If you want to drive me nuts, give me great light and nothing to shoot! There is simply nothing worse then to waste great light so when it started to unfold Saturday at the Nut Tree Air Fair, I instantly started to pace. What makes it great light you ask? The range of light is less than three stops and that’s part of it. More importantly is the way the light is being bounced and modified by the clouds. There is a reason you see so much of my photography including clouds, it’s the light! Luckily for me, right then they decided they needed to move a plane to get to another plane out of the hangar. And the plane they had to move is this gorgeous, simply spectacular 1929 Waco DSO … I was so upset that’s all I had to throw in the great light :-)
Being a California boy, the gorgeous hills in the background with the oaks in the light was the perfect background. Working in the shadow of the hangar which is a favorite technique of mine, with this combo of ramp and background, I asked if the Waco could be pushed to the corner of the ramp. Once there, I just waited for the sun to just barely kiss the Waco and started to shoot. This is the one thing I will stick my butt up in the air for as I was down on my knees (oh that hurts) with the D5 / 24-70VR inches above the ground as I shot. I depend on the Grid in the D5 for these shots, to center the subject for symmetry and level. Then, if it couldn’t get any better, the Waco was turned over to taxi it to its parking spot for the day. Still working in the great light, I now had to move, fast to get the second shot. Just like the light, the opportunity came and went fast, too fast but just these couple of clicks, I love. Which pose and gesture to I like best? On that, I’m still torn. Now, to only get in the air with this beaut!