February 2011
ISnAP
Meet the Member Kevin Hong
•1929 Hamilton Bernard Friel •From the Chair •Gadget Bag •DFW Founders’ Plaza •Mystery Plane ID •Marketplace •Membership Renewal!
Comments from the Chair:
Just back a few weeks ago from the Professional Photographers of American (PPA) get-together in San Antonio. It was a big affair with just about everyone in the camera world represented. First day attendance was in excess of 10,000 photographers - so there was no sign that the down economy has had much of an impact on the picture-taking business. There was much to see and do at PPA, and of course I walked away with a lot of ideas. I have no idea how many booths and the bigger chalets there were, but suffice it to say the event filled most of San Antonio’s downtown convention center. No matter what your interest, there was something for everyone. Canon and Nikon were onboard in spades, of course, but so were Sony, Pentax, Sigma, Tokina, Olympus, Hasselblad (they’re owned by a Chinese company now!), Leica, and just about everyone else who has a dog in the image making fight. I’ve thought about it, but can not come up with a single company that didn’t have a booth or chalet at PPA. Old friend Paul Bower - an ISAP member and the retired chief of photography for Vought Aircraft - made the trek to PPA with me. Having pre-registered, we were able to immediately tackle the isles and isles of vendors the moment the doors opened. Because I had only one day to cover the entire show, my trek up and down the rows was made at a rapid pace. I spent frugal amounts of time at booths and chalets electing to simply grab brochures for reading at a later date. I did spend time with the Canon and Nikon folks and managed to track down and b.s. with Dave Carlson, Bill Fortney, and Scott Diussa - all ISAP members and all key players in our organization. I won’t bore you with a rundown on all the new gear I stumbled across, but suffice it to say there were many bits and pieces that aviation photographers will find of considerable interest and usefulness. One example was a pole-mounted camera system that allows a photographer not only to elevate his or her camera ten or more feet overhead, but also to control it via a small monitor that’s attached to the base of the pole. The entire unit is hand held - and via the monitor, you can see what your camera is looking at, auto-focus, and shoot. Best part of this rig is that it lists for around $500 - monitor included. Also catching my attention was the relatively new Cus-
tom Brackets gimbal mount. A direct competitor to the more famous Wimberley gimbal, I was so enamored with Custom Bracket’s unit that I sold my two Wimberleys and bought two of the CB gimbals the day after I got back to Ft. Worth. More on these in this issue’s equipment story. Anyway, it was a great show and I only regret I didn’t have more time to play. It will be back again next year and you can bet I’ll be onboard - and will see to it that I’ve set aside two days to cover the event rather than just one. ISAP-X is starting to creep up on us. Dates are June 2, 3, 4! I just want to remind everyone that rooms are available at the Sheraton Mission Valley San Diego Hotel (1433 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego, CA 92108, ph.: 619 2600111 or call toll-free 1 800 325-3534, ). The direct e-mail is paul.harms@sheratonmissionvalley.com (Paul Harms is our direct contact if you have any specific questions). Ask for the ISAP Discount! Please keep in mind that every year the rooms sell out. The earlier you make your reservation, the better. We’ve got 75 rooms committed, but they will go in a hurry. Our special rate of $99 (double occupancy) is going to be hard to beat in San Diego - especially at a Sheraton! As to the event itself, we’ve got a blockbuster planned! The Canon and Nikon folks are gearing up to make this year particularly special. Other sponsors are also planning to put some extra effort into the event - and the guest speaker list will knock your socks off ! And don’t forget that our banquet speaker will be the famous Bud Anderson - WWII ace, test pilot, and book author. And it looks good for a return visit by the ol’ Photoshop / Lightroom guru himself, Scott Kelby. Jamie Hunter - noted European pro aviation shooter - is also onboard, and additionally you’ll also be hearing from and watching photos by our own Jessica Ambats, editor-in-chief of Plane & Pilot magazine. The list goes on! Be there or be square! About it for this issue. More to follow shortly! And let us hear from YOU!
Jay
Gadget Bag CB Gimbal by Jay Miller
Having a number of long telephotos and super telephotos (i.e., 300mm, 600mm, and 800mm), I’ve been a serious gimbal mounts fan for a long time. If you shoot with long lenses, no other mount comes close to offering the stability and flexibility of a gimbal. Forget ball heads and anything else out there. Gimbals are the only way to go. The top of the mark when I bought my first gimbal was manufactured by Wimberley. Built like a Baldwin locomotive and weighing about the same, it was designed for a lifetime of hard use and trouble free dependability. My first Wimberley - a first-generation design - arrived at my door about twelve years ago. When the second-generation was announced about eight years later, I wasn’t long in selling my old ones and buying the new. Wimberleys are, indeed, superb gimbals and arguably, for a long time, the best money could buy. They were, in fact, the only gimbal money could buy, at least until recently. But time marches on and the competition rarely sleeps. And so it has been in the small world of gimbal mounts. Several months ago I spent a little time with George Schaub, the editor-in-chief of Shutterbug magazine. We were discussing articles I might write for him about products that had yet to be covered. When I suggested doing a piece on gimbal mounts, George noted that he could not remember the magazine ever doing a story on that specific - and somewhat esoteric - subject. So, why the hell not. Thus it was that I began researching gimbals. I won’t give you an abbreviated version of the forthcoming gimbal story, but I will tell you that as I write, there are at least fifteen companies around the world manufacturing gimbal mounts. Of those, about a half-dozen are located here in the US. Almost all are good to great in terms of quality, but only one currently offers all the features we photographers are now coming to expect from products of this kind. Dare I say that the competition will be a while in catching up to Custom Brackets (CB). CB’s Gimbal is built like a tank and tougher than stink on poop. All the parts, with the exception of four soft rubber-coated knobs (two lock and two drag) and the stainless steel bearings, are made from billet, aircraftgrade, black, hard-anodized aluminum. Everything that can be disassembled (for ease of portability) can be unlocked and pulled apart in about two seconds - or three if you take your time. Conversely, everything goes together in record time as well. Every part is locked in place via aluminum assembly knobs and fits snugly as a result of the CNC machining equipment that CB has in-house. Tolerances are commendably tight - but not so tight that mating two parts requires a critical eye or the touch of a neurosurgeon. What makes CB’s gimbal stand out from the rest of the pack is not only its over-all build quality, but also the fact that all the moving parts impacting the photographer’s ability to get world-class photos are suspended by precision roller
bearings. This makes for the smoothest, easiest to use gimbal on the planet, and it is the single most important reason why I parted company with my dearly beloved Wimberleys. The CB Gimbal is, in fact, so smooth that Mike took yet another major step forward in gimbal design and installed adjustable drag locks.These permit a variable friction adjustment to both panning and tilting and thus help smooth lens movement when following an active subject such as an aircraft in flight. The standard locking knobs are also in their proper places and easily and intuitively reached. Locking and unlocking is a no-nonsense short turn of each knob. Once you’ve done it once or twice, it’s a no-brainer. The entire unit is essentially maintenance free; there is nothing to lubricate or replace, and the five year warranty basically says it all. Another feature that I have yet to see on any other gimbal mount is a CB-exclusive set-up or travel lock that secures the lens platform in a horizontal position. This facilitates loading and positioning a lens on the gimbal and locking the Arca Swiss platform. If the c.g. is off, no problem; the plate is locked in place and the only thing that can ruin your day is a strong blast of wind or a drunk aviation photographer tripping over your entire tripod assembly. Even more thoughtful is the fact that the lock, when moved into position, still allows just enough play to permit balancing your lens (by gently sliding it back and forth on the gimbal mounting plate) without fear of “flop”.
most camera stores; I bought mine from Arlington Camera (Bill Porter) at www.arlingtoncamera.com. List price is $630, but most camera stores discount this considerably. CB Gimbal specs are as follows: Weight - 3.3 pounds (1,502 grams) Bracket dimensions - 9-3/4” (24.7 cm) tall; 8-1/2” (21.6 cm) wide; 3-7/8” (9.8 cm) deep
Jay
Other features include laser engraved angular markings in degrees on the gimbal base (for panoramics; keep in mind that in a partially disassembled state, the CB Gimbal can be used to make stitch-able panoramics using the Arca-Swiss plate on the vertical bar; the camera mounts in a vertical position, which is ideal for panoramics) and reference dimensional markings on the lens plate and the vertical bar assembly. Importantly, there is a built-in bubble level to aid with panning. All of these are items other manufacturers have either forgotten or deemed more trouble (and expense) than they are worth. I need to mention that ISAP member Mark Hrutkay first opened my eyes to the CB Gimbal’s advantages over the Wimberley. Mark’s comments on the Wimberley v/s CB Gimbal forced the issue when I visited PPA a few weeks ago in San Antonio and stumbled across the CB booth and CB’s owner, Michael Muzila. Mark, like me, had at one time been a Wimberley fan and thus had a lot of fodder in his cannon when we commenced discussing the two gimbal mounts and their attributes. Suffice it to say he had given me good reason to look closely at the CB product which, shortly afterwards, I bought. Over-all, the CB Gimbal is a first-class piece of gear. If you carry long lenses and you reach the same conclusion most other long lens users have, you’ll sooner or later want to go with a gimbal mount. Take my word for it that Custom Bracket’s interpretation of this classic design is as good as it gets. For more information, go to http://www. custombrackets.com. CB Gimbals are available through
Meet the Member Kevin Hong
One of the biggest obstacles is finding out what you want out of life. I can say that I have found what makes me happy and that is aviation photography and graphic design. I was at an ad agency stuck inside an office with a window watching planes on final approach to Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Since then I have started my own company called Sector K Media, LLC dedicated to aviation photography and marketing. I try to capture the airshow from start to finish in the air and on the ground. What I enjoy the most about aviation photography is what you capture when you shoot a photo and look at it afterwards. We can always plan and strive to come up with the best photo but its what you catch accidentally that can inspire you to create something new. All my life I have been going to airshows and never realized what was right in front of me, THE AIRSHOW BOX and air-to-air photography. One of my favorite things to do is shoot from the airshow box and be right next to the runway. Once you go into the box you never want to come back to the crowd side. There is something about the smell of jet fuel and the vibration through your whole body of planes flying within a few feet of you. Is it dangerous? YES!!! That’s part of the thrill!! I am a member of the Commemorative Air Force, and have a great honor to be a Blastard, Tora photographer, and a crew member on B-17 Texas Raiders. As a Blastard, we are in the airshow box setting up pyrotechnics for airshow acts and for Tora Tora Tora around
the United States. Lighting the field on fire with explosions during the airshow can get a little toasty, but the photos you can get are amazing. The best part is when you look at the photos and the pilots look right at you when they are inverted. Being a Tora photographer is just as exciting because of the proximity of the WWII Pearl Harbor reenactment and the action that goes on during the act. Whether you are flying or on the ground during Tora Tora Tora there is never a dull moment from where I sit. Air to air photography is a magical experience for me. The best part about being in the air is when you open the door or window. You get a chance to feel the wind thousands of feet in the air and enjoy the view of the earth’s horizon. Of course you have a job to do but I always look at it as an opportunity to leave your problems on the ground for a little while. There are many formations of planes I would like to do and hope to accomplish all on my list by the time I’m old and can’t fly anymore.
When I graduated college with a graphic design degree my whole world of aviation photography changed. I constantly look and think about different perspectives doing air to air photos for magazines, placement for text on posters, brochures, etc. I try to create a unique design and do things that has never been done before. One of the most difficult tasks as a designer is explaining to a client what I envision when it hasn’t even been created. In my mind some photos should be off centered not to make the perfect photo but the perfect poster or another type of medium. From logos to calendars, I try to stay on the cutting edge of endless possibilities. People ask why, I say why not. www.sectorkmedia.com www.av8pix.com
1929 Hamilton Metalplane Flies Again Bernard Friel
On May 17, 2010 at about 12:30 P.M. after a rest of over 30 years, the completely restored and certified airworthy 1929 Hamilton H47 Metalplane made a graceful and uneventful take off from Fleming Field in South St. Paul, MN for a short flight to the Anoka Airport in Blaine, MN, where several pieces of replacement equipment will be installed. It circled the airfield several times after take off and made a low farewell pass over the runway giving a small crowd of interested enthusiasts an opportunity to photograph and video this historic aircraft on this historic occasion. The pilot, Bill Maxwell, and Dan White, who works in maintenance at the Anoka Airport, spent several hours before take off inspecting, testing and fueling the H47. The pilot is a 747 pilot with Delta Airlines who frequently flies vintage aircraft and has significant experience flying aircraft similar to the H47. This H47 bearing Serial Number 65 was the 22nd of only 29 manufactured by Hamilton Metalplane Company in Milwaukee, WI, a division of Boeing Airplane Company, and it is the only remaining airworthy plane of its kind. Its power plant is a Pratt and Whitney 525 hp Hornet R-1690 engine, and the skin of the aircraft is of riveted construction using corrugated ”Alcad” metal. Originally sold to and operated by the Ontario Provincial Air Service in 1930 it was fitted with pontoons and used primarily as a floatplane. After sale and use by several additional owners in Washington and Alaska it was eventually stored in Deering, Alaska where its logbook showed a total airtime of 5183 hours after its last flight in July of 1947.
Four years later in 1951 Capt. Harry McKee of Northwest Airlines obtained the H47 from Don Cross of Deering, and brought it to the Mpls/St. Paul International Airport where using volunteer help and the Northwest Airlines “20 Year Club” he set about restoring it for static display. Slow progress and rising expenses resulted in the airplane being placed in storage in the Hangar of Jack Lysdale at Fleming Field. In 1972 the Hamilton was acquired by Lysdale who decided to restore it to 100% airworthiness. Following taxi tests the restored Hamilton made its first post restoration flight on August 12, 1975. Later that August the Hamilton was displayed at an antique fly in at Blakesburg, Iowa, where it won the AAA Grand National Championship Award and also took five other first place honors, and a year later at Oshkosh, the Silver Age Championship award. The Hamilton’s last flight prior to its May 17th flight was on June 12,1978, when its logbook showed it had accumulated additional air time of 46.25 hours. In the intervening years it had been on static display from time to time at Fleming field. The Lysdale restoration included installing new gas and oil tanks, new windows and interior handcrafted passenger seats with new caning and leather.
Original instruments were overhauled, landing gear was magnafluxed and rebrushed and the propeller was overhauled. Originally licensed as NC-875 H, Lysdale had its number changed to NC-879 H so he could restore it using the Northwest Airways logo. The Hamilton was purchased earlier this year at a Barrett-Jackson auction for $671,000. The new owner expects to display the Hamilton at Oshkosh in August 2010 and then it will be flown to the Seattle, WA area where the new owner resides. Story and Photos by ISAP Member Bernard P. Friel Š 2010. www.wampy.com
ISnAP Sponsors (in alphabetical order):
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company http://www.lockheedmartin.com Air & Space Smithsonian http://www.airspacemag.com
Nikon USA http://www.nikonusa.com Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association http://www.aopa.org
Canon USA http://www.usa.canon.com
Delkin Devices http://www.delkin.com
Northrop Grumman http://www.northropgrumman.com
Think Tank http://www.thinktankphoto.com
DFW Founders’ Plaza by Jay Davis
Airplane ID Winners!
The winner for last issue was Simon Fitall who identified it as the Lockheed XC-35, a twin-engine, experimental pressurized airplane that was the first American aircraft to feature cabin pressurization. The United States Air Corps wanted the aircraft to perform high altitude research and to test the feasibility of a pressurized cabin. The Corps contracted with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in 1935 to produce the aircraft at a total cost of $112,197. The requirements called for an aircraft capable of flying at no less than 25,000 ft and having an endurance of 10 hours with at least 2 hours above 25,000 ft. A Model 10 Electra was modified with a new fuselage consisting of a circular cross section that was able to withstand up to a 10 psi differential. The cabin pressurization was provided by bleeding air from the engines’ turbo supercharger. This system was able to maintain a cabin altitude of 12,000 ft while flying at 30,000 ft. The XC-35 was delivered to Wright Field in May 1937 and was involved in an extensive flight testing program for which the Army Air Corp was awarded the Collier Trophy. The lessons learned played a key role in the development of the Boeing 307 and the B-29 which was to be the first mass produced pressurized aircraft. The XC-35 was donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in 1948 and remains there in long term storage.
ISnAP Issues
Starting with this issue we now have three ways for you to receive our newsletter. You can log in to our website at www.aviationphotographers.org. We now have both the current and past issues available at : www.issuu.com Current issue: www.issuu.com/isaporg/docs/2010_12 Past issues: http://www.issuu.com/search?q=ISnAP If you like we can still send you the issue by email. Please note that the size of ISnAP is a large file download. (6Mb or larger) If you wish to receive ISnAP attached to your email, please send a note to: Larry Grace lgrace@mm.com and Frank Landrus viggenja37@sbcglobal.net If you have stories, tips, photos, items for sales, news release, etc... we would love to share your information with our membership. Each issue we feature a member profile and we would like to showcase you, so email us your bio and photos for a upcoming issue or eblast. (This is a great way to let other members get to know you). There’s a lot of information and more in this current issue, so download your copy anytime, and enjoy. Look forward to seeing you in San Diego! Frank, Jay and Larry
On September 17, 2008; DFW Airport officials opened up the brand new location for Founder’s Plaza, a viewing area for aircraft enthusiasts and the general public. This new location is on the northwest side of DFW Airport. The old location, which was on the southeast side of the airport, was abandoned due to DFW Airport installing a new, innovative perimeter taxiway system. This is aimed at cutting aircraft taxi time to the main terminals while increasing safety by allowing aircraft to taxi from the outside runways without having to wait for ATC approval to cross active landing and departure runways. The new Founder’s Plaza overlooks the northwest quadrant of the airfield from its slightly elevated location at the south side of Texan Trail and North Airfield Drive. This is just south of Highway 114 in Grapevine, Texas. The site features more parking, shaded pavilion areas with picnic tables, and a speaker system whereby visitors can listen to ATC communications from the control towers instructing the aircraft during their arrivals and departures to/ from DFW Airport. The plaza also has installed permanent viewing glasses, similar to large binoculars, at no charge so visitors can get an up-close look at the aircraft movements during their visit. The facility also has around-the-clock security. The site is extremely close to runway 18R and 18L. This provides excellent opportunities for photographs of aircraft arriving from the north. It also provides excellent views of departing aircraft from the south, depending on the wind conditions. The original Founders Plaza opened in 1995 as a tribute to the founders of DFW. It commemorated their vision was to create not only a world-class airport, but also a major economic engine for the entire North Texas region. The previous Plaza site on the Airport’s southeast side played a key role in DFW history, including an employee memorial on September 12, 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It also hosted the Airport’s 30th anniversary celebration in 2004. Founders Plaza is located at 1700 N. Airfield Drive -at the intersection of North Airfield Drive and Texan Trail, near the northern end of runway 36R/18L. Visiting hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. - though visitors are usually allowed to stay until long after the stated closing time.
Marketplace
Got anything you want to sell or trade? Here’s your chance! Just drop the editor a email at viggenja37@sbcglobal.net.
Photoshop Tip Time
Changing Multiple Type Layers To change the properties of a series of Type layers, Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click) on each of the layers that you would like to adjust. Provided by Corey Barker Provided by NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) ® 2009 Kelby Media Group.
February 2011
ISnAP
ISAP Chairman of the Board –
Jay Miller
aerofax@sbcglobal.net
ISAP Board Member -
Paul Bowen
bowen@airtoair.net
ISAP Board Vice Chair – ISAP Board Member ISAP Board Member ISAP Board Member ISAP Board Member ISAP Board Member -
Larry Grace
David Carlson
Russell Munson Albert Ross
Jessica Ambats
lgrace@mm.com
dcarlson@cusa.cannon.com higheye@aol.com
alross@sbcglobal.net
jessicaambats@gmail.com
Caroline Sheen
csheen@si.edu
ISAP Membership Coordinator -
Larry Grace
lgrace@mm.com
ISAP Web Site Manager -
Michele Peterson
ISAP Board Member ISAP Treasurer -
ISAP Field Trip Coordinator ISAP Speaker Coordinator ISnAP Editor -
Katsuhiko Tokunaga Bonnie (Bartel) Kratz
tokunaga@dact.co.jp
photobonnie@execpc.com
websupport@aviationphotographers.org
Richard VanderMuelen richardvm@aol.com
Andy Wolfe
Frank Landrus
viggenja37@sbcglobal.net
The ISnAP is a periodic 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 construed 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.
*****Membership Renewal Time! Email Larry Grace Now at: lgrace@mm.com ***** It's "Airplane ID" time! Here's your next challenge:
Jay Miller Photo Collection