Feb 25, 2011 | Aviation, B&W Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPAZCAF1515.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
We’re down in Phoenix getting ready for our Air2Air workshop which is based out of the AZ Wing of the CAF. These great folks open up their doors and hearts and make us feel right at home. This is the home base for the B-17G Sentimental Journey and the B-25 Made in the Shade you see here.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DPAZCAF1536.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The AZ CAF does an amazing job putting people together with our history which I personally think is so important. I wasn’t able to photograph it, but today a WWII B-17 radioman who was shot down and was a POW was flying in Sentimental Journey. When if got back down he was nothing but smiles. That’s an aspect of aviation photography I truly enjoy. I’ll be blogging through out the weekend, give you something to do as the weather is looking to keep many in.
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 25, 2011 | B&W Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp68891.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
Home for a few days, long enough to do some chores, some laundry, move snow, backed up images from the last two weeks onto the network drives, pat the dogs on the head, pack and back out the door we went. It’s that time of year again when I look in the mirror I see the road warrior view.
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The Sierra is a magical place, one I’ve written about and shared in my images many times, I never get tired of them. They always seem to send us off and welcome us back without any conditions, just that we do comeback. We skirted out this time just as another big storm was coming in. You can see its beauty piled up over Mono Lake hiding the fact the fury that would be unleashed as the sun set.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp69141.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
We continued up the road without a hitch, just a gorgeous view as the storm piled in over the crest. We’re heading north past Carson City and just heading into Washoe Valley when the weather closed in. The winds were such the highway was closed to all high profile vehicles, it was blowing snow across the highway and in some places making is an icy mess. The normal 70mph limit was more then most felt comfortable with, 50mph seemed more cautious with the conditions. We were just about to get through the mess when in the southbound lane we saw a new, white, Ford F250 just as it started to fish and then the wind gust grabbed its empty bed, flipped it a couple of times over and over and dump it into the center island. There was no way or place we could stop but we were instantly on the phone reporting it. Moments later the ambulance passed us heading south. The rest of the details I’ll leave out but it’s not good. Life is so precious and yet it seems we get stuck in the fast lane and miss that fact until we get hit in the side of the head. Waiting until you loose something to realize that is too late. That too is sometimes the road warrior view.
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 24, 2011 | Aviation, Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/A36_DPA2AA360023.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
I wasn’t really into GA (General Aviation) photography until I meet this lovely A36 Bonanza one gorgeous Sunday morning in the Phoenix skies last fall. It wasn’t old (warbird old) and not really that rare so photographing it at first just didn’t put lift under my wings. While my lovely wife is second seat, I didn’t think I would comeback with much until I saw the light! The soft morning light wrapped itself around everything and gave it that desert morning freshness that you just can’t pass up. You’ve gotta embrace it and make it yours. You do that by how you assemble the elements within your viewfinder to make the image. It doesn’t matter what the subject is, a rock, horse, rocking chair, weed, stick, all these elements and more can come to life in this kind of light. In this case, this photo has become a favorite for many reasons. #1 – it opened my eyes that GA photography can be rewarding to me. #2 – the light on the golfers make them a very important part of the image which is why I framed it the way I did (they have great shadows stretching across the green). #3 – the light on the sand trap makes for a killer background for everything. And that’s all because of the light!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/A36_DPA2AA360254.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
Then just heartbeats later the background changed but that sweet light was still with us. The background went into shadow of the mountains we were passing while the morning light literally wrapped itself around the A-36. You can see from the prop we were flying into the light and that makes it all work. The all white fuselage can be a very unforgiving form in the wrong light as we experienced just minutes later as the sun rose in the sky. I have a very well earned reputation from my workshop participants for getting up and going at o’dark thirty. That’s because so often that sweet magic of light comes and goes so very quickly. It makes or breaks a photograph and I personally like the make part a whole lot more then the break part. And in this case, light taught me another very important lesson, this time about aviation photography and myself. I love chasing light, I love more when I catch it!
Photos captured by D3x, 24-120VR (handheld 1/60) on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 23, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp01341.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
I hear from a lot of folks saying they don’t have a 600mm lens. They ask “How do I get a large subject in the frame without the big lens?” This is a really great question. Here are some suggestions when you feel lens challenge and your desire the large subject size. The first option is demonstrated right here. Can you tell what it is?
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp00131.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
Compostionally, I think this is a vertical photo with the tree trunk being so strong visually. But when you rotate the camera vertically, even though that is all we’ve done, the subject now “feels” much smaller in the frame. Nothing has changed other then the camera’s orientation yet in the vertical format the Bald Eagle appears smaller. This is because of the space above and below the eagle in the vertical format compared to the horizontal format. Yeah, you can make your subject size appear larger that simply. Is this the only way? Not hardly but it doesn’t cost you a thing and it’s really simple to do. Just thought I would pass it along.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-20e3 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 18, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp59701.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
And just as quickly as the storm comes in….
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp58971.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
What I’m doing to make the contrast pop is 1st, shooting in Vivid and then underexposing -.05. And that’s it.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 18, 2011 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp55661.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
And just as quickly as the storm comes in….
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp56011.swf, 595, 484 [/swf]
The storm blows out but the crusties remain. And how you ask am I getting the contrast I am in camera? You’ll have to read the next blog….
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
