Mar 6, 2019 | Aviation
Sept Fate
captured by D3x / 24-70f2.8
It was one of those deals where the wife of the pilot of the plane talked with my wife wanting a Moose Peterson plane portrait of his plane for a BDay present. At the same time, I was to “come up with the idea” of taking their portrait as well. Sounds simple enough, not like I hadn’t done all of that before. But here’s the rub, this plane is so small and so low that a simple portrait wasn’t going to be simple. You could put the plane in the back of a pickup truck and so low I couldn’t get my fist under the plane. And to top that off, it’s highly reflective surface was, highly reflective! And if that wasn’t enough, it has a very unique gull-wing design. How I love challenges!
Sept Fate
captured by D3x / 24-70f2.8
My biggest challenge and it’s all mental, is I have to LIE on the tarmac to make all the shots. That means when I go down, it has to be the right place because otherwise, I have to get back up (the challenge) and move to reposition. What is the right or perfect angle for a plane portrait? And with that reflective fuselage and bald skies, what do I do for backgrounds? The answer to the first question is, whatever you feel shows off the lines the best. From the standing position, I would put myself where I wanted to be for that angle and distance for a tight 70mm shot. Then when I laid down, I would shoot from 70mm down to 24mm. That took care of the main portrait. But what about the background?
Sept Fate
captured by D3x / 24-70f2.8
That gradation in the sky was all done in post and when I made the shot, I knew I was going to do that. At the same time, I knew I would tint the gradation according to the time of the shoot and the reflection on Sept Fate. The tint, for the most part, matches the predominant color of the fuselage in that particular view. And here’s the deal, the formula I used for Sept Fate doesn’t work for any other aircraft. That’s because all the elements are unique requiring unique solutions to the questions. That’s why I tell shooters, there is no plain plane portrait.
Feb 21, 2019 | Aviation
Do you have time for a window? When you’re pushing the clock or the light, there are times when you have to make the call, go for perfect or Photoshop? Such was the case last week when at 22:00 putting in the last new window would take the mechanics way into the wee hours to install a window. When I knew I could replace the window in less than a minute in post, I said leave it out and go to bed. While not my preferred option, it was the practical and right one. But just “Photoshopping” is not the answer either, you still gotta look at the light even at the computer.
First, I got the shot right in the camera, shooting with the Z7 / Z24-70f4 at zero comp to keep the effect of the ground fog. Then in post, I created a empty layer, then selected the window frame of the missing window. Then I simply used the Stamp Tool to clone the reflection from the window to the Left into the selected space. The window to the right is at a different angle so its light is wrong for my missing window. If I didn’t point it out, you might not have noticed the window is missing in the first place but I knew and that was enough. There are lots of tools we must know and master in photography. Time management, ours and our clients is definitely one of them. Having skills with Photoshop can at times permit your client to have more time and that’s something they never forget!
zoom in on “replaced” window
Feb 12, 2019 | Aviation
Spitfire MkIX
captured by D5 / 24-70VR
What was the story I wanted to tell when I saw this scene? That for me is always the challenge. “What’s the subject” is a really common question I ask other photographers when I look at their photographs. That’s not a good thing. In this case, there is that magnificent Spitfire arse and then there is that killer cloud above it. If you’re writing a sentence, there can only be one subject. To me, that is true for a photograph. So then with that amazing cloud, how do you have just one subject when you include the Spitfire? By getting down low and having the Spitfire pointed at that cloud, then the Spitfire is the subject and the cloud what it desires. The cloud to the viewer could be the clouds of war or perhaps, the vastness to explore in a gorgeous plane. When you tap the viewer’s imagination, then you’ve been successful, you’ve told a story about your subject!
Jan 31, 2019 | Aviation
It’s really hard for us to realize the Documentary is coming up, fast, on two years! Even more, that we take to the air in just three months to Normandy!!! We have been really bad at keeping the Normandy Bound website up to date but it’s now up to Oct ’18. A new trailer will be posted shortly as well. I want to thank all of you who have contributed to the filming, the response was really, overwhelming. Thank You!!!
We have started a Facebook Page for the C-47B, “Hit or Miss” that we are posting to daily starting with the start of the project and bringing it current by the end of Feb. I’d love it if you Like It, Share It and participate in the adventure that takes to the skies shortly and then starts flying to the UK in May. It’s your history we feel honored to share with you all!
Jan 18, 2019 | Aviation
In 1943, #43-48950 left the factory and was flown over the northern route to England. There she served for the next two years. She finished up her amazing WWII career as the lead plane for Operation Varsity, taking the British 6th Paratroopers over the Rhine. She came back to the states and for the next thirty years sprayed mosquitoes in Florida. Then she was parked, forgotten. That’s until two years ago!
“Hit or Miss” is returning to England this June to be a part of the 75th Anniversary D-Day tribute. She will be amongst some forty odd C-47s / DC-3s flying over the Normandy beaches on 6 June, a site not seen since March 1945 and Operation Varsity. She will make at least two drops of skydivers over France as part of the tribute. You can follow the journey of “Hit or Miss” from the beginning two years ago, current progress and her flight to Greenland, Iceland, the UK and beyond on Twitter and Facebook and be a part of this amazing piece of history that Turin Aviation Group and a group of volunteers has brought back to life to honor our Greatest Generation. We look forward to you’re Friending our page and seeing you there with your questions and participation!
Jan 16, 2019 | Aviation
Gaining the elusive air-to-air photo mission seems to be the quest of every aviation photographer. The question is, how do you make it happen? My flight with the amazing, gorgeous and one of a kind, Boeing 40 took me three years! Others I’ve done were never planned and happen spur of the moment. In either case, first and foremost understand many, many photographers have lost their lives or been severely injured in air-to-air photo missions. Safety is way more important than photography and that has to be the number one agenda. This means you need to know the pilot, not just fly with someone who says they will take you up. I understand the temptation but I’m here to tell you, I’ve have not flown with every pilot that has offered me a ride. How do you know if a pilot and/or plane is safe when they are really all new to you?
Getting to know a pilot comes from YOUR photography! You want to learn all you can BEFORE you ever go into the skies (Check out my KelbyOne Classes for more details or book, Takeoff). This means that while on the ground, you photograph statics to learn how light, color, and gesture which will make or break your photographs. Then you start lookin at applying what you learned from shooting statics to a plane in the skies. Backgrounds is a very important lesson. Then when you know the plane you want to do an air-to-air with, you create that good image and from that, the great print. The print, you present to the pilot. And in that entire process, you will meet and get to know the pilot and that will tell you Sooooo much as to whether you want to fly with them. You have to remember the safety factor, then the photographic factor and then remember what an old editor once told me. “You are only as good as your last image published.” In other words, if you go up in the air and you don’t come back with “The” photograph, it will be your last photo mission. It’s a small world and I sadly know a few photographers who this has happened to. Just keep in mind that if I can do it, all of you can do it. Cause there is no greater thrill than the elusive air-to-air!
