Mar 3, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0204.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
As we were taking off the previous day, a participate asked if a polarizer was needed. His reason for using the polarizer was for the simple reason is sucks up two stops of light. Why would you wanna knocked down the light by two stops doing air to air? It took me a little while for it to sink in, in fact, it wasn’t until that night that it struck me. Any guesses?
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0048.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
We’re shooting in Shutter Priority to control the shutter speed and effect the prop blur. Quite often you’re around 1/90-1/250 with a f/stop of f/32 – f/16. When you wanna blur the background and make the subject pop more, how do you do that when you’re in Shutter Priority? Well the polarizer is one way, knocking down the light by twp stops. Wanting to avoid that, I decided to do two things, I lowered the ISO to L1 and used the teleconverter. This brought my f/stop down to f/4.5 – 5.6 most the morning. But if you look in the upper photo, even with that f/stop there is still a lot of detail. It’s better, but not perfect.
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 3, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/dpa2a500s0004.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The weather that brought us dark skies the afternoon before ended up bringing showers to the desert over night. Big winds and showers carpeted the area, until sunrise. We arrived at the hangar at 06:15 and were stuck inside as the last down pour went by. Then it lifted, we warmed up the planes and got into the skies. The runway was still wet from the last shower making for incredible images!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2A500s0007.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
This is a Rockwell 500s Commander also known as a Shrike. It’s a commuter plane from the ’70s that Air2Air’s big supporter Robert Odegaard has purchase for a tribute at Oshkosh this summer. It’s a killer plane that was perfect for the morning shoot. Now here’s the bummer, these photos aren’t tack sharp. I wasn’t ready as we dragged over the runway and when I saw the Shrike I was just standing up. I might be able to get a decent 11x print out of these files but nothing big. I was bummed, until I looked at the rest of my images from the morning.
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 2, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp76841.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp76751.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The background is everything! We dragged Cripes A’Mighty & Stang down #4 to produce a really sweet image. I wish we had “the” light to have put the real finish touch on this killer moment. It was still sweet, it’s still a very unique photograph and I really like it. And like nearly all my images, gives me a place to go, a direction to improve and a goal for next time I’m in the air. And the past part, I know how our air to air the next day went. When you pay your dues…..
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 2, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2AB171408.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The skies never opened up for us, the light stayed pretty flat the entire hour in the air. No matter, we made the most of it which meant lining up on the last orbit for our trademark closing to an air to air shoot. This was possible because of our amazing photo ship coordinator Doug, our communicating with the tower and access and most especially the talent of our two subject ship pilots. That combination makes things happen!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2AB171417.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
So a new twist was added to our trademark finish, two planes rather then one. And the two were our P-51D little friends. Well outside from the field we set up the shot. The wind was still buffeting us but we continued on. And wow…what a finish…oh, this is not the final photo, that’s next!
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 2, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/dpa2ab171400.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
There is a skill that comes with time and once you have that skill, I think it turns into being a curse. At least I find it at times being a curse. And that skill? Seeing past the subject to the background. The background is this sweep that when working for us, makes the subject pop and finishes the story begun by the subject. And when the background doesn’t do that, it takes the eye right from the subject destroying the photograph.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPA2AB171412.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The structures in the background just drive me nuts! Their white shapes in the brown and green grab the eye and don’t let go of it. You have this amazing aircraft staring you right in the face, a bright color trying to grab the eye and then there is the background. What can you do about it? Back on earth you could move left, right, up or down and control the background but up in the air, stepping out of the photo ship to change the background just isn’t a good idea. You can wait until you change position in your orbit but often the gesture in the plane is lost. You cannot just take the photo. Yeah, right, ignore that plane?! I really don’t have an answer that’s perfect. I took the photo but they aren’t my favorite but I didn’t delete them. It’s a dilemma!
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 1, 2011 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp75821.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
We were once again incredibly fortunate to have Bob Odegaard & his son Casey flying in their Stang and Cripes A’Mighty for us again. These P-51Ds are amazing aircraft and the skill of the Odegaards at the stick make for some really great shooting!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp76241.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The first challenge for me is the background. As you can see in the top photo, while Bob looks great in Cripes, they are both lost in the business of the background. If it were the first time to photograph either of these aircraft air to air, you click like a made man giving no never mind to that background. As you shoot them more and more, you get picker as you look for the shot to speak about these planes.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp76161.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
You can look at these three images and see exactly what I’m referring to. As the background gets cleaner and cleaner, the elegance and power of the Mustang becomes more and more distinct. No matter the subject, always strive to find the best background to let you subject free while still telling its story.
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
