Mar 6, 2010 | Aviation
For the last few days, I’ve been having the time of my life with all the folks at ISAP. On Friday, we had a field trip to Nellis AFB for an amazing day of photography. Now I realize that aviation photography isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are a photographer, then you are a worshiper of light and in that pursuit, you can make a click anywhere!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9372.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The main event of the day for us was standing between the runways at Nellis during take offs and landings. Ear protection is a must but feeling the thrust through your feet and you shoot is one helluva of rush!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1293.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
After all craft where airborn, we were given the grand tour of Nellis. This included being able to photograph a static F22 Raptor and F-15. The light was a little hot, the crowd a little excited so I wasn’t clicking much. Then the pilot who was on the ground hopped up on his plane. Now I was excited. I jockeyed into place to make the click. I had no control over the situation, had only a moment to click. I wanted to attach him to his plane. Hence, I put myself so his reflection is in the canopy.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1525.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Nellis is the home of the Thunderbirds, so we had the opportunity to visit their headquarters. At the end, we were permit into the hanger to kinda photography one plane. There are always regs when working on a military base and in this case, between the regs, crowds and no freakin light, I just starred at the ceiling. Then, the light changed and this bank of lockers on the wall glowed. While everyone else was at the plane, I was pulling Patrick over to the bank of lockers. The light is that coming through the hanger door and bouncing off the white, polished floor. The shutter speed was 1/15 @f5.6 ISO 100 and other than Patrick’s nervousness at having 100 cameras pointed at him (great light trumped a plane for a couple of minutes), it was an easy click. You chase light, you can always find a photo!
Photo captured by D3x, 200-400VR handheld on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 4, 2010 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7450.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
While there was a moments of calm, I thought about playing a little with 1 image HDR on the line. It was just fun.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7273.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
To keep the color from going too nuts, I shot with zero exp comp. I’ve found that at times my normal -1/2 bunches up the colors a tad too much. Yeah right, light HDR doesn’t punch up colors as it were. It’s all in fun, I like fun with the camera!
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 4, 2010 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7450.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
While there was a moments of calm, I thought about playing a little with 1 image HDR on the line. It was just fun.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7273.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
To keep the color from going too nuts, I shot with zero exp comp. I’ve found that at times my normal -1/2 bunches up the colors a tad too much. Yeah right, light HDR doesn’t punch up colors as it were. It’s all in fun, I like fun with the camera!
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 4, 2010 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0287.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0299.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0357.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0430.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0468.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I grew up on stories coming from Edwards AFB. My father was there briefly but the magic, history and technology that is Edwards left its mark on him and then through him, on me. The ISAP group was granted special access today to a small segment of the large facility which included a little time on the flight line. I don’t even profess to know all the cool stuff I was seeing nor understood all the places we weren’t able to point our lenses or things we weren’t to photograph, I was just trying to soak up all the history that has been made and was is being made. It was a GREAT day! Thanks Richard for including me!
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR (handheld) on Lexar UDMA digital film
Mar 4, 2010 | Aviation
I’ve been lookin forward to this since the dates were put on the calendar. I’m with the gang from ISAP and I just think the world of these folks! We started out with a ISAP Pre-Con trip at the Mojave Airport. It’s a really cool piece of history many don’t realize that is still creating history. Heading out any airport to shoot can be a crap shoot, not dissimilar from wildlife photography because you don’t always know what’s going to show up.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7044.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The National Test Pilot School is based at Mojave. In the process of learning their craft, they fly a bunch of funky planes. This is a Dove, a cool old plane that did a lot of flights while we were at the fence.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7158.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
There were other cool planes that went out during our 90min stop. Such funky planes like the Impala and then some older, run of the mills ones like this. Since I hadn’t done any aviation clicks in a month and not been with the gang for more than that, it was a great warm up for the rest of the day. Though Richard’s quiet advice of “Shutter speed, shutter speed” when a prop went by didn’t apply for the rest of the day, it’s always good to have a teacher around keep the kids in line!
Photos captured by D3s, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital flim
Mar 1, 2010 | Aviation
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5753ab.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Oh, it’s going to be a grand week with a whole lot of subjects that all take flight. Starting a new project at the beginning of the week which always brings up new challenges, new rewards and new frustrations. Can’t wait. But the rest of the week is ISAP and for that, I can’t wait! The photo above was taken a while back during a great day at Top Gun school. It was literally snowing so all flights were canceled for the fleet. This is a photo that has sit in my files since I took it. The lighting was such, it pretty much was lifeless. I then decided to process the nef as a one image HDR. It turned out pretty cool. The sky sucked until the HDR processing and then man, did it come to life!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DAPARRR5482.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
This is a F22 Raptor from the Reno Air Races. Hopefully the weather this week will be a hole lot more conducive for aviation photography. I have the great privilege of shooting with the folks from ISAP first at Edwards AFB and then Nellis AFB during Red Flag maneuvers. We’re taking standing between runways as F117s & F18s take off right beside ya. Hot dang, I can’t wait to eat them Jet A fumes and clicking a few frames. Stick around, I should have a few flicks to share with ya.
I do seem to have an infinity for things that fly. I’m am very fortunate that I get to share this the coming week with likewise folks. Nikon is making it possible for me to do a presentation at ISAP and I can’t wait to share what I’ve leaned in the last two years of following with a camera a life long love of of flight, manned flight that is!
Photos captured by D3x/D3, 14-24AFS / 200-400AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
