It’s Women of aviation worldwide week bringing much deserved attention to this dedicated, talented and very skilled group of pilots. They include today’s pilot making a huge difference like Tammie flying a Medevac. It all started in 1910 with Blanche “Betty” Stuart Scott inspiring all who would come after her. Many know of Amela Earhart but what about Bessie Coleman or Katherin Stinson? You probably have heard of the WASPs but what about the 99 Club? This doesn’t even dust off the tip of the spear, there are thousands and thousands out there. This includes those protecting our freedoms! We thank you all for your passion, skill and talent this week and everyday!!!

Well the A-26B Invader just made its 30 minute shake down flight two weeks ago. That’s eleven years from when the photograph above was taken. The video of the test flight is below which is very cool to watch. The amazing Steve Hinton is at the controls. When you get the hunger for working on a project, there are lots out there that could use your skill and passion. Just remember though, it just take time.

Seriously I didn’t! I heard it though, those throaty engines you can hear from a long way off. I was literally lying in the sand having a great time photographing shorebirds like the Sanderling and Black-belied Plover below. Planes weren’t even on my mind, just birds. But then I heard the C-130 which we had seen a couple of days prior flying really low as we ate breakfast. With the sound, I took my eye from the viewfinder and saw it was coming right down the beach in our direction. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stand up fast enough to make the shot and I wanted the shot so, I went into aviation photographer mode for a moment. I had to get my shutter speed down and fast to get prop blur. I needed to change AF mode. I cranked the aperture down to f/40 giving me 1/30 and I hit the i button and switched to AAAF. I then put the BIG bird in the viewfinder and until my chin was a couple inches in the sand panning with it, I shot. It’s a fun, simple shot I like and afterward, went right back to the little birds. The moral, gotta be prepared because often in photography, we didn’t see that coming!

Yeah, I’m not really a “modern” fighter kinda shooter. There are a couple of reasons for this primarily, I know I won’t ever get into a cockpit for an A2A to have all the images I’d want to tell the story visually so I put my time into those I know I can tell their story. And there are lots and lots of great images of these gorgeous aircraft out there telling their story. With that said, I want to add to my files some great shots of them just for my own satisfaction. The photo of the F-22 tells me there is hope for me when I look at the photo of the F-35 which blows chunks!

So I’ve committed myself to getting out in 2023 and work the skies to the best of my abilities to make those shots happen. For me, this means making the shot IN THE CAMERA and not on the computer! This means a couple of things. First, I gotta get my butt on some flight lines and more than just once! I’ve started that process. Next, I need to keep lifting my 10lbs weight to strengthen my left arm more. With that, practice, practice, and practice my handholding and panning. Finally, decide what rig am I going to shoot with. My first inclination is the Z 9 / 180-400VR. I love the balance, easy 1.4x addition, and of course the sharpness! But then there is the Z400f4.5 which is so light and so sharp. The first flight line is a month away so I gotta get to it.

It’s all in my wheelhouse, I just got to make it happen for myself. I’m telling you all of this because the same applies to you, your photography, and your passions! You’ve gotta find that subject, and go after it with the intention of doing better behind the camera! You’ve got to make the plans, do the practice then get out and do it. It’s how we improve our photography. At least, it’s how I improve mine. I will do better!

We all desire having that intimate time with an aircraft, on the ground or in the air. But how do you make that happen with the aircraft and its owner you don’t know? A bigger question in this process in your mind could be simply, “How do you stand apart from all the other photographers pointing their camera at the same plane?” I have the same problem but thankfully I learned the answer when I first started out. It’s the print! While there are a couple of owners I know who do live with their planes as the hangar and home are one and the same, they are rare. Most leave their “babies” at the airport. They can still enjoy it back at home with your print on their wall. How do they get that print? You hand it to them, for free, big and beautiful just like their aircraft! And where does that print come from? It starts with making that amazing photo of their plane as a static like you see here. Yeah, there were photographers standing on either side of me but I made the click in the camera and finished the image in the digital darkroom for the drama you see here. Then I made a print, a 24×30 and placed it in their hands. That’s how the photograph below came to be. Yeah, it’s that simple. Just show up, make the click and make the print as the print is your ticket!