Oh yeah, I’ve photographed a few of these now and I never tire of them (this is #12 I’ve shot air to air and all in just a year)! This one is owned by our dear friend KT and her husband Syd who were kind enough to join in the fun of our air to air. I posted these two images so show what happens 180 degrees in the orbit from where I shot the P-51c. There are a couple of things that happen in this arc of the orbit, the main one you can see right off the bat is the prop. It has no light on it so it basically disappears. Is this a bad thing? No, it just is but since you really can’t see it, using a slow shutter speed to blur it doesn’t get you very far. You can shoot at a faster shutter speed making a sharper image without worrying about the prop.
But there is a bigger issue here then a disappearing prop, can you see it? Look closely, what’s missing from the images here from the images here (you’ll have to look hard, it’s small in these thumbnails)? These are my dear friends in the T-6 but they have no light on them, you can’t see them! Light is everything to every photograph! Now you might think the aircraft itself is the subject but I don’t think that way, there’s more to it the photograph then just metal and clothe. My challenge that I face is solving this problem that works and is safe and is practical. I have ideas, just need time and money to prove them. It’s important to keep in perspective what’s your photograph goal I feel and when you don’t reach them, analyze why and improve. I’ve still got a ways to go in my air to air photography but I’m having a ton of fun along the way!
Photos captured by D3x, 70-200VR2 / 24-120VR on Lexar UDMA digital film