Well, today & tomorrow is the Rockford Airfest ... and I am taking the zooms out for the day, today ... because I have plans for the second day. The weather appears clear, so it'll be blue skies.
& the T/Cs (1.4x, 2x. 3x) ... just to add another dimension to some of this.
It is quite a backpack, with no extra LCs hanging off the back. (That's a switch)
Wish me luck ... and I better grab the sunscreen.
Don Schap - BFA, Digital Photography A Photographer Is Forever
Look, I did not create the optical laws of the Universe ... I simply learned to deal with them.
Remember: It is usually the GLASS, not the camera (except for moving to Full Frame), that gives you the most improvement in your photography. flickr® & Sdi
As I drove to Rockford, there was this funky, misty rain going on, which let up, just as I arrived. The clouds kind of stuck around, so there was a sky to shoot against, unlike the blue I had anticipated. The people were exceptionally friendly, as I mixed right in. They seemed to recognize the black backpack and actually parted ways when I walked through the crowd. I kind of like that.
Anyway, I did flight-line shots, this time, instead of full time runway stuff. I put the 70-400 G through its paces ... and it seemed to respond nicely.
I actually found being on the "side-lines" to be far more entertaining and interesting to shoot, that being stuck in the stands or buffeted around by the gathered throngs of folks. The pilots were back and forth and that made for some interesting images, too.
So, as I moved stuff around, I met an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt "Warthog" pilot, who had just finished his performance with the plane ... and we chatted a bit. He then walked me across the flight line, over to his aircraft and we did a portrait shot. I still have yet to look at this stuff ... and will post what came out. See, the backpack does work.
Last edited by DonSchap; 07-31-2010 at 04:22 PM.
Don Schap - BFA, Digital Photography A Photographer Is Forever
Look, I did not create the optical laws of the Universe ... I simply learned to deal with them.
Remember: It is usually the GLASS, not the camera (except for moving to Full Frame), that gives you the most improvement in your photography. flickr® & Sdi
Well, because the Captain was so great about posing for me ...
I decided to work on HIS image first.
I HDR'd it (<- new action verb) because the sun was so darn bright ... and I cloned out cars, jets and light posts. It took an hour, at least, in post. ... but, hey! We got a portrait!
US Air Force Captain Joe "Rifle" Shetterly
"Have GUN, will fly it."
EXIF: α850 w/ SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 DG EX HSM
@ 24mm - f/10 - 1/160 sec. - ISO-250 - Spot Meter - Spot Focus - Sunlight - Manual
He just kind of dropped in on me from ... well, who knows where?
Last edited by DonSchap; 08-02-2010 at 06:39 PM.
Don Schap - BFA, Digital Photography A Photographer Is Forever
Look, I did not create the optical laws of the Universe ... I simply learned to deal with them.
Remember: It is usually the GLASS, not the camera (except for moving to Full Frame), that gives you the most improvement in your photography. flickr® & Sdi
that first is an excllent shot although its posted far too big and screwing up the page...strong pose and you did a great job cloning. his face though looks strange from the hdr but otherwise pretty cool.
i think with the others you shot with the iso too high and it makes them a little soft and lacking DR. 1/1000s should have been ok but most importantly would've got you into the iso400 zone which the sony would handle far better.
D800e l D60 IR l 16-35 f4 l 24-120 f4 l 24G l 50G l 60G l 85G l 105VR l 300VR lXE-1 l 18R l 35R flickr
Yes, good job on the Warthog, Don. Including the pilot lifts the image out of the ordinary.
Rooz, I can't let your second comment go by without comment. Yes 1/1000sec at iso400 would probably have got the job done, heck the Harrier shot would have been fine at 500th/iso200.
But "a little soft and lacking DR" because Don used iso800, I don't think so. Overexposure on the A-10 and underexposure on the Harrier, maybe, and difficult to get right in the circumstances.
Rockford's Airshow
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Well, because the Captain was so great about posing for me ...
... but, hey! We got a portrait! 
