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Dec, 2012Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken at the 2012 Wings Over Houston air show. It is an annual event & this was the first time I ever went. I actually took my 87 year old Mother, since someone gave her tickets. It is held at the Ellington Air Force Base in Houston.Time
This image was taken at 3:50pm CST. They always hold the spectacular show of the Blue Angel towards the finale. But I was able to shoot other planes, sky divers & people.Lighting
This was a particularly rough day for shooting, because there was not a cloud in the sky. However, that really worked in my favor to show off the planes against the blue sky.Equipment
This was taken hand-held, with my Canon EOS Rebel T3i, using a Tamrom 18-270mm lens. The settings were ISO 500, f/8, at 1/1600 sec, and at 155mm. I was also shooting on rapid fire, as everything was happening so fast & you sometimes didn't know which direction they would be approaching from. I also had not brought any of my filters, which might have helped.Inspiration
There were actually 6 planes in the air, but usually only 4 were flying in a line formation. When I saw the angle these five planes were in, with no smoke distorting the background, I felt it was the perfect time to shoot.Editing
Actually, the only post-processing I did was to crop it for a closer view.In my camera bag
First of all, I'm a Canon user. Back then, I had the EOS Rebel T3i, with the 18-55mm kit lens. I had my new Tamron 18-270mm, as well as my Canon 75-300mm, f/4-5.6 lens. I did not have my Manfrotto tripod with me that day. I usually have backup batteries, and I use SanDisk memory cards, as well as polarizer & neutral density filters, & various hoods. Today I have upgraded to the full-frame Canon 6D & have the 24-105mm f/4, 17-40mm, f4L, & macro EF 100mm, f/2.8 in my bag. Depending on what I think I'll be shooting, all of these items vary.Feedback
Be sure to pay close attention to the weather. Check the schedule to make sure you are there if you want to shoot something particular. Since this was my first show, I really should have reached out to other photographers. I "winged" it on this day, which is not advisable! Being with my Mother was great fun, but I wasn't able to get out early or stay late. But all things considered, I think I got a few good images because there are all sorts of planes on the ground & in the air. I will do this again someday!
