Spitfire MkIXc
captured D5, 24-70VR, SB-5000 & WR-R10 & 82mm Polarizer
It was a great morning on the ramp. We were working with the Texas Flying Legends Museum Spitfire MkIXc with the moody skies and the wet tarmac, a aviation photographers dream! After taking the overall shots and when you think you have them all, you move in for the detail shots. Now detail shots cover everything, important and trivial on the aircraft, graphically cool and technically boring. It’s then when you dig down and start modifying the light to tell the story.
My shooting partner for decades Kevin said, “Got your SB-5000?” I instantly knew what he was thinking, light up the cockpit. I got out my SB-5000 & WR-R10 and handed it to Kevin. Since he had used it a month ago, he simply plugged the WR-R10 into his D5, turned on the SB-5000 and it instantly start talking to each other. I placed the SZ-4TN Incandescent Filter on the flash to add some color and he shot away. I uped it a tad by using the same set up but adding the 82mm Polarizer. If you look closely at the two photos, you’ll see not only the lit up cockpit but also the change in the fuselage and wings as the light was polarized to remove the reflections from the overcast. Yes, the polarizer took two stops of light from the scene but since we’re working iTTL and the flash is so close to the subject, nothing had to be done other than go click. The best part is, it is so simple and effective, the SB-5000 / WR-R10 Wireless iTTL system, that it’s fun. Flash is fun again and even more, an effective storytelling tool!