Props & Spinners

[Victor Archer]

Re: Props & Spinners

Swwwweeeeettttt! Nice shot Tim
Makes me want to reach out and touch it.

[T. Adams]

Re: Props & Spinners

Thanks Victor, here are a couple more.

[Victor Archer]

Re: Props & Spinners

Great shot of Dago, that's a very interesting view/perspective.
Ahh da Bear. It's not an easy job to get the pilots face unobstructed and something I don't think a lot of us think about as we shoot the planes.

There are shots (view/perspective) that I plan on taking and don't. Then there are settings and things I want to try and forget. Other ideas I want to make work and spent a lot of time on. For any of you Photographers out there do you ever bring a note book with you: not for the serial # thing, but for ideas and things to remember? I know we all have our favorites we shoot a ton of photos of but do you get home and review the pics from the day and say, oops I didn't shoot that or I shouldn't have been so creative with that plane or that performance?

[T. Adams]

Re: Props & Spinners

Most of the time I just try different things that I have seen in mags, or mostly on forums like these. To be honest I did not really notice John Penny's face as I took the shot. I took about 6 shots as they did the runup and deleted 5 to the recycle bin.

One thing that I have found a great help is that little EXIF viewer program, especially for auto racing stuff. It is great to see what shutter speed and exsposure bias people are using.

As for a little book, I carry enough stuff around as is, don't need anymore. Sure I do forget stuff, but there is always next year.

Most of the time I try not to think to hard. I always remember the line from the movie Bull Durham, "Try not to think, you'll only hurt the team."

[Peashooter]

Re: Props & Spinners

Exhaust stacks?? Peas., that's not fair you posted your September Fury close up before I could process mine.

Suh-weet, Tim! We've got a long way to go to realize the potential of my bro's D70. And a better photo editor. You're showing us "how high is up!"

[Peashooter]

Re: Props & Spinners

I just love the morning light!

[rpzo]

Re: Props & Spinners

For any of you Photographers out there do you ever bring a note book with you: not for the serial # thing, but for ideas and things to remember? I know we all have our favorites we shoot a ton of photos of but do you get home and review the pics from the day and say, oops I didn't shoot that or I shouldn't have been so creative with that plane or that performance?

I take mental notes when looking at my pictures and also those of other photographers. I'll look at what somebody else did, try to figure out how they did it, and then try to come close to what I saw. I can honestly say that I have been inspired by the works of Ansel Adams, Phil Makana, Neal Nurmi, Tyson, Wayne as well as the current group that posts on this board. (Ansel Adams? You don't think that there is a comparison between capturing El Capitan with with just the right light and September Fury waiting on the ramp?)

When I am at Reno, or an airshow, I try to get into a mode where I am trying to anticipate what will happen next as well as visualizing what the picture will look like when its captured. With digital it has become a lot easier to realize that vision because you can instantaneously analyze the exposure and composition. With film there was a lot more bracketing like hell and hoping for the best. I was into that "zone" so much this year that I wasn't even keeping track of the race, just setting up for the next shot. I had to ask my son who won after just about every heat. I did have some idea what the order was by going back through the series of pictures that I had just shot.

Rick

[Propellerhead]

Re: Props & Spinners

Props & Spinners & Stacks, oh my....

As I conclude another organizing and culling session, I thought I'd post something...

Rob

[Propellerhead]

Re: Props & Spinners

Missed two others...

Rob

[Peashooter]

Re: Props & Spinners

Props & Spinners & Stacks, oh my....

As I conclude another organizing and culling session, I thought I'd post something...

Rob

That's what I'm talkin' about!

[Old Ramp Rat]

Re: Props & Spinners

It's difficult to express the gratitude, for when, on those rare occasions, some of us are forced to miss Reno, for the outstanding photographs, you all have posted. But I have a question. Don't you tend to loose the BIG picture, when focusing on the SMALL one, (in the view finder), or does your mind learn to adapt?
As an amatuer photographer, I was trying out a new rig at the night launch of Apollo 17, got some (I think), good shots of the launch, untill during an adjustment, I looked up, MY JAW DROPPED, I was watching a man-made object create DAWN. The earth & our bodies shook, and that sucker was LONG down range before I recovered to "photographer" mode.
One year at Reno, crew duties done, I was attempting to get some shots of da Bear, on a late test session. One of my crew grabbed me, and said, "you've got to FEEL this". We went up into the empty metal bleachers, and felt heavan & stands resonate with that three-blade cranked up. A picture could not have done justice. I hope you're not cheating yourselves out of part of the experience.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Props & Spinners

Old Ramp Rat, I'll pick this one up because it really strikes home.. yes yes yes, you do give up the big picture, at least I do. I've not really figured out how to see the "big" picture and concentrate on the small.. I rarely know who is in the lead, where the battle for what position is, I just visually search, quickly, for whatever visual might happen or be happening.

I remember a ways back someone on here was kind of irked because of all of the access that those of us who do this somewhat full time are allowed at times... I think we were discussing the air to air session that I had the opportunity to grab in April of '02 or '03 with the Bear down at Reno....

Of all the Air2Air that I've ever done, I've actually just watched the airplanes beside me for probably a total of less than a minute (not that I've done that much A2A mind you) you really do miss the moment real time and sometimes really only get to see it after the fact. Certainly that Rare Bear shoot was that way! I had a video camera as well as my still and knew we only had a very short amount of air time so it was just shoot shoot shoot and then switch cameras and shoot shoot shot some more.

I used to video tape Reno, every race, the whole race until one year I realized that I was a very low paid (read none) cameraman and I just left the darn thing home.... it was wonderful! I actually got to see the races again!

So, my answer to this question is a HUGE YES, you do give up the BIG picture to capture a "single" moment of a race... it is the price you pay and it really is not insignificant. The reward is the final product and the satifaction one gets when you really do nail one..

Wayne

[Mark K]

Re: Props & Spinners

Old Ramp Rat,

Don't think for a minute that we don't occationally set the cameras aside and live the moment. Cheating yourself fom the experience of air racing is something I never try to do. You grab a few shots, yes, but there are times that you just set the photograpy/video aside for the moment and enjoy. In fact, I don't think I've taken any picutes during the last few laps of the gold race during any year I've attended.

That said, even doing this you do miss the moment sometimes - but just as Wayners said - The reward is the final product and the satifaction one gets when you really do nail one. For an avid photographer, that in itself IS a big part of the experience

[Kilo Hotel]

Re: Props & Spinners

I put it this way when people ask me that question: "You can either be there, or be the photographer, but not both."

I can't do what Cobra does: shoot a little, then watch a little. So when I want to experience an event, I put down the camera (read: leave it at home, so it doesn't tempt me) and pay attention to what's going on.

I go hot and cold wanting to make pictures. I was an avid shooter in high school and college: newspaper, yearbook, sports, darkroom work, 35mm, medium format, landscapes, architectural, portraiture, the whole shot. Then for 20 years after we got married I hardly touched a camera, and my wife took all the snapshots of the kids growing up. Then digital came in and I rediscovered my passion for making images, and especially for making prints. Nowadays, I can hardly wait to get home from a day's shooting and start editing.

I think my wife liked it better the other way.

[Old Ramp Rat]

Re: Props & Spinners

Thanks, for the input, art & history owe ALOT to photographers.

The line that always sticks in my mind, was the guy that filmed Sadat's assasination, keeping the whole horrendous moment, in frame.
He viewed the tape later, and said, "What the F*CK was I thinking, I could have been killed"....

sometimes thanks, just doesn't seem adequate