Sparky...

[sierra fox]

Re: Sparky...

We will see, I guess -- I haven't had a chance to look hard at it yet -- I'm actually looking forward to it. Been a lot on my plate lately...

Neal

No hurry at all Neal

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Sparky...

This is the most interesting thread I've seen here in years! Better keep it down or Wayne will be forced to move it to the photography thread.

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Sparky...

Can I play too? I don't have nearly the experience the rest of you guys have with digital being a relatively recent convert. I'm using Digital Photo Professional that came with my Canon 40D. I am using a Mac G3 with an un-calibrated Apple Cinema Monitor.

I must be older than the rest of use as my benchmark for color is Kodachrome II. Newer Kodachromes are a reasonable substitutes. Kodachrome printed on Cibachrome paper is the combination of saturation and luminosity I look for in a color print.

I took sierra fox's original from post #15 and just bumped up the contrast 10%. It looks pretty good to me that way. Lighter, darker, more saturation don't ring true and increasing sharpness introduced some undesirable edge effects. Actually I think this is pretty close to SFs own adjustment.

Well OK, the file is now to big to put back.... go figure, I would have expected it to be smaller as the jpg got compressed one more time. to continue...

I like ignomini's adjustments as well, although, try as I might, I just can't see it in stereo.

Tim's looks good too. How the heck did you get the full crop off this site? I like that composition as well. Purest... perhaps, but that's how dear old dad taught me. Admittedly difficult not to crop when the subject is going by that fast. Dad was an aerial photographer with lots of practice but the camera was on the other end of the shot. Don't get me wrong, I have been known to cheat to improve a composition, it's just not good for the resolution.

For me. Neal's mix is one shade too light. I hear what you're saying about Ansel's prints having that luminous quality, but my dad always taught me that any B&W print should have some pure white and some pure black in it. Dad was good friends with Ansel and taught at his workshops in Yosemite several times. For me, there is too much shadow detail and not enough pure black. Look at the the scoop in your first shot, and the pilots sun visor. Just not black enough for me. That is not meant to be a knock, just a matter of taste. You asked.

Art is in the eye of the beholder of course. Call comments with due respect to excellent photographers.

PS: I really like Tim's night shot, wow!

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Sparky...

Let's see if I can get back to Sparky.

Here is a shot from GML this last summer. Cloudy day with strong light from behind me. The contrast is set way up for the plane, but that causes some burn on the guy walking the wing. Definitely no shadow detail inside the cockpit and on the tires. I could be guilty of trying to rescue a bad shot here, but is is Sparky. What do you think?

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Sparky...

A mediocre scan from pre JellyBelly days.

[Smiley]

Re: Sparky...

My favorite Sparky shot from 2007, with Spinner by the wing. With a Fuji Finepix glorified point and shoot, I got a lot of nice pics in 2007, took a lot of time setting up what I wanted, tookover 1000 frames. I have found that with the cheap equipment I have, I cannot spend a lot of effort on prop blur. The slower shutter speeds seem to always over-expose (like the PM shot) and there is no way to set the exposure independently.
In 2008 I don't think I got ANY decent shots. For some reason this year I just was not into it.
I've always been a big Sparky fan since it's first flight after restoration. Hard not to root for the hometown team!

[wingman]

Re: Sparky...

Bill -- I love the GML shot -- catches the mood of an overcast day very nicely, and I love shooting under a thin overcast. My only concern is that I find the reds somewhat oversaturated -- and that pulls my eye in a jarring way. Part of the problem is, I think, just the tone of the big decal, which my Nikons struggle with a bit under any conditions. I think I also just have a taste for a bit less saturation than is the fashion nowadays. Many the big flashy movies these days tend to be oversaturated to my eye -- maybe this is affecting what people think looks right?

Neal

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Sparky...

Bill -- My only concern is that I find the reds somewhat oversaturated -- I think I also just have a taste for a bit less saturation than is the fashion nowadays.
Neal

I suspect you are right. I know all the HD channels on TV seem a bit amped up these days so people have just gotten used to that. ESPN's new set hurts my eyes.

In my case, this relate to Kodachrome which tends to have highly saturated reds. The old Ectachrome was blue especially as it aged. Your balance is admittedly closer to reality.

I pushed the contrast on the GML shot in particular to compensate for the gray day, but not the saturation which just seems to go along for the ride.

You guys are more sophisticated in the use of the tools. I have not tried manually dragging the curves around. I don't like what the automatic curve tools do at all.

Eager to learn more.

[wingman]

Re: Sparky...

Had not realised it was Kodachrome -- I have some very odd shots of red flowers done over the years with Kodachrome.

It might be worth Googling (what a word!) something like "curves tool tutorial" to see what you get. I learned the basics of the tool this way some years ago and immediately fell in love. I actually learned a lot of the little I know about the pixel side of photography from the net...

Auto curves is useless, as is auto levels. I find auto contrast and very occasionally auto color can be useful when in a hurry, but none of the auto tools are as good as I can do myself.

Neal

[wingman]

Re: Sparky...

Here's some OLD Sparky -- before she was even Sparky, much less Jelly Belly...

[wingman]

Re: Sparky...

Reno 1994

John Herlihy doing the honors. Another great warbird pilot who has left us...

Does the aiplane look a little naked after years of Jellybeans?

Actually I think it looked great -- I have alwys liked Mustangs with minimal markings.

[spinner]

Re: Sparky...

The old WINGMAN pix taken when Art Vance flew the Sparkler for us. Not sure what year that was. Herhly flew in 94 and think Art gave it a go 95 or 96. Dan Vance mushed it around one year. Cool pix...thanks.

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Sparky...

A few more...
I took the family photo, but the rest were taken by my son Geoff.

[wingman]

Re: Sparky...

And another from 94 with Herlihy.

and Reno 2000, with Brant...

[spinner]

Re: Sparky...

Thanks Neal and Bill. Sure liked the old scheme mobetta than the new. Oh well, JB is a great sponsor and we couldnt get back to the Greatest Show on Earth without their help every year.