The
ISnAP February 2009
Comments from the Chair Well, a belated Happy New Year to all of you. It’s been a tumultuous Holiday Season what with all the bad economic news, the on-going wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, dustups in more than a few countries in various parts of Africa, the Middle East, east central Europe, and now the conflict between Israel and the Gaza strip. It’s difficult, in fact, to find a spot on the planet that’s not suffering through one kind of calamity or another. Not a great way to start ’09. On that happy note, it was with considerable regret that we (the ISAP board) made a decision to delay ISAP-IX. Originally scheduled to take place in Everett, Washington, it was coming together nicely when the economic collapse – if you don’t mind my calling it that – became an indisputable fact. After consulting not only with your board members but also a big chunk of those who attended ISAP-VIII last year, it was concluded there was a consensus that leaned strongly in the direction of delaying the Washington event until a clearer picture of the international economic situation could emerge. There was serious concern that attendance would be down significantly if we elected to move ahead with the event. For what it’s worth, we’re now contemplating the possibility – and let me emphasize that word possibility – of having an ISAP event later this year. September or October or November are all contenders, and if the world’s finances take a turn for the better, we’ll start the ball rolling. Watch ISnAP for updates . On the big plus side, your organization continues to grow with each passing month. We’re in good shape financially (a financial statement will be available next month from treasurer Bonnie Kratz), we have major plans on the board for the next ISAP (whenever it happens), February 2009
and if you keep up with ISnAP, we think we’ll have some things to offer that will make your involvement with ISAP worth the time and money invested. So, keep the cards and letters coming. We’re particularly interested in hearing from those of you who have been involved with an interesting assignment, have some equipment insights, or simply want to tell us about yourself and how you became an aviation photographer. We keep beating this drum, but ISnAP really needs your input. Take a few minutes and write us. Until next issue… Jay
A special note on our own Paul Bowen. Aviation Week & Space Technology, in their January 12, 2009 issue, has named Paul one of its 2009 Laureates. This is a very special pat on the back presented by AW&ST editors honoring "...achievement in aviation and aerospace in its many forms. Those selected as Laureates represent the best of those fields..." Here's what they said about Paul, "The son of a McDonnell-Douglas engineer, Paul Bowen took an entrylevel job with a professional photographer and soon was shooting airplanes on his own. His images display technical brilliance, keen color and composition, and a passion for aviation's machines, people and environment. To date, Paul's photos have graced 1,000 magazine covers, illustrated scores of promotional campaigns and drawn legions to aviation's beauty."
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 1
And another special note on our own Jessica Ambats. Aviation Week & Space Technology named her submitted photo of two aerobatic aircraft "Best of the Best" in the 2008 end-of-year issue. We cornered Jessica and asked her to give us some inside skinny on the photo and how it came about. Here's what she sent:
My photo platform, a Piper Seneca, was flown by Brian Norris with the back door removed. Camera was a Canon 40D with 28-135mm IS lens. Having good pilots is essential to a successful and safe photo; in this case, I had the best of the best pilots. Equally important is a pre-flight brief, which we did on the ground beforehand. As we orbited over a lake, I positioned Sean into his spot, and Bill yawed his Edge behind him. It was the end of the day, and the light was perfect, contrasting with the dark water below. I called for "smoke on" and made the shot.
Photoshop Tip Time Free Floating Panels
How I Did It Winner, Best of the Best in Aviation Week & Space Technology I've always dreamed of being featured in Aviation Week & Space Technology, so I was thrilled when one of my photos was selected as "Best of the Best" in the 2008 annual photo contest and published on the cover. The particular shot (Sean Tucker in his Oracle Challenger and Bill Stein in his Edge 540) was taken during a photo shoot of the Collaborators, a 4-ship formation aerobatic team. I have photographed the Collaborators on numerous occasions, and I like to try something different each time to challenge myself. This time I wanted to get a very tight shot with overlapping aircraft. February 2009
The interface in Photoshop CS3 focuses on using panels for grouping all of the features that you need. If you prefer a floating panel layout, just click on the panel's tab and drag it outside of the Panel area. This will make it a floating panel.
Fill and Recovery Sliders in Camera Raw Chances are you've noticed that when you attempt to increase the exposure in an image that is underexposed, you are going to clip your highlights-take areas of light color information and make them completely white. Before Camera Raw 4.1, the only way for you to compensate for this would be to dial back the exposure. Now, with the Recovery slider you can bring back some of the detail that was lost in the highlights without affecting the entire image. Provided by NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) 速 2008 Kelby Media Group.
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 2
Meet the Members Claes Axstål You could say that I was brought up with photography in my blood. My father had a photo store and I worked there after school each day when I was young. Some 25 years ago I went to the US on a ski trip; my professional career started when I came home and sold my first ski pictures. To photograph large objects at long distance with flash demanded a new technique and a new way of thinking”, Claes Axstål says. A self-taught photographer, he notes, "I got the idea to photograph fighters with a flash when I was little and saw on TV how lightning in thunderstorms could illuminate an aircraft.
sunset or sunrise, but usually only with the subject in silhouette. From my experience from ski photography I wanted try it on a bigger scale and for new markets. The only thing that was needed was a more powerful flash portable. Unfortunately there was no portable on the market that was capable of doing what I wanted. So, I decided to build it myself. At first I just used several flash heads at once. Then I noticed that I needed much more power. I contacted Profoto in Sweden. Got some help from them and built it with shielded cables, connectors, and flash heads of metal, to have it all shielded against the electromagnetic pulse that generates at discharge. The latter could potentially have an adverse impact on an aircraft’s electronic equipment. The flash was then tested at Ericsson Microwave. I later got it approved by FMV, the Swedish Defence Material Administration, so that it could be used onboard and operated from inside helicopters or aircraft. You can still see some heritage from Profoto since I am using their Magnum Reflectors.
Airborne Flash Photography (AFP) by Claes Axstål / Sweden Ever since I started photographing professionally I wanted to do something different that would give the best impression of the subject. So I developed my own photo technique and equipment to be able to photograph skiers with flash.
I started to try flash for big objects some ten years ago when I recognized there could be a demand for such capability. Many advertisements and magazine covers for boats and aircraft often showed the sun in the picture at February 2009
The gear with its lead batteries is heavy. The entire flash system weighs 250 kg (500 pound) and it takes a lot of muscle power to move it in and out of aircraft when using. Planning is crucial when you have complicated gear like this and flying time is expensive. You have to know what you’re doing so you don't waste your own and your customer’s time. Compounding the urgency is the small time window when you’re dealing with sunrise or sunset. Since it is operated in the same way as studio lighting, I have to do all adjustments in manual mode. You measure the existing skylight with a spot meter or the camera’s internal meter. To get the right illumination from
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 3
the flash you must measure the distance to the object with a laser. Nowadays it is a blessing with digital cameras when you can see the results instantly. I think this is in fact the single most important advantage of digital cameras for me. I can’t reveal the actual power of the flash unit itself. But I can say that it is as bright as the sun at about 70 meters distance – depending on reflectors – if you have a camera that has a light sensitivity of 100 ISO and an aperture of f8.0. In other words I can illuminate the shadow side of an object and make it as bright as daylight at 70 meters distance. So then you understand that you must match the ambient light or the sun's brightness at sunrise or sunset with the right shutter speed.
What I want to say with this is that the ambient skylight or sun's brightness (when shooting directly into the sun) is the important factor as to how far the flash will reach. If you want to use the flash in full daylight and just want it to reach 30 meters (to 100 meters) you need to use one stop greater exposure or you have to double the flash power. The cost to achieve the latter is estimated to be $150,000! Only the Leaf AFi-II camera synchronizes flashes on for example 1/1000th second. Most medium and large format lenses synchronize at 1/500th second. Cameras such as the Canon EOS have a max synchronize time of 1/250s and then you only reach 50 meters in full daylight. There are other circumstances such as an object’s reflective surfaces that will impact hi-power flash, too. It is this that again underscores the big advantage digital cameras have over film – the ability to instantaneously review the image the moment it is taken. You can learn more about it at Leaf Testimonial; [ http://www.leaf-photography.com/ShowProducts/MenuID/871 ]
Please click on my name and also here in these recent articles: February 2009
http://www.axstalphoto.com/canon_germany.pdf , http://www.axstalphoto.com/HelicoptereMagazine.pdf , http://www.axstalphoto.com/Digit_trans.pdf and http://www.axstalphoto.com/ChinesePhotoCIM.pdf . When I started with my powerful flash system, it was not shielded. I used several totally standard Pro 7B flash heads and Twin-heads and photographed helicopters from a tower or a boat from land. At that time, I shot with a Mamiya RZ Pro II with film. When I switched to photographing fighters it proved considerably harder to find a fixed wing airplane that was good for the bulky and heavy flash equipment; it's not every day I could find a C-130! But we are very fortunate in Sweden since we have a perfect four-seat jet trainer which the Swedish Display Team “Team 60” flies. Using the Saab 105, we take out one seat and mount the flash heads in its place. We then still have space for three crew members. I have photograph jets from a helicopter, but then the jet doesn't normally look that good in the air due to its being in its low speed configuration. During a recent photo session in Texas, we got some very interesting images, thanks in part to some great pilots, when we photographed a black Aero L39 Albatros that belongs to Million Air. The photos were taken in the rain with the flash from a Huey helicopter! [http://www.axstalphoto.com/AFP@MillionAir.mov ]
There I used my Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II and a Kenyon gyro stabilizer (to offset the immense vibrations). For background we photographed the Russian-marked (!) jet circling downtown Houston. Our photo ship was a Douglas C-47. The big transport proved ideal for the mission and gave us plenty of room to carry along our gear. You can see all the equipment needed and the flash assistant/operator inside the photo plane in the previous picture; no, the L39 framed in the window is not a montage! It's a real shot in full action.
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 4
And that's what my photography is all about – reality – with a touch of the good light! But sometimes you can get "too much of a good thing" if the light is aimed incorrectly as in the following picture. The local Caribbean newspaper warned about UFO's in the sky after that session! The picture was taken by my assistant on board a boat and the flash was triggered with a Pocket Wizard on a Canon EOS 20D while we were flying by.
like mine. The difference is, mine are real. Of course you can easily do a lot with pictures in post production, but my philosophy is to show the real thing, all in one shot. I don’t say that fantasy pictures are wrong, but to many use that shortcut nowadays. I think that lighting is as important as the motive. Always search for the good light. Slideshow: http://www.axstalphoto.com/cmp/ http://www.axstalphoto.com/imvaviation/ Claes Axstal, Carpe Momentum Photography
Claes
With jets, time is expensive. With the sun is going down quickly as in the following picture, I used a Fuji GSW690 camera which is the same kind of camera I used for my first skiing pictures. That picture of the Saab Viggen of the Swedish Air Force, depicts the last of the type as its was about to be retired. It was photographed March 28, 2001. This was my very first AFP mission with jets! It might possibly be the very first flash picture of a fighter jet ever made, at least with the sun in the picture?
Some people say that my pictures look as if they have been computer manipulated. No, they have not been. I do think, however, that manipulated pictures sometimes look February 2009
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 5
February 2009
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 6
Gadget Bag by Jay Miller
advertised as well, preventing the camera or lens from damaging vulnerable surfaces when used for support and when the grip is used properly.
I stumbled across this little gem about a year ago while perusing a Kirk Enterprises (www.kirkphoto.com) catalogue. They call it their “Super Grip Mount” and it has a variety of uses. Tired of hauling around lenses and cameras by their shoulder-and-neck-debilitating straps, then attach one of these little innovations to an Arca-style quick release plate and you’re back in business. I’ve used it for everything from my 800mm to my camera bodies with a 10.5mm attached. I’ve found it particularly useful when working with my 70200mm/2.8VR – as it makes hand-holding the lens an easy and comfortable proposition, while increasing lens stability.
Anyway, though somewhat esoteric, this is a piece of gear that, once you have it and start using it, you will find indispensable. Available directly from Kirk Enterprises at a price of $125 plus shipping. Jay
Marketplace Machined from solid 6061T4 aluminum, the Super Grip has soft rubber pads on its handle that make for a comfortable hold and also allow for its use as a mini-monopod (albeit with manual balancing!). It is exceptionally well made (typical of Kirk Photo products) and weighs just 8.4 ounces. The release knob is made of aluminum with a rubber-type grip. As noted, it works with any Arca-style quick release plate.
Kirk Photo claims the Super Grip Mount reduces the chances of dropping whatever the mount is attached to. I agree, based on my own experience, as even on hot, sweat-producing days here in arid north Texas, the grip it provides remains firm and without much stress on the body. The rubber padding works as
February 2009
Got anything you want to sell or trade? Here’s your chance! Just drop the editor a email at viggenja37@sbcglobal.net . I have the items below available for sale. I will entertain any reasonable offer, plus actual shipping amount. I can be reached at michaeltessler@comcast.net or 925-381-3419 (mobile). Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. · Canon EOS-1N camera body · Canon EOS-1N accessories: o Power Drive Booster E1 o EF 28-105mm f/3.5 auto-focus o Speedlite 540EZ · Canon AE-1 Program camera body o Power winder A (two available) o Speedlite 199a (with wide angle panel) o Vivitar 550FD · Canon FD lenses available: o 35-105mm f/3.5 (two available) o Extender 2x-B (two available) o 100-200mm f/5.6 o 28mm f/2.8 · Vivitar 100-500mm zoom lens for Canon FD mount · Canon A-1 camera body (battery cover chipped, but body works) Thanks very much!
Mike
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 7
A typical balloon launch at Fiesta starts before dawn with the “Dawn Patrol”. The “Dawn Patrol” is a group of selected balloons that launch before the rest of the field in order to verify the winds aloft. The balloon crews arrive at their designated spot on the 72 acre field. While the pilot attends a “pilot briefing” to get the most recent weather information, the rest of the crew patiently waits. The crew-chief will assign positions to the rest of the crew. Once the pilot briefing is over the crew jumps into action. The balloon is laid out. The basket and burners are checked. Then comes cold inflation, hot inflation and balloon stand-up. When the balloon meister gives the O.K., the balloon is launched.
Dawn Patrol preparing to launch on the first day
Dawn Patrol
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2008 By Greg Meland During the first week of October each year a different kind of fall color fills the skies over Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hot air balloons from around the globe flock to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Although it’s what most people think of when you think “airshow”, it is in fact one of the largest “airshows” in the world. When most people think of a hot air balloon, they think of a leisurely ride through the sky. However, ballooning is fast paced and exciting and sometimes dangerous. The colorful balloons against a clear blue sky can be amazing and offer a multitude of photographic opportunities. February 2009
After the “Dawn Patrol” has launched the mass ascension comes next. During a mass ascension, there is so much activity it’s sometimes difficult to see all that’s going on. After launch, even though the balloons float relatively slowly, the site of several hundred hot air balloons lifting off and floating over the balloon field almost overloads the senses. Even though a hot air balloon is at the mercy of the winds as far as which direction it can fly, balloon pilots learn how to use the varying winds at different altitudes to steer their balloon to a specific place. Several days during Fiesta are dedicated to competitions. During the balloon competitions pilots launch their balloon from a mile or two off the balloon field, fly their balloon to the field and attempt to drop bean bags or some other marker on a specific target on the field. Another competition is the ‘key grab’. During the ‘key grab’ (the key is usually to a vehicle donated by a local automobile dealer that the winning pilot keeps) the pilots again launch from off the field and fly to the field an attempt to grab an envelope containing a key attached to a pole standing at a specific place on the field. Several evenings during Fiesta a “balloon glow” is held. Just as the sun is going down the balloons inflate and will light their burners in synchronization with each other. This offers a unique opportunity to see the balloons lit up and glowing against the evening sky.
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 8
two days due to weather. However, it was a fantastic week of ballooning. I started taking pictures in 1983 and found that I really enjoyed it. My job in the U.S. Air Force permitted me to periodically combine my love of aviation and photography which allowed me to capture some exciting aviation photographs. I also enjoy landscape and wildlife photography. I started shooting digital pictures in 2004. One of the highlights of my photographic experience was being allowed to photograph the F-117A Stealth Fighter when I was stationed at Tonopah Test Range, before the aircraft was ever displayed to the public. Thanks, www.gregmeland.com
Greg
Clark O’Byrne and his co-pilot Gayle Blackaby in Clarke’s balloon “Viento Encantado” at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Two days of Fiesta are dedicated to the “Special Shape” balloons. “Special Shape” balloons are balloons shaped other than the normal teardrop shape. These include balloons shaped like: Darth Vader, bumble bees, Noah’s Ark, a lighthouse, the US flag, the space shuttle, and many others. The “Special Shape” mass ascensions are just as awsome as the others. Let’s not forget the “gas” balloon race during the Fiesta. While ‘balloon’ and ‘race’ don’t seem to go together, The ‘race’ is actually a distance competition and the balloons are in the air for several days. The inflation process for the gas balloons is an extremely long process. However, when they launch the balloons rise quickly off the ground and are soon out of sight. This year’s race was actually two races: the 52nd Cope Aeronautique Gordon Bennett and the America’s Challenge. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest balloon event in the world and usually has between 600 and 700 balloons participating. The 2008 Fiesta was cut short by
February 2009
Balloon inflation of the balloon “Band of Gold” piloted by Bill Armstrong from Palmdale, California at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Mass Ascension at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 9
“Incoming!” Balloons headed for the balloon field in the first competition of the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
A balloonist trying for the prize during the “key grab” competition at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Balloonists dropping markers on a target during the Balloon Fiesta Texas Hole-Em competition at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Special shapes “Center Stage”, “Chicken” (lying of the ground), “Airabelle, The Flying Cow”, and “Humpty Dumpty” preparing to launch.
Special Shapes Glodeo at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Flying in to the balloon field during a balloon competition at the 2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
February 2009
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 10
The WV Whitewater Rafting Association bought a few tons of fish as a donation for the state’s help in keeping water levels high enough for rafting. We were going to install the fish in the river. We flew out of Logan to Summersville WV on October 23rd. The plan was to drop me on a rock, and they would stock a few loads of fish; I’d shoot pictures, they’d pick me up and then I’d take pictures of them loading the chopper. For those who don’t fly helicopters much, they vibrate some and are a bit noisy. The noise is even worse when there isn’t an interior in the helicopter. We also had military seats which aren’t near as nice as civilian ones. On the way out I shot a few hundred air-to-ground shots as well as the cockpit shot. It was my first attempt at HDR with a 1 2/3 stop range and it worked out pretty well considering it was handheld. Joe brought the Huey into the gorge and set the left skid on a rock and I slid open the door and got out. I had to wait about 45 minutes until they came back. Hopefully the chopper wouldn’t break and they would come back. The temperature was about 45 degrees and I didn’t exactly dress for the weather. Vertical rock walls and being in the middle of the river pretty much assured that I wasn’t going anywhere. Sure enough they came back. I got a few really good shots of them while they were dumping fish out of garbage cans into the river. For those who don’t shoot helicopters, rotor blades turn a lot slower than propellers and its difficult to get any appreciable “rotor blur”. I settled for nice sharp pictures of the Huey with only a slight blur.
Launch
River to the Shuttle… By Mark Hrutkay Here I am standing on a rock (and not a big one either) in the Gauley River Gorge in West Virginia. This is one of the best places in the world to white water raft, I’m holding a Canon 1D Mark III and waiting. You can almost hear the banjos playing in the background. Somehow, being here would take me to a front row seat for the final night launch of a Space Shuttle. What a trip this is about to be. A few weeks earlier, Joe Altizer, my former helicopter pilot asked me if I’d like to ride along on a fish stocking trip in a UH-1B Huey. Who am I to say no? Joe is a highly skilled Huey pilot flying it in the Army for 20 years. This Huey is based in Logan, WV and is used for fighting fires. It actually served in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971 (which must be some kind of record considering their high losses), then served as a sprayer and did a lot of movie work, including “Die Hard”. February 2009
Stocking Fish Gaulley River Two cycles and they came back to the rock. As Joe as making the approach, I got as far away from it as I could, but you need to keep in mind helicopters have a lot of downwash, exactly how much I forgot. Honestly, that Huey almost blew all 350 pounds of me off the rock. Once I got close things were OK, and I got in and rode back to shoot the loading.
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 11
On the way back I asked permission to open a sliding door a crack for some unobstructed shots. Always ask or mention what you want to do in the preflight briefing. The Huey has an open door limitation speed of about 50kts with out the door fully open and locked. If I had just pulled the door open, it may well have exited the aircraft. I also opened it a bit and not a lot since I didn’t have a safety harness on and this isn’t Hollywood. I didn’t want to chance falling out, even though I had a seatbelt on.
networks broadcasting from. We were near the Vehicle Assembly Building and 200 yards in front of the credentialed media. We were 3 miles from the pad and were as close as you can get. When I was here in May for a day launch we were 13 miles away, this is a big improvement.
3 Days Before
Huey Cockpit So how did all of this get me to the last night Space Shuttle launch? The guy in the left seat was Tony McFarr. Tony is a helicopter pilot as well as a retired USAF PJ (pararescueman), in Vietnam he was on the Jolly Green Giants rescuing downed pilots. After that he went to work at NASA and ultimately was in rescue operations for astronauts; his wife Donna still works in the Shuttle Program. When the Challenger went down in 1986 Tony was the first one on the scene and flew countless missions after that in the salvage operation. After the flight, we talked and I told him I was headed to Florida to see the Shuttle in a few weeks. He invited me down and said if I’d like he’d get me a good place to watch it from. I said I’d call. The week before the launch on November 14th , my girlfriend and fellow ISAP member Betsy Whitt and I went to Orlando. Betsy actually likes airplanes (which is a step up from my former wife) and she is a pretty darn good glamour photographer in her own right. We stopped at Fantasy of Flight for their “Roar and Soar” event the weekend before which was great. During the following week, I went to the Cape for some shots of the Shuttle on the pad from about 1 ½ miles. Having friends really helps. The night before the launch Tony and Donna graciously invited us to stay with them at their house on Merritt Island. She had a pass and we left about 5 p.m. for the 7:55 p.m. launch. The drive was about 15 minutes and we parked in front of the press area that you see the
February 2009
I had both Canon 1Ds Mark III and the Canon 1D Mark III, a 500mm Canon F 4.0, a tripod with Wimberley head and a 100400 Canon as well as 1.4 teleconverter. Betsy used the 1Ds with the 100-400 to shoot handheld for the wide shots and put the 1D with the converter and the 500 on the tripod. I did a lot of thinking before hand and set both cameras at ISO 800 and shutter priority with shutter speed of 1/800. It was dark, and the Shuttle was lit up with flood lights. I knew when the engines ignited, that there would be a lot of light. But I needed something I could work with. So I started with ISO and picked 800 as fast, but low in noise; 1/800 shutter made sure that the action would be frozen and I’d let the camera pick the aperture.
Moon and Shuttle So 20 minutes before the launch someone walks up and starts asking me exposure questions, gives me his opinions, and
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 12
generally makes me wonder if I was doing it right. I almost pulled out the cell phone to call Jay Miller or Paul Bowen for their advice. I knew I had made the right decisions and stuck to the plan. Tony made a comment that there wasn’t a nice moon like there had been the night before. Well within seconds the moon rose. It’s amazing how fast the moon rises, within 15 minutes it went from the horizon to where it was in this picture. The moon was huge and bright and that color too. No playing with it in PhotoShop here. So I actually had too much power with the 500 and the converter and I took the moon shots with the 1Ds and 500 alone. Even with the tripod, there was enough wind that the camera would move, so I tried a 2 second timer on the shots and it took me about 20 frames to get everything vibration free.
Betsy Whitt Canon iDs
Airplane ID Winners!
Last Night Space Shuttle Launch There is nothing in aviation that can compare to the Shuttle Launch. When it goes, it goes, no excuses and within seconds its gone. There isn’t a lot of time to try to play with things, just follow the plan. The engines ignited and I started shooting. I had the 1D set on 5 FPS and the 1Ds set on 3 FPS because of buffer size on RAW pictures. The pictures ultimately came out nice and sharp. Betsy’s handheld shots were excellent. I did have to adjust the exposure down about 2 stops in PhotoShop as I opened the pictures. I can say that the best pictures seemed to come in the first few seconds. Once the Shuttle was about 750’ high (3 X the height of the Shuttle) there wasn’t enough reflected light to light up the Shuttle. So I should have shot at a faster rate. As you can see by comparing my shot with Betsy’s shot. When the Shuttle rises only about 150’ the amount of light in the picture changes dramatically. This had to have been the highest points in my years of photographing aviation. Who knows what the future holds. There are only about 10 Shuttle Missions left and when it is retired a real era in space exploration will end. I would like to thank Tony and Donna for letting us visit and taking us in for the best seats in the house. February 2009
Thomas Bunce came in with the first correct response, followed shortly by Greg Meland, identifying the craft as a 1911 Berg & Storm B&S Monoplan III in the Dansk Veteranflysambling at Lufthavnsvej Stauning (Stauning Airport). Simon Fitall, Rob Vogelaar and Mark Albert also nailed it. Thomas Bunce noted that Arthur C Clarke predicted in the 70's a global encyclopedia would be available around the turn of the century. Thomas utilized Google and Wikimedia and made very short work of finding a photo and of course a link to Denmark's Flying Museum & Air Force Museum. Olaf Berg, an aerodynamics expert, and Louis Storm, a statistics expert, built three aircraft . The first one crashed early in a training flight as did the second. The third aircraft utilized the same Danish designed 3-cylinder 50 hp engine as the 2nd aircraft but had shorter wings. On July 2, 1912 the General Staff of the Army authorized the War Office to accept the B&S, they were later supplemented by a Farman, Henri Farman and Maurice Farman. The B&S was presented free of charge allowing “Haerens Flyveskole” Army Flying School to be formed in late summer 1912. This single seater served until 1914. It was in storage until 1927 where it was ‘cleaned’ for display. There is some speculation that this cleaning may have introduced some minor modifications.
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 13
ISnAP Sponsors (in alphabetical order):
Canon USA http://www.usa.canon.com
Air & Space Smithsonian http://www.airspacemag.com
Delkin Devices http://www.delkin.com
Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association http://www.aopa.org
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company http://www.lockheedmartin.com
Boeing
Nikon USA
http://www.boeing.com
http://www.nikonusa.com
February 2009
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 14
Events of Interest February 2009 21 Feb Valkaria Air Fest http://www.eaa1288.org/ValkariaAirFest/ Valkaria, FL, USA 21-22 Feb Yukon Rendezvous' Sourdough Air Display http://www.yukonrendezvous.com/ Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
28 Feb / 01 Mar Wings Over Mia mi Museum Airshow http://www.wingsovermiami .com/ Kendall-Tamiami Airport, Miami, FL, USA March 2009 13-15 Mar Tico Warbird Air Show Space Coast Regional Airport, Titusville, FL, USA
21-26 Apr Sun'n Fun Fly-In http://www.sun-n-fun.org/content/ Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, FL, USA
14 Mar Heroes Take Flight Fly -in Auburn, Opelika, AL, USA
25-26 Apr Wings Over Wayne Seymour-Johnson AFB http://www.wingsoverwayneairshow.com/ Goldsboro, NC, USA
21-22 Mar Thunder in the Valley Air Show Columbus, GA, USA 28 Mar Riverside Airshow Riverside Municipal Airport, Riverside, CA, USA
April 2009 11 Apr Bluebonnet Air Show Burnet, TX, USA February 2009
May 2009 02 May MCAS Yuma Air Show http://www.yumaairshow.com/ MCAS Yuma, AZ, USA 03 May Abingdon Air & Country Show http://www.abingdonfayre.com/ Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 15
Events of Interest 12-14 May EBACE 2009 Geneva, Switzerland 16 May 5th Texel Taildragger & Old Timer Fly-in Texel Airport, Netherlands 17 May Spring Air Show Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK 20 May TLP - Spottersday Florennes, Belgium 21-23 May Heli Russia 2009 Crocus Expo, Moscow, Russia 21-24 May Chipmeet 2009 Zoersel, Oostmalle, Belgium
30-31 May Västerås Flygmuseum Roll Out http://www.flygmuseum.com/ Stockholm-Västerås, Sweden June 2009 01 Jun Oostwold Air Show 2009 Oostwold Airport, Oostwold, Netherlands 05-07 Jun Meeting de l'air Cazaux, France 06-07 Jun Meeting Aérien de l'EA -ALAT et l'EFA Le Luc / Le Cannet, France 13-14 Jun Meeting de l'air Tours-St.Symphorien, France 14 Jun Cosford Air Show RAF Cosford, Shropshire, UK
23-24 May Bulgarian International Air Fest ‘09 http://www.airshow-bg.com Plovdiv, Krumovo, Bulgaria 24 May Volkel in de wolken Volkel city, Netherlands
19-20 Jun Koninklijke Luchtmacht Open Dagen Volkel AB, Netherlands 20 Jun Walney Air Show Walney Island, Cumbria, UK
24-25 May Southend Air Show Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK
February 2009
15-21 Jun Paris Air Show 2009 Le Bourget, France
21 Jun Ursel Avia Show Ursel, Belgium
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 16
Code of Ethics
http://aviationphotographers.org
Membership Since 2001, ISAP has grown to over 400 members representing some twenty countries. We have successfully filed and received a 501 (c) (3) as a tax-exempt status. Our new "official" name is now International Society for Aviation Photography, Inc. The board also determined that ISAP membership will be viewed as a privilege. Accordingly, along with membership comes a responsibility to fellow members. The board has created three types of membership: Full-time professional, Part-time professional, and Associate. All member types will share, educate, and network with each other to continually improve the skills and knowledge base of ISAP as a whole. ISAP, it is hoped, will quickly become a professional organization held in high esteem by the aviation industry.
Each member is required to sign a code of ethics, which states I agree to abide by the ISAP Code of Ethics and pledge to honor the highest level of professionalism and conduct, with honesty and integrity at all times. I will familiarize myself with the rules and regulations of any facility that I visit and abide by them to uphold and dignify the reputation of ISAP and refrain from conduct that could harm any future opportunities for other ISAP members. I will treat others with courtesy and exercise good judgment in my actions. I agree to share my knowledge and skills with my fellow ISAP members to help increase the level of ISA P’s reputable knowledge base. If I breach any part of the ISAP Code of Ethics, my membership may be restricted or terminated by the Board of Directors. Adult 1 Year, $35.00 For any questions or problems with your membership application/renewal, please contact : av-membership@aviationphotographers.org
Membership Types • • •
Pro Full – Full Time Professional Photographers Pro Part – Part Time Professional Photographers Assoc – Aviation Photography Enthusiasts
Membership Benefits Becoming an "active" member of ISAP by signing and committing to the Code of Ethics and paying your annual dues allows you to: • Access the "members only" area of the web site. • Present your Portfolio to prospective clients via the ISAP Gallery. • Network and mentor with some of the finest aviation photographers in the world. • Carry the ISAP Membership Card which is fast becoming a recognized "icon" in the industry. • Active Membership is a requirement for attendance to the outstanding Annual Symposiums!
Photo© by Francoise Guile
Photo© by Larry Grace February 2009
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 17
The
ISnAP ISAP Chairman of the Board – Jay Miller aerofax@sbcglobal.net ISAP Board Vice Chair – Chad Slattery chadslattery@earthlink.net ISAP Board Member - Paul Bowen bowen@airtoair.net ISAP Board Member - David Carlson dcarlson@cusa.cannon.com ISAP Board Member – Denny Lombard dennylombard@roadrunner.com ISAP Board Member - Russell Munson higheye@aol.com ISAP Board Member - A lbert Ross alross@sbcglobal.net ISAP Board Member - Eric Schulzinger eric.schulzinger@lmco.com ISAP Board Member - Caroline Sheen csheen@si.edu ISAP Board Member - Katsuhiko Tokunaga tokunaga@dact.co.jp ISAP Membership Coordinator - Larry Grace lgrace@mm.com ISAP Treasurer - Bonnie (Bartel) Kratz photobonnie@execpc.com ISAP Web Site Manager - Michele Peterson websupport@aviationphotographers.org ISAP Field Trip Coordinator -Richard VanderMuelen richardvm@aol.com ISAP Speaker Coordinator - Andy Wolfe ISnAP Editor - Frank Landrus viggenja37@sbcglobal.net The ISnAP is a monthly publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other events or items of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and should not be cons trued as the views or opinions of International Society for Aviation Photography. Deadline for submissions to The ISnAP is the 25th of the month prior to month of issue. Please submit as a WORD text file as an attachment via email to your editor.
It's "Airplane ID" time! Here's your next challenge:
Photo © by Jay Miller February 2009
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
Page 18