ISnAP November 2017 by International Society of Aviation Photography, Inc.

Kevin Hong

WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER 2017 ISSUE OF ISNAP! Great Times at the 2017 Alliance Airshow Andy Lay, Andy Smolenski, Bryan Stevens, Charles Daniels, Craig Swancy, Gary Daniels, Jeff Schroeder, Jeremy Boyd, Jim Wilson, Larry Grace, Larry Melby, Milton Barnum, Philip Johnson, Raymond Cervantes, Rod Cromer, Rollo Watkins

FRONT COVER PHOTO: Larry Grace F-16 Demo Team pose for a pyro photo at Alliance Airshow

The Antique Airplane Association Annual Fly-In Brent Blue

ISAP’s goal is to bring together our members who share a love of aviation, and want to preserve its history through their images. Through our organization, members can seek to enhance their artistic quality, advance technical knowledge, and improve safety for all areas of aviation photography while fostering professionalism, high ethical standards, and camaraderie.

Taking Advantage of Practice Days: San Francisco Fleet Week Hayman Tam The Art of Air Racing: Learning to Fly at the NCAR Pylon Racing Seminar Jeff Berlin Soaring Over Midland Kevin Hong CAF Celebrating 60 Years: Wings Over Dallas Kevin Hong Wings Over Houston Kevin Hong Racing With The Nikon D850…Air Racing That Is! Scott Diussa Meet Our Members Ken Middleton, Raymond Cervantes

BACK COVER: Larry Grace UH-1N taking off at sunset at Alliance Airshow

ISAP continues to help our members to better their photography skills, workflow, and set up resources to help with business questions that our members have. Updates are being made to the ISAP website and member portfolio section, and we are showcasing ISAP members’ images and accomplishments on our social media pages. In this issue we are continuing to highlight ISAP members. I’m sure you will enjoy learning how your fellow ISAP members got started, as well as seeing some of their images and learning some tips. Remember that ISnAP is your publication to share your images, stories and tips with other members and the public. We look forward to each member sharing his or her stories with all of us. Enjoy this issue of ISnAP! Sincerely, Larry Grace, President Kevin Hong, ISnAP Editor International Society for Aviation Photography www.aviationphoto.org • www.facebook.com/ISAPorg isnap@aviationphoto.org

Kevin Hong

w e l c o m e

n e w

a n d

r e t u r n i n g

i s a p

m e m b e r s

Jessica Ambats

Mike Collins

Jennifer Jensen

Charles Raimond

Joe Barranco

Richard Depinay

Andrew Madden

Wes Roberts

Brent Blue

Scott Dworkin

Marji McNeely

Chad Slattery

Charles Burin

Mike Green

Larry Melby

S.Robert Sliger

Marcelo de Barros Camargo

Arnold Greenwell

Paul Millsaps

Bryan Stevens

Raymond Cervantes

Ian Grove

Joe Paul

Vince Yarbrough

Dave Chng

Tomislav Haramincic

Brent Ovard

The ISnAP is a periodic publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other information of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and should not be construed as the views or opinions of the International Society for Aviation Photography.

Charles Daniels

s e m i T t a e Gr THE 2017 at ALLIANCE AIRSHOW

The first entry on my air show calendar every year is the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. For the past two years I have joined ISAP at their seminar Thursday before the air show. This year Larry Grace and the ISAP leadership produced another superb opportunity to learn and grow as aviation photographers. I bridled my fears, gave my flash drive to Larry and stood by bravely as some of the best aviation photographers around commented and critiqued my images. All professional, all constructive. Every year I learn something that improved my photography, which is why I joined ISAP. The chance to sit with working professional photographers and hear how they capture the images we see is for me the major benefit of ISAP membership. Once Thursday practice began (you know by the deafening sound of jet noise over the hotel) the group moved to Alliance to put to use what we heard in the classroom. Our friends from Dallas Aviation Photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group joined us for an afternoon capturing images and continued discussion about all aspects of aviation photography.

Dress rehearsal day on Friday was COLD! But the Alliance folks got sides on our tent to block the wind and the show went on! This opportunity would not have happened without the efforts of the ISAP leadership, so thanks Larry and Jim Wilson. Great conditions for photography, lots of interacting with other like-minded photographers, and a broad list of aircraft to photograh. The air show Saturday and Sunday was a non-stop parade of great performers, great planes and lots of noise! Exactly what you would expect from the Alliance Air Show. I have already marked my 2018 calendar for next year. Looking forward to the ISAP symposium in Tucson March 2018. If you have an interest in aviation photography you do not want to miss the unique opportunity.

Larry Grace

Gary Daniels

Larry Grace

2017 Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show early morning photo tour hosted by Fort Worth Camera.

Larry Grace

Jim Wilson

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Sunset light painting class with Fort Worth Camera photography class and ISAP members during Friday evening at the 2017 Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show.

Andy Lay

Craig Swancy

Jeff Schroeder

Bryan Stevens

Larry Grace

Milton Barnum

Andy Lay

It’s all about ACCESS. I live in Fort Worth, TX so I take every opportunity to attend the annual Alliance Air Show. I typically pay extra to be able to photograph the aircraft hours before the gates are open to the public and to be able to shoot from the “photo pit” which is strategically located near show center. But what makes my Alliance experience truly memorable is ISAP. The 2017 Alliance ISAP Workshop gave me access to people, aircraft and opportunities that I could have never gotten on my own. Being able to meet, network, share images and experiences with other ISAP photographers was truly inspiring as well as educational. The opportunity to photograph on the ramp in the days leading up to the show provided unique access to the aircraft as they arrived

and practiced for the event. I especially enjoy being able to capture images of the aircraft coming in for static display as they will often provide a few flybys that few will ever see. This year we were also provided ramp access to one of the Blue Angels for a sunset and evening light painting session. Learned some new techniques and got a few cool shots. As a former Lockheed Martin engineer, I really appreciated the late-night access we were provided to photograph the F-22 and F-35 on static display. Being able to shoot long exposures on tripod without any people wondering into the scene was awesome. The Alliance Air Show is great but what ISAP provides is access to life events that really make a difference.

Andy Lay

Andy Smolenski

I have attended the airshow at Alliance Airport many times. This year was one of the most challenging yet inspirational shows that I can remember. So, what was so challenging? One word, weather. But more on that later. Thursday started out with meeting the ISAP members in town for the weekend. It was an opportunity to share ideas and learn from each other. We were each asked to bring 10 photos for critique by the group. Seeing the work of my fellow photographers I’m inspired to continue to learn and hone my skills. I’ve been in other groups where photographers are not so willing to share information and help each other improve. No so with ISAP. This is a very open and collaborative group. The weather we had on Thursday for the Blue Angels practice session was the perfect tease, blue sky and mild temperatures. You couldn’t ask for better conditions. Friday for the full practice was a whole different story. Gray sky, temperature in the 30’s, cold biting wind, and the occasional sleet shower. Friday was tough. But Friday was also a great day to get to hang out and talk aviation photography with the rest of the ISAP crew. The cold wasn’t so noticeable Friday night with the opportunity to shoot Blue Angel #7 up close at sunset, without those pesky ropes and cones we usually have to Photoshop out of the shots. And that was just the beginning of the fun. Once the sun went down and we had complete darkness the light painting started. I’ve tried this a few times before but this was the most success I’ve had and I’m inspired to do more of it. We also had the opportunity to shoot the F-22 and F-35 under the lights outside the new hangers at Alliance. And again, without those ropes and cones, though we were under the watchful eyes of members of the Fort Worth Police SWAT team there to guard those aircraft though a very cold night. It was a great night. You had to dress warm for the sunrise shoot on Saturday with the temps near freezing. It warmed up as the day went on and started out bright and sunny but we did pick up some clouds as the day progressed. Overall a fantastic airshow and a fantastic time with my fellow aviation photographers!

Andy Smolenski

Bryan Stevens

Charles Daniels

Regarding the ISAP Symposium workshop, I would have to say that it was incredibly informative in more ways than one. It gave me a whole new perspective on suggestive editing and composition formatting as well. I enjoyed viewing other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photographs through their eyes and hearing stories about how they were able to capture such magnificent images.

As for the airshow itself, it was an absolutely outstanding lineup this year. I followed some of the acts photographers and kept up with their shots on social media. Thanks to the Viper Demo Team for their inspiration on the blast of pyro behind their jet. I look forward to hopefully continuing to learn more from each individual that attended and growing the ISAP community and bond.

Charles Daniels

Craig Swancy

This could have been subtitled after the late Stevie Ray Vaughn’s hit, “Couldn’t Stand the Weather.” Or the famous Texas farmer that first said, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change.” And change it did. Friday started partly cloudy and cool. By mid-day the temps had dropped and a nice mix of cold rain and sleet caused everyone to take shelter. Unfortunately this change in weather took its toll on a few ISAP Photographers and forced them to shelter and even a few into bed. Possible recovery was negated for a few. By late afternoon the clouds broke, the sun came out, the temps rose. All this in time to catch the Blue Angels practice and allow a few ISAP

Photographers time for some really nice shots. The fall weather pretty much held most of the performers in check. Saturday Morning came with a large crowd of early morning Photographers from all over the Dallas /Fort Worth area to come out for a chance at the “Sunrise Photo Session.” The Blue Angels seemed to be the focus of most as you could hear the roar of DSLR’s come to life. Ok, it was tiny, not too significant roar. (Maybe not a roar at all.) A minor sound like ice in a tea glass. But the photo captures were good! Mostly good. Mine sucked.

Rather than engage in Mortal Combat with the “Sunrise” Photographers, I chose to wander into the realm of static display aircraft with the wishful thinking of setting up on a T-33 and a Kodiak Float Plane for just a few real nice sunrise photos. Having some success, I wandered through the static displays. T-38’s, F-16’s, a C-17, KC-130, and a rare P-3 Orion gained the crowd’s attention. I worked through the static aircraft until mid-day when the aerobatic and flight display aircraft took to the skies. Partly cloudy skies held the creative side of the “Artistic” aircraft photographers in check for a while. A lone F-16 took to the air to perform for about 20 minutes, only to make a young man’s day with a salute on his taxi back in. Again later in the day as the Blue Angels

began to come to life. The roar of their engines’ distinctive sound was a signal that God relented and moved the clouds out of the path of the Angels. As always the Blue Angels performed their show with precision and timing and again proved why so many come to see them. That closed the show on Saturday. Scheduled to fulfill other duties on Sunday, I could not be there to see what Sunday brought. I trust all ISAP photographers had a great day and captured many great photos.

Craig Swancy

Gary Daniels

Jeff Schroeder

Having just joined ISAP before the 2016 Alliance Air Show, this was only my second workshop to attend. I travel extensively to as many local, and some not so local, airshows that I can squeeze into my schedule. This past year was one of the busiest and most challenging seasons I have ever attempted. Throughout all the shows, I try to meet new people along the way, but sadly a lot of the times I find myself setup in some remote corner of the airport shooting with no one within a hundred feet of me. This works out well for photography purposes, but after a few shows in isolation it starts to get to you. Having the chance to attend shows with friends/family always seems to result in a more enjoyable time. Which, in turn leads to better shots. That is the thing that I have most enjoyed about the two ISAP workshops I have attended. The ability to get to know, on a professional and personal level, some of the best Aviation Photographers around is invaluable. Just hanging out and looking over the equipment and techniques others use is something I have come to find most helpful. Finding out the strengths and weaknesses of others is a great way to learn, and the willingness of everyone to offer any help where needed is tremendous. Even though the weather at Alliance was not ideal, this was the first time I have ever been sleeted on at an airshow, the event was a tremendous success. I also learned the proper way to dress for a cold airshow and survive! I look forward to being able to work more of the workshops and meetings into my schedule next year. Thanks to everyone who make events like this possible.

Jeff Schroeder

Jeremy Boyd

The Hunt!

I have many passions in life but three that seem to be a constant are Family, Flying and Photography. I remember my father taking me down to the local FBO when I was in High School and setting up a flight lesson with a retired Air Force Vietnam Veteran. I was hooked, seriously hooked. I believe there is a quote once attributed to Leonardo da Vinci - For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. That was me, and my father paved the way to start this journey. I have flown for what seems to be my whole life. I went to college to fly and was blessed enough to receive a coveted pilot slot through AFROTC. What a dream it has been to serve our country and fly at the same time. I have seen the heat of battle while our troops were fighting for their lives on the ground all the while providing what support I could. I have had to leave my family many times when the call to serve came, not knowing when I would return. Thankfully the good Lord has blessed us and I returned safe and sound each time. I still serve to this day in the Reserves and love to help in the small ways that I can. Since leaving the Air Force full time I have flown in the Private sector and more recently for the airlines. That passion of flying still burns deep and courses through my veins daily. I can also remember picking up my first film camera. I could not wait for the film to return just to see what worked and what didn’t. I seemed to always be on the Hunt for the perfect shot. Oh its interesting how times don’t seem to change. When the digital age came about I jumped in. I started off small but soon recognized I was missing the shots that I wanted and it seemed to be the equipment. At the time my wife and I had one little boy – the joy of my life. I decided to by a used Canon 1D – the original 4 MP camera. With that and a few “L” glass lenses I was ready. I had the perfect set up to capture all the moments that family life could through at you. From sports to portraits I had it all. One other aspect of the airframe I was flying for the Air Force was the platform it provided to photograph the world and any other aircraft that were hanging on our wings. Since we provided fuel for thirsty jets we had many visitors over the years. I tried to capture everything I could. I have digital archives documenting the years I have spent in the air.

My youngest son Jace has caught my heart with his desire and interest to learn everything about jets. Many times as I’m putting him to bed he asks to watch airplane videos on YouTube. He sat and watched a technical documentary on the Concord twice just a few weeks go. He really likes the jets with the pointy noses – fighters. I did to when young and dreaming of what the future held as well. In the airlines many times you don’t have the best control over your schedule especially if you’re junior, like me. I knew the Alliance Air Show was coming up but was selected for Airline Reserves and didn’t have any idea where in the world I would end up. I was lucky late in the week to be able to pick a Dallas layover line. That allowed me a few more days at home and also a chance to visit the Airshow practice on Friday before I flew out that night. I reached out to Larry and was able to line up a last minute visit for my son and I. What a chance this was to be able to have the day off and take one of my kids to the airshow. We packed up the cameras and headed out on the coldest day this fall to Alliance. Even with the biting wind and sleet that accompanied our visit we had the time of our lives. We were on the Hunt for the perfect shot and in Airplane heaven. The Blue Angels put on an incredible show and what a time I had sharing it with Jace. Probably one of the best parts was he had the chance to skip school to do this. You know when your only 8 you have to set your priorities. He chose wisely, I believe. Like I said at the beginning – I have many passions in life but three constants are Family, Flying and Photography. What an honor and privilege it was to share these with Jace this day. He loved the aircraft and loved taking pictures of them. And most of all he loved hanging out with dad – even if it involved skipping school. Thank you to Larry and the ISAP team for making this one of the best days. Thank you to Alliance and Chris Ash for putting on such a great show. I have worked in many airshows and know how difficult it is to pull it all together. Did we get the perfect shot – probably not, but The Hunt is what counted that day and that will be etched in my heart forever. Simply put – We Loved It!

Jeremy Boyd

Larry Grace

Jace Boyd

Jeremy Boyd

Jace Boyd

Jim Wilson

This year’s event, like all years, had it’s challenges. I’ve been shooting this great air show for a dozen years and thought I had experienced about every light and weather scenario possible, but Friday combined clouds, 40 knot winds and occasional sleet. In spite of those less that optimum conditions, the spirit of our ISAP members was not dampened in the least. Our members braved the conditions, enjoyed each other’s company and did what they came to do, have fun and capture great images. Chandler and I have a myriad of responsibilities before and during the show but we were able to spend time with our fellow ISAP members at the hotel meeting session on Thursday, several lunches and dinners as well as our dawn and dusk tours and in the Photo Pit. The value of our association at gatherings like this is obvious and it’s wonderful in our divided society to see a group of people just come together, share their talent and experience and enjoy a common bond. My time with everyone is always enjoyable, the weekend activities with my Grandson at my side is priceless and becomes more so each year. We are submitting our images as a collaborative effort this year and I’m proud to say that the biggest reason for that is, try as we might, we can’t easily determine who captured what, and I have to confess to no small amount of pride in that statement.

Jim Wilson

Larry Grace

This is the third year ISAP members had the opportunity to attend the Friday practice day at the Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. Being able to photograph the practice day of a weekend show is a rare opportunity, one would need to have a media pass or have special access at the airshow. This allows a photographer to capture the static aircraft flying in for the show and the chance to practice capturing the show without the crowd. As ISAP president I have worked on these opportunities for our members and share the opportunity with local aviation photography group to join ISAP members during these events. This year we worked with the Dallas Aviation Photography group. We held a workshop on Thursday before the airshow to allow both groups a day of discussion on aviation photography, review images, and sharing photo tips. An added bonus was working with Fort Worth Camera for a sunset lighting photography session with our members and invited photographers of Fort Worth Camera. As seen in this issue we assign our members the task to capture photos of the airshow weekend and showcase their images and words in our magazine. This gives our members the chance to work on skills to help them get published and to build a portfolio of images to share and learn. For me, the weekend is double duty hosting ISAP members and photographers for the workshop and over the weekend capturing the airshow action for the Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. The airshow weekend allows me the opportunity to share and teach along with helping photographers capture images and grow with their aviation photography goals. On behalf of ISAP members and photographers, I would like to extend a thank you to the following people, Tom Harris, Christina Carey, Debra Hale, Chris Ash, Randy Pruett and Phil Pacific for their help and support before and during the airshow weekend. And MacKenzie Hughes with Fort Worth Camera in partnering with ISAP on the Friday evening sunset photography session. ISAP members and photographers enjoyed the opportunity to learn and improve shooting photos at night. Looking forward to working and sharing the 2018 Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show with ISAP members and photographers. Hope you can join us next year.

Larry Grace

Larry Melby

This was my first time with the folks of ISAP and other than being rather chilled on Friday I had a wonderful time. I received useful information on how to improve both my photography and post-processing skills. However, there is a down side as I fear though it has caused me to have a relapse of the disease commonly referred to as Gear Acquisition Syndrome or GAS. I had rented a Pentax 145-450 for the airshow and although it was a heavy beast I grew to like it immensely and ended up buying it. I enjoyed the group so much that I have joined ISAP and if work permits plan on attending the Symposium next spring. A couple of things to remember for next year, make sure I have everything I need for the evening shoot (I forgot my shutter release cable) take my camera bodies to the local shop and have the sensor cleaned before the show and possibly look at a think tank with wheels and or one of those double camera harness some of the others had out there. Darn it there goes that ugly GAS rearing its head again.

Larry Melby

Milton Barnum

I had a great time photographing the Alliance Air Show practice on Friday with ISAP. It has been fun and I have learned a lot the last three years shooting side by side with some really talented photographers. The light painting experience on Friday evening was very educational. As a member of the Dallas Aviation Photography Group I have participated in light painting shoots from time to time. I now have some new ideas to try for our next night shoot courtesy of my experience with ISAP.

Milton Barnum

Philip Johnson

On October 26 and 27 I attended an ISAP two-day mini-symposium. On Thursday afternoon, we met up and enjoyed the opportunity to discuss with fellow photographers about setting and techniques that work for other photographers. We also checked out a new location for shooting the airshow and got the photograph the Blue Angels. By Friday we had a cold front move in and the morning started out with temperatures around 40 degrees and 18 mph winds. Most everyone was dressed for winter. The hardest part of the day for me was fighting the wind with my 200-400mm lens. Being aviation photographers we all made the best of the weather and had a great time hanging out.

Philip Johnson

Raymond Cervantes

Rod Cromer

Rollo Watkins Considering I had never attended an ISAP symposium before I had little idea what I should expect from it or what it should expect from me. I eventually decided the best thing for me was to not worry, not overly prepare, (over think) and to follow the advise offered by Wendy Farrow a skilled photographer, exceptionally creative artist, and friend, when she wrote “LISTEN, LEARN, and if appropriate TEACH”. I left home with her suggestion in mind and decided to not sweat the rest. If I’m not prepared to do something during the event, just remember there will be more events. Just soak this one in. Thursday’s classroom time was beneficial. I did learn a number of things, but mostly things that forced me think and absorb how these things would impact my work and my vision. (A ‘grandiose’ word for the story I want to tell with my photos). I found the classroom environment far less structured than I anticipated but it provided a convivial environment and the selfish opportunity to select people I wanted to be near when they worked or spoke about their work. The Thursday afternoon photo session was, for me, a trial by fire or maybe more like being thrown into the deep end of the pool. I set up based upon my raptor bird experiences and adjusted as the session evolved. What I really wasn’t prepared for was the speed and rapidity of events occurring. My photographic calmness, something I’m not really known for, was repeatedly broken by WOW, SHIT that’s AMAZING! That night while reviewing the images I found had a lot of rejects and spent the night replanning for the big show. Friday, once I adapted to our new environment, and the cold, I put together a plan for the day that I feel was pretty workable and was reasonably satisfied with the results. The late night light painting tutorial was a delightful unexpected treat. A bonus! I came away thinking Airshows are sound and adrenaline, bread and circuses, if you will, and air show imaging should be as big and loud as the show without being cartoonish. I was also left with the thought dilemma of how to capture that energy in still photography. It is more difficult than it appears from the outside.

In summary I learned the best way to learn is to share the deep end of the pool with others and get the hell out there and find a way to make it work for you. I still believe strongly you must have your “vision” and this is a great tool to make it a real. Thanks ISAP. I would like to share an unrelated experience from the Airshow that was a sad and heartwarming surprise. Friday a Canadian C-130J arrived and I thought to myself the flight crew had to have trained at Little Rock AFB and everyone who has sim trained there would know my wife’s nephew Col AJ Genko. He literally wrote the flight manuals for the J and was the J zen master. However, I never expected to see the Canadian J crew, but there they were as we sat in the building to warm up so I asked if they knew AJ and they did! They sim trained with him in 2014. I told him how I knew him and had the depressing job to tell them he unexpectedly passed away in 2016 at the age of 54. Aviation is a close community.

Rollo Watkins

The Antique Airplane Association Annual Fly-In Article and photos by Brent Blue

The Antique Airplane Association annual fly-in is a unique event for members only. About 325 aircraft arrive at Antique Field near Blakesburg, Iowa and at least a third are in the antique or classic category. One never knows what will show up any given year. These photos are a few that I picked from this past Labor Day weekend of hundreds of exposures to try to give a feel for the event.

Brent Blue

Taking Advantage of Practice Days

SAN FRANCISCO FLEET WEEK Article and photos by Hayman Tam

It has been estimated that over one million spectators came to San Francisco to enjoy the Fleet Week festivities and watch the three-day airshow which is the highlight of the event. They pack San Francisco’s waterfront for a ringside seat of the jet teams and the other performers flying over show center, marked by ships and buoys in the bay. Unlike a traditional land-based airshow, there are no static displays and the performers stage out of nearby airports. It is a totally different airshow environment and the pilots use the terrain and the historic locale to their advantage, like high-speed passes over the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz Island. This year the Blue Angels flew out of Oakland International airport, still executing their precision ground drills but with fewer spectators to witness. Since the 2011 Fleet Week, I have been attending the Friday airshow and shooting from the Fort Mason location. Among the advantages of coming on Friday is being able to park extremely close to my usual spot. Dealing with a chair and a tripod, I appreciated not having to lug all my gear the usual mile or so. One also notices that there are less shooters to contend with. And then finally, it was soooo sweet to see significantly fewer boats on the water with their associated shot-blocking masts. It’s 80% of the airshow with 90% less crowds, a trade off I’m happy to make. The day started out using my Benro tripod with a Wimberly Sidekick gimbal mount to capture shots of the many vessels out on the water, along with the parade of warships that sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge. Once the flying began, the Nikon came off the tripod and was handheld for the rest of the show. I was using my Nikon D500 coupled with a Tamron 150-600 along with a D7100 with my trusty 18-200mm on a sling strap for the occasional wide shot. Over the years, the Friday show rehearsal has evolved into a quasi-third day of airshow performances. With the exception of the Patriots team, the rest of the performers showed up to run through a full rehearsal of the weekend airshow schedule. I was pleased to see an unexpected appearance by a MV-22 Osprey that made one high pass down airshow center. The U.S. Navy Leap Frogs started things off, jumping out of a USAF C-130 Hercules, followed by an aerial parade of local Coast Guard aerial assets. This was the second Fleet Week appearance for the new Alenia HC-27J Spartan, escorted by two Eurocopter MH-65D Dolphins. The Dolphins split off to perform their rescue swimmer demonstrations at each end of the airshow box.

The F-16 Viper Demonstration Team put on a nice loud show, morphing into a Heritage Flight with one of the Planes of Fame’s P-51 Mustangs (“Dolly”). A brand new Boeing P-8 Poseidon made its first Fleet Week appearance, although many were disappointed that it only made a single flyby and departed. Apparently it had been orbiting outside the area for quite some time. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds were next, always a crowd pleaser with their large graceful formations. Mike Wiskus, the first of two civilian acts, put his Lucas Oil Pitts Special through its paces, apparently enjoying how close he could fly to the water. United Airlines brought in a 747-400 for a surprisingly lengthy series of passes as they celebrate the end of the 747 in scheduled domestic service. The indomitable Sean Tucker then got the crowd warmed up for the Blue Angels headline show. Being a “practice” show, Blues #4 and #5 flew the teams twoseat #7 aircraft to provide familiarization training for new team pilots. Since 1981, Fleet Week has been an annual opportunity for Northern Californians to honor the men and women of the US and allied armed forces, with a focus on the United States Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Besides the airshow acts, many naval ships are open to the public for tours. This tradition started over a hundred years ago in May 1908, when 16 US Navy battleships, their escort ships and 14,000 sailors entered San Francisco Bay. This fleet remained in San Francisco for two months before departing for the remainder of its 14-month cruise around the world.

Hayman Tam

Looking at my photos, you’d probably never guess I’m afraid of heights. I don’t like standing on balconies. I won’t fly in a hot-air balloon. And watching videos of those Russian kids scaling towers and bridges and rooftopping, that makes my palms sweat. But flying in an airplane minus a door, and hanging out of it while photographing another airplane tucked in, in close formation, that’s fine, go figure. It definitely helps to be a licensed pilot when shooting this type of work. There’s a lot of aviation-specific info to know. For these shoots, we do a big briefing on the ground where we set frequencies for air-toair communications, discuss the mission and objectives of the shoot, establish emergency procedures if someone loses sight of the other, brief airspace, our departure and procedures when forming up, and how exactly directions will get from me, in the camera ship, to the pilots in the subject airplane.

Sometimes the flights can be quite turbulent. The cameras I shoot with, the Sony Alpha a7RII and a9, have internal image stabilization and that helps a lot in those conditions. When shooting propeller-driven airplanes, I never really want a shutter speed faster than 1/250-sec., and I’ll try and get it as slow as practical, down to about 1/90-sec., and therein lie one of the benefits of in-body stabilization. Another benefit is that with the stabilization system in the camera, all of my lenses are, in effect stabilized. You’ll notice that I use the 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master in some air-to-air photography. I can use it despite that it’s not an optically stabilized lens because I have in-body stabilization in both of my main bodies. If you look at the photo of airshow star Bill Stein, my friend in the purple airplane, you’ll notice that his propeller is blurred into a singular disc. This is the ideal in air-to-air photography when shooting

Jeff Berlin propeller-driven airplanes. This is why I use a slow shutter speed. And of course, Bill was at a high RPM, and that helps too. This is something I always request, to please fly at a higher RPM. I got into this type of shooting because for years, I’ve written for magazines about flying airplanes and I would always illustrate my own stories. I have been editor of Plane & Pilot, Pilot Journal and PilotMag magazines, and I’ve contributed work to most of the other major aviation magazines, like AOPA Pilot, EAA Sport Aviation, Air & Space, etc. The race planes pictured here, called Lancair Legacies, were photographed to illustrate an air racing story for the Sept. 2017 issue of Flying magazine. Both the photo flights I’ve noted in this piece, the one with airshow stars Bill Stein and Rob Holland, who just won his 7th straight aerobatic

national championship, and the flight for Flying magazine with the race planes, both flights were really quite turbulent. There is no doubt I had as many sharp, submittable images as I did due to the IBIS in-body image stabilization in the Alpha cameras. Oh, and if you have any friends who are pilots and want to try this, I suggest you absolutely do not. This is not something to “try at home.” I only every do these photo flights with formation-qualified pilots and pilots experienced with this type of work. There is little margin for error and I only ever do it with world-class pilots. The airplanes are indeed flying as close as they appear. To see more of Jeff’s work, click over to BerlinCreative.com and BerlinCreative.com/aviation

Jeff Berlin

SOARING OVER MIDLAND Article and photos by Kevin Hong

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), established in 1957, celebrated its 60th Anniversary with festivities at the High Sky Wing Airsho, CAF Wings Over Dallas, and Wings Over Houston Airshow. Through six decades of collecting, restoring and flying World War II aircraft the CAF has become the world’s largest flying museum with a fleet of 165 airplanes supported by 11,000 volunteer members. Most of the aircraft are kept in flying| condition enabling people to experience first-hand the sight and sound of vintage military aircraft in flight. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition, education and remembrance. To further its mission the CAF produces many aviation events across the country. The organization recently relocated its national headquarters to Dallas Executive Airport where it plans to develop an educational campus. After the move, The Midland Army Airfield Museum was established to maintain a presence in Midland, Texas. The CAF High Sky Wing continues to host an airshow every year. Radial and jet engines continued to roar in the West Texas sky. A variety of warbirds filled the ramp as well as the modern military. For the modern military, A-10s from Kansas performed with pyro demonstrating the capabilities of the aircraft and the F-18 Super Hornet Demo Team impressed everyone showing the versatility and speed of the aircraft. After their performance, pilots went out to the crowd and spoke with kids who will hopefully inspire the next generation of flyers. There was a spectacular Vietnam War demo with the CAF Blastards and EOD providing another year of incredible pyro. When you hear and smell the pyro reality really does set in - If there’s no pyro at an airshow, it’s just another fly-in.

Kevin Hong

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WINGS OVER DALLAS Article and photos by Kevin Hong

After a great airshow in Midland, the 2nd Annual CAF Wings Over Dallas at the new CAF Headquarters kicked off showcasing spectacular flying demonstrations, battle reenactments, WWII veteran appearances, living history encampments, hands-on family activities, aircraft rides, cockpit tours and more. Across the six decades, people from all over the world have come to many CAF events since the early days of Harlingen to get up close and personal to enjoy the warbirds. The plan for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show was incredible. One of the highlights was the 75th anniversary commemoration of the Doolittle Raid, the heroic US counterattack on Japan after Pearl Harbor. A flying reenactment of the Raid combined with eight B-25 bombers from all over the country with spectacular pyrotechnics with a great narration showcased why the veterans of World War II are known as the Greatest Generation that ever lived. From the bombers of World War II, flew the mighty B-29, B-17s, B-25s, A-26s. Up above protecting them were the glamorous P-51 Mustang, Vought F4U Corsair, and a Bell P-39 Airacobra zipping across the sky. The hands-on experience and history lessons opened the eyes of many spectators as they sat on bleachers listening to World War II veterans tell their stories and touch pieces of history. On the grounds there were a massive display of living history reenactment groups with military vehicles including an operational Sherman tank. The different showcases of events and kid zone areas was great family fun.

Kevin Hong

WINGS OVER

HOUSTON

Article and photos by Kevin Hong

The Wings Over Houston Airshow is the biggest airshow the Commemorative Air Force hosts out of all their airshows. People from all over the world come to the show to see some of the rarest planes around. The Houston area is home to many CAF warbirds and to many other warbirds Ellington Airport has often been compared to the next Chino. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show was packed with a lot of warbirds and jet fighters. Tora Tora Tora performed their full act with the B-17 as well as various bombers, trainers, and fighters from World War II. However the jet fighters were out and were the show stoppers. Ellington Airport in Houston is home to the only civilian owned F-4 Phantom flying in the world today. The Collings Foundation who owns the F-4 took out the rest of their jet collection and flew the F-100, A-4 Skyhawk, ME-262, and UH-1 Huey helicopter. From the Vietnam War Flight Museum the Mig-21, Mig-17 were out as well only on static display but played on practice day before the airshow began. The A-1 Skyraider, and AH-1 Cobra flew during the show. This year a couple of rare formations took place showcasing the DeHavilland Vampire, first single engine jet with the ME-262, first twin engine jet ever built. Later in the show the F-4 Phantom and Mig-17 did a mock dogfight that impressed the crowd. The USAF Heritage Flight also flew an A-10, A-1 Skyraider, and P-47 Thunderbolt. Even though the weather postponed the show for a few hours on Sunday blue skies prevailed just in time for the United States Air Force Thunderbird Demonstration Team to close out the last CAF airshow of a great 2017 airshow season.

Kevin Hong

RACING WITH THE NIKON D850…

Air Racing That is!

Article and photos by Scott Diussa

It’s always fun to test out new cameras and see what they can do and also discover what they maybe don’t do at the same time. Recently Nikon released the D850 camera and I was excited to get my hands on one to give it a good test. In the latter part of September and the early part of October I have had the pleasure of working with this versatile camera at the Reno Air Races and the Red Bull Air Races as well as photographing a heavy metal concert in between. It’s been a busy and fun experience! First of all, I would say that a 45.7 MP camera would most likely be best for subjects like weddings, portraits, landscapes and other fairly slow moving subjects. Usually with that many megapixels you have to give something up and that normally is frame-persecond speed, low light capabilities and buffer size. Well, the D850 camera can do all of that very well! It can shoot at 7 fps right out of the box and has a significantly large buffer to keep up with action. It also had the ISO capability to shoot at ISO 3200 to 5000 the concert I mentioned. My only issue is that every NEF (or RAW) file out of the camera is 100MB in size! Time to upgrade the cards and hard drives! While shooting both air racing events I was using the Nikon 200-500mm lens with this camera and the results were super sharp! The biggest bonus to shooting this camera is the cropping ability with 45+ megapixels. You can do just about anything you want to with an image crop and still end up with enough data to create really large prints. The native file out of the camera can produce a 27.5 inch long print at 300 ppi! Here is an example of an image of an A-10 taken with my iPhone and then with the D850. Check out the detail in the 100% crop screen grab!

For the air racing events I decided to shoot JPEGs for a couple of reasons. First of all, the camera is so new that not everything was recognizing the new NEF files at that time. Then, the amount of images being shot and the file sizes. The large JPEG fine images are 20MB each so they still fill a memory card fast. And, as for memory cards, the fastest XQD cards are the way to go. The cards are able to keep the buffer cleared as quick as possible. One of my favorite ways to get images from the camera to social media is using the Snapbridge feature on the D850. Here is the quick step-by-step that I use for this. 2

1. Pair the camera to your phone. 2. Turn off the “Send to Smart Device (auto)” in the Setup Menu 3. Turn on the “Auto Download” 2 Megapixel feature in the Snapbridge App. 4. When you shoot a NEF file in the camera press the “I” button on the back of the camera.

4 5. Choose “Retouch” and the process the file in the “NEF (RAW) Processing” section.

3 5 6. (If you shoot JPEGS that feature will be greyed out) 7. Then if you need to crop an image press the “I” button again, Retouch then Trim.

8. After you have processed and cropped the image then press the “I” button and “Select to send to smart device”. 9. With the app running and the camera connected it will download a 2MP version of the image from the camera automatically so you can then post it to Facebook or wherever you’d like. Note: If you crop after you transfer then you are cropping out information from a 2MP file lowering the resolution. If you crop in the camera first then you will retain the full 2MP file on your phone. Also, if you want to do more with your image I normally use the free Snapseed app to make any edits to my images. 8

Scott Diussa

As for the performance of the camera and the 200-500mm lens…it was outstanding! I was concerned about my success rate of sharp images with slow shutter speed panning with such a high megapixel camera. I was happy that it wasn’t much different than shooting a lower megapixel camera. Of course, practice helps a lot with this! But, when it is sharp, it is REALLY sharp! As you all know, the slower you go on your shutter speeds the harder it is but the image quality and the amount of detail you have to work with out of the D850 is incredible.

This camera quickly became addictive when looking at the images and seeing what you can do with them. I had this same thought when I looked at the concert shots of the band, Accept, that I shot in between the two air race events. Sometimes artists only give you access to a soundboard to shoot. The cropping ability of this camera would be perfect for that.

Scott Diussa

I wanted to see if the D850 would be able to perform well in my two favorite areas of photography: Concerts and Aviation. After several thousand images I have to say it sure has lived up to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;versatilityâ&#x20AC;? moniker.

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MEET OUR MEMBERS

MEET OUR MEMBER

Ken Middleton

Absolutely! I try and give tips on things like panning, settings (ie, props versus jets), expected aircraft movements during a show, and the things I have learned over the years from others and experimenting myself.

I would consider myself a semi-pro, and have not formally been trained in photography.

For the August 2017 Westfield International Airshow at Westfield Barnes Regional Airport, I was asked by the 104th Fighter Wing to conduct a class on aviation photography, on the Friday evening before the airshow. It was an event that attendees had to pay for, and there were 16 photographers with a wide range of experience present, and I volunteered to teach the session.

I live in northern Connecticut USA, very near the border with Massachusetts, between Hartford and Springfield.

When I was kid in the 1970s, I was really into World War II aviation and tanks. As I got into my teens, other things captured my interest. In 1991, during the Gulf War, my interest was rekindled in military aviation with all the TV coverage. I was shooting with a cheap point and shoot film camera, and in 2004, after being frustrated with what I was missing, I bought a Kodak D6490 digital camera. I bought my first DLSR in 2005 – a Nikon D50. It was around this time that the USAF announced a major Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), and the Air National Guard bases around me were heavily affected. I went into high gear to capture the aircraft before they were sent away from the bases. I am fortunate to have 2 Air National Guard Bases, and a USAF Reserve Command base, all within 20 miles of me. I have developed many personal relationships with ANG members, as they have a tendency to be at the base a long time. I have been asked many times to photograph airmen’s incentive flights and pilot’s fini-flights/retirements. I use 2 Nikon D7100s, and normally use a Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 or Nikon 300mm f/4 lens for flying shots. I have a Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 lens on the other D7100 for statics/closeups. I got the 80-200 lens in 2006 and it is still going strong. I normally shoot JPG, due to the large number of photos I take. But I have experimented once in a while with RAW. I use Photoshop Elements for editing, and am currently on version 15. I got it years ago, liked it for its ease but also handling what I needed to do, and have stayed with it. Recently, I have been experimenting with the free NIK software add-ins. I joined ISAP to network more with professionals by learning from them, but also hopefully share my knowledge and experience. I learned about it through Facebook. I do not belong to any other professional photography associations or groups.

My interests in military aviation are wide, so for the images I provided, I have a strong interest in USAF aircraft, the Air National Guard, the F-15 Eagle, and aggressors painted in colorful patterns, especially the ones at Nellis AFB in Nevada. My favorite headliner demo team for airshows is the US Navy Blue Angels. I also like to capture the human side of military aircraft operations, and provide imagery for special occasions.

DenisMiddleton Ken Rouleau

Ken Middleton

MEET OUR MEMBER

Raymond Cervantes

I’m a professional photographer for the Fort Worth Police Department in real life, but my passion for aviation photography goes back to my youth. I started taking photographs at a young age and fell in love with being able to tell a story with photographs. I recall being in high school in the 80’s and rolling spools of Tri-X 400 black and white negative film and making a makeshift dark room in my parents’ spare bathroom. Fast forward to today, and I have at my disposal thousands of RAW images on just one SDHC card. If you had told me 30 years ago that we would be able to take a photo and review it on the back of the camera I would have looked at you funny – well, look how far we have come. I used Canon negative film camera equipment early on in my photography career and had a Canon T-70 that was my go to workhorse for a long time. I switched to Nikon digital in 2002 with my first Nikon D100—a 6 mega-pixel DSLR camera. At the time, I was only shooting and using .jpgs. Back in 2002 I didn’t think anyone would ever need photos larger than 6 mega-pixel. I’m currently using the Nikon D800 with 24-70mm f/2.8 ED N lens as well the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR N lens. My workflow involves using Adobe Lightroom for image selection and quick post processing. I was an early adopter of Lightroom, since my position had me at large formal and special events for the police department, which mandated a quick turnaround of images for post event meetings. Lightroom fit my workflow perfectly. This software has given new life to aviation images which I took early in my aviation photography career and had been just sitting dormant. Being a member of ISAP has given me the ability to network with other aviation photographers and share ideas and techniques. Attending recent ISAP symposiums and getting to talk one to one with others who have the passion and love of aviation photography that I do is priceless. I have built lasting friendships with other photographers that have the same interests I do. Working side by side other experienced aviation photographers has been the push I needed to get me out of my comfort zone and make me a better photographer. Some of my influences are Scott Kelby, Pete Souza, Joe McNally, David Hobby, Chase Jarvis, Sheldon Cohen and Larry Grace. They are a huge influence on me, not only in the work that they do, but in how they try to advance the industry and share their passion for aviation photography. Professional photographer with over 25 years’ experience with a demonstrated history of working in law enforcement industry. Also skilled in videography, video editing and digital image editing. Contract Bell Helicopter photographer, FAA licensed commercial drone pilot, FCC licensed HAM radio operator (KB5QWP).

Denis Rouleau Raymond Cervantes

Raymond Cervantes

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ISAP XIV

SYMPOSIUM MARCH 15 - 17

2018

TUCSON, AZ

You can make your hotel reservations now at group.doubletree.com/isapsymposium to get the ISAP discount rate. Hotel: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Tucson Airport Group Name: ISAP Symposium

For details visit aviationphoto.org or facebook.com/ISAPorg

2 0 1 8 I S A P S Y M P O S I U M

U P D AT E

Scott Dworkin to speak at ISAP XIV Symposium

Scott Dworkin is a freelance aerial photojournalist based in Los Angeles, California. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had a lifelong passion for aviation and photography, and after honing his skills as a photographer, he decided to combine his interests in 2010. Since 2010, his work can be seen in numerous international aviation publications. As a freelance photographer and writer, Scott has flown with every branch of the military, as well as many civilian aviation outfits and law enforcement aviation units. He has traveled to Afghanistan with the United States Air Force, as well as around the United States documenting various military and civilian units in action. Scott is one of only a handful of civilians in the world that is privileged to fly in high performance military aircraft. His freelance work led to him being hired by the United States Air Force-Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. While there he provided aerial multimedia, both air-to-air

and air-to-ground coverage, including still photography, high definition videography, high-speed video, and post production. He routinely flew in various Air Force aircraft to provide documentation of ordnance and weapons testing, drop tests, aircraft flight performance, and other operational missions as required. He delivered his final products to the Flight Test Center, the Department of Defense, and various other contract customers. While at Edwards, Scott was trained in accordance with Air Force Instruction Flight Aircrew rules and regulations, and holds a valid altitude chamber card. In addition, Scott holds the designation of United States Navy Project Specialist, and with that carries Aviation Physiology Training and Aviation Water Survival Training Program qualifications. Scott also works as a contract aerial photographer/videographer for The Naval Air Warfare Weapons Division, at Pt. Mugu and China Lake. The creation of Mach 91 Aerial Photography is the culmination of Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream and passion to deliver the finest quality, dramatic aerial photography possible, to bring the aircraft to life in their natural environment and tell the story of the men and women who serve.

MYSTERY PLANE

SILHOUETTES By John Ford

Name the plane silhouettes. Answers are on bottom of the Kenyon Ad Gyro page

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Special Offer for ISAP Members

Special OFFER Codes ISAPSHIP – Free shipping in the USA ISAP20 – 20% off any order

These coupons can be used one at a time. Both expire at the end of 2018.

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MYSTERY PLANE

SILHOUETTES Answers

1 Aero 50 2 Bleriot “Spad” 510-France 1480D 3 Bloch MB 155 4 Breda Ba 201

ISAP Member discount on Moose Peterson book Book publisher Peachpit Press is offering ISAP members a special 40 percent discount on Moose Peterson’s recently published aviation book, “Takeoff: The Alpha to Zulu of Aviation Photography.” In the book, Peterson takes readers from the basics of aviation photography and using light to creating the illusion of flight and speed. He talks about photographing air shows and shooting ground to air, working up to air-to-air photography. The book is available in print and digital versions. The discount code was emailed to all ISAP members and in the member’s section of the website. If you did not receive the discount code you can email us at info@aviationphoto.org Peachpit website http://www.peachpit.com/store/takeoff-the-alpha-to-zulu-of-aviation-photography-9780134609478 Members can view a video on Scott Kelby’s blog on this new book about aviation photography. https://scottkelby.com/announcing-takeoff-amazing-new-book-teaches-aviation-photography-moose-peterson/

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Larry Grace