The year’s airshow season is wrapping saving what I feel photographically with one of its best. Wings Over Houston at Ellington Field is one of my favorites and bummed I won’t be there this year. But you should be because the field is set up for photographers. There is no bad pass in bad light!!! The Blue Angels are there and they seem to revel in the open skies. If you’re looking for a little assist, give this a gander which might give you some photographic ideas. And be sure to update your Z 9 Firmware as it will help you bring back that great photographic memory!

Fall has so many great attributes going for it, none of which is color and light. The only thing I can think of that is better than fall color is aircraft in front of fall color. I had a marvelous day a couple of weeks ago at Lake Hood PAHL AK doing just that. The wind pushed the pattern so the planes were landing on the water right in front of this smallish patch of color. I shot with the Z400f4.5 cause even though it was a bit tight at the end of the flight, its narrow angle of view was able to isolate the plane in front of that small patch of color. At the same time, it helped eliminate those distracting elements taking the eye away from the fall color. The key to all of this was my positioning of myself. I walked up and down the bank placing myself so when the plane got below the color I was directly opposite so all I saw was the color. I certainly got my steps in but I also captured a number of clicks I really like. It’s a short window of time, but fall is a great background!

Lake Hood Aerodrome (PALH) is the busiest seaplane base in the United States. It’s a killer place to spend time when you have the light, wind, and weather for photographing float planes. You will see every shape, size, kind, and vintage of aircraft taking off and landing right in front of you. I’ve spent lots and lots of time here over the decades either eating a picnic watching the action or like this afternoon, shooting. I love shooting in the fall because you have fall color for a background and at times like this afternoon, the first dusting of winter snow on the peaks. The vast majority of my shooting is when the aircraft is right above the lake and down the channel they taxi through. This is because as that’s where the fall color is located. I’m parked right on the water’s edge so you can see the aircraft on approach when landing to the north. You can pick them out minutes before recovery and pan with them all the way in. That’s how I picked up Rust’s DHC-3 Turbine Otter inbound.

You know a Rust’s Flying Service aircraft because they are all red. And with the gray moody skies, they really pop! So long before he splashed I tracked and photographed its approach. The Otter is a big aircraft, a tad bigger than your small commuter aircraft. Shooting with the Z400f4.5, it pulls in the background making it appear as if it were shooting the gap rather than just having entered the pattern. It was coming straight towards me so the Z 9 was hammering away producing a cool series of the approach. Then when it was over the lake, the Z400f4.5 provide tight coverage of the last seconds before splashdown. By the time it hit the water, I was way too tight to capture anything than a couple of drops of water. It didn’t matter, it was a great afternoon, Otter..ly too much fun!

Yeah, not your everyday ordinary plane you’re going to find in a hangar! The British designed Puss Moth 80A was built between 1929 – 1933 by De Havilland. They only made 284 and only a few are flying today. This is one of them. While I had seen this in a hangar a number of years ago, its wings were folded back and it was covered in dust. I never gave it a second thought. Then the owner came over from England with his new bride (such great folks) as they were going to fly the Puss Moth up and down the west coast for their honeymoon. I happened to be in the right place in the right time for an easy A2A pick up flight. In less then a coupe of minutes after I was asked if I wanted to do it then we were launching for a fifteen minutes evening flight. The point? Just show up and be ready!

I’m up in Alaska right now and tomorrow heading to the airport to see a friend. There has been no mention of flying. A photo mission not even in the conversation. It wasn’t when I did the Puss Moth either. But you can bet the Z 9 battery is charged. The sensor is cleaned. The Z70-200f2.8 has the Z1.4x attached and strap attached. If, If I get asked, with a zip of the bag I’m on a plane. When you’re prepared, there is nothing better than the pick up!

While this seems really simple and straight forward, in application it’s anything but! The pilot is everything to your photographic success. He’s the one the literally flies that plane that you want to get more time with, even in the air with. And even though they say they don’t have an ego, present them with a great portrait and what makes them smile puts a huge smile on their face. It also puts you on the A Team of photographers. The challenge though is that photo. In this example, Brent is at the stick in a high wing aircraft. He’s in a deep shadow. How do you overcome that dark light? In this case, had him stop of the white lettering of the taxi way using that white to reflect light up into the cockpit. How do you get that close up of the pilot, a long lens. In this case, the 180-400 with the 1.4x engaged. Lastly, talk to the pilot and tell them what you want to do. When you say you want to get their portrait, you’d be surprised what they will do to accommodate you. Your part is to not only make the photo, but get that FILE into their hands for them to use. It’s real simple and real important. Remember the pilot!

“How do I get close to a plane for an air-to-air?” That question lands in my email box alot (not as much as, “what’s the best f/stop for prop bur?” answer, there in none!) The answer I give is really simple, put in the time now to get it back later. This is a classic example. Many aircraft in fall are winterized starting now so they are ready to fly in the spring. This Goose for example, it’s a spring / summer fun machine when the air is warm and the water cool. In the winter, the air is cool and the water frozen so it’s not flown. Can’t just park a plane for four to five months and think it will be happy to fly at the turn of a key. It’s take some time to winterize and often takes multiple pairs of hands to do it. Hang around a FBO, talk to the guys who pump gas. Ask them who they know winterizes their aircraft. Then, with grease rag, not camera in hand, head to that hangar as asked if you can learn and help in that process. I have meet a lot of kids in hangars who do just that. Many of them go on to become pilots with this start. Photographers can easily do the same thing. Not to become pilots but next season, be part of that crew to fly and to the eventual A2A. It’s really simple, work now, play later.