the greens along with their pattern, the morning light make them such a killer background. And when it comes to creating a “ad” for a commuter plane, the golf course is a natural!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0142.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
For comparison is this background. It’s just not the same image even though it’s the same plane. Backgrounds, you just can’t skimp on them!
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
