May 5, 2020 | Aviation
Waco QCF-2
captured by D5 / 200-400
The weekend is almost here, the weekend when many can get back out and shoot! Whether you have been working 9-5 or Stay at Home, in either case, your basic skills might need sharpening, now’s the time to sharpen! You know what I’m talking about, I’ve mentioned it a few thousand times before. Hand-holding and panning, practice the rest of the week so you’re ready to go this weekend. Watch Basic Handholding and Panning videos I’ve posted to remind yourself. Then go out and do some practice by really pushing yourself!
This is perfect for those of you with kids at home, all you need are two kids and a tennis ball. Now, set your camera to the settings you prefer (I use Shutter Priority 1/60, AutoAreaAF), put your kids about 30-40 feet apart and have them toss the tennis ball between them. Now, you FOCUS and get SHARP images of that ball going back and forth. Simple! Do this for 15-20 minutes every day and you’ll be ready for the action this weekend.
PS … remember to make your gear purchases at Bedford Camera and mention the discount code MOOSE for special pricing. Additionally, you will have free shipping on orders over $99 and most likely no sales tax.
Apr 24, 2020 | Aviation
When it comes to aircraft, I learned from the get-go that angles are everything! I think about it so much, I have 1:16 models in the office that I stare at all the time as the light changes. I have them at eyelevel so I think how I would see the aircraft lying on the tarmac. It’s made a difference in how I shoot.
I grabbed these P-47 images to illustrate my point. Shot with the D5 / 24-70f2.8, I simply moved around at The Jug looking how the morning light was changing its imposing stance. Do I have a favorite among the three here, you bet. You might too and that’s the point.
It’s real easy when out on the line to see one shot and with all the stimulation, go with that first “wow” view. I’m going to encourage you to walk around because you just might find a better shot. Simply put, check the angles!
Apr 18, 2020 | Aviation
Lt Col Dick Cole
Doolittle Raider at 75th Anniv 2016
Seventy-eight years ago today, 80 airmen in 16 B-25Bs launched from the USS Hornet to attack mainland Japan. Pearl Harbor was fresh in everyone’s memory and even though the damage from the raid was thought to be a token at best, the boost to the US moral was immeasurable. In Dayton, OH in 2017, eleven B-25 flew over the USAF Museum to pay their respect and tribute to the Doolittle Raiders and thank them for their sacrifice for our freedoms on the 75th anniversary of this event. Lt Col Dick Cole, 102 years old then, was the last of the eighty Raiders and was present for the ceremonies (he passed 8 April 2019). We owe all our vets a tribute and I’m glad we are saying thanks to this very special vet!
The 11 B-25s present for 75th Reunion
Mar 23, 2020 | Aviation
PBY Catalina
captured by D4s / 200-400VR
OK, I’ve heard all the excuses on the planet why photographers don’t practice their handholding and panning, but with current events, they all have now evaporated! While all the near future airshows have been postponed, there is no reason not to be prime and in your best shape for when they resume shortly. You know what I’m talking about, I’ve mentioned it a few thousand times before. I almost thought about doing one of those “stuck at home silly videos” to drive my point home but decided better of it. Instead, you can watch Basic Handholding and Panning videos I already have posted. You might be saying, “That’s all well and good, but what do we practice on?” Yeah, I saw that coming but you won’t like my answer!
This is perfect for those of you with kids at home, all you need are two kids and a tennis ball. Now, set your camera to the settings you prefer (I use Shutter Priority 1/60, AutoAreaAF), put your kids about 30-40 feet apart and have them toss the tennis ball between them. Now, you FOCUS and get SHARP images of that ball going back and forth. Simple! Do this for 15-20 minutes every day and you’ll be golden when the planes start flying again.
PS … remember to make your gear purchases at Bedford Camera and mention the discount code MOOSE for special pricing. Additionally, you will have free shipping on orders over $99 and most likely no sales tax.
Note: cameras do not go in microwaves. Here’s my camera / sensor cleaning video.
Mar 12, 2020 | Aviation
B-17G “Sentimental Journey”
captured by D3x / 24-70f2.8
Long-winged aircraft can be a visual challenge to photograph. That’s because to take in wing tip to wing tip, you have a helluva lot of space just doing nothing for you. That empty space can really take away from the photograph, and the visual size of the aircraft. The one tool I fall back on when confronted with a long wing aircraft like this B-17 is background control.
B-17G “Sentimental Journey”
captured by D3x / 24-70f2.8
The two ways I control the background on such a big subject is exposure and angle. Shooting just before sunrise so the round fuselage reflects the light on the horizon brings shape to “Sentimental Journey” and makes it pop against the dark background. Then by shooting off-angle from the nose a tad, I’m able to “tighten” up the frame and those long wings. I realize this is incredibly simple and now read, seems incredibly obvious but you’d be surprised. When standing in front of a piece of history like this B-17G, the awe effect can live you, speechless.
Feb 28, 2020 | Aviation
UH-60 Blackhawk
captured by D5 / 180-400VR @1/25
Rotary aircraft like helicopters are a real photographic challenge! Unlike prop aircraft where the rotation is perpendicular to the film plane, rotary is not so blurring them requires a much, much slower shutter speed. As soon as one starts to lower the shutter speed, the sweat beads start to appear as fear of getting a sharp image sets in. Then when you combine that slower shutter speed with panning, well, you’ve seen those folks laying on the ground at airshows, why do you think they are there? You have to ask yourself this question, you want visual impact or an easy sharp image?
UH-60 Blackhawk
captured by D5 / 180-400VR @1/250
I have two photos here of the same Blackhawk. The bottom one was a slam dung easy tack sharp image at 1/250. Because of the flex of the rotors, even with it being broadside to the camera, you can see those rotors are sharp. Compare the visual impact to the other photo where the shutter speed was 1/25. With most prop aircraft, 1/25 would capture a full 360 disk but not with rotary! Personally, 1/25 is at my lower limit of getting sharp images while panning with keeper rate dropping to 40-50% or, 1 out of every 2 clicks is sharp. Many are really uncomfortable shooting in the basement like this but you can do it, especially if you practice. And while the keeper rate really drops, keep in mind that to be successful, it just takes one for the magic!
