Falcon2
Jul, 2015Views
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Contest Finalist in In Transit Photo Contest
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
My daughter and I decided to take a trip to a local air show in Somerset, UK. It is staged every year and is renowned for its incredible pyrotechnic displays and great array of aircraft from around the world.Time
The show opened at nine AM and we were some of the first in. We quickly headed over to the static displays and I managed to get some good shots of the aircraft without too many people around.Lighting
The light was sometimes overcast and sometimes sunny and with it being middle of summer, even at 9.30 am the sun was quite high in the sky.Equipment
To take this particular picture I used my Nikon D7200 in conjunction with my Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 wide angle lens. The camera was mounted on my Benro travel tripod. I have a Manfrotto 055 tripod at home too but wanted to travel light so opted for the lighter but less sturdy Benro. I also had a ND1000 filter attached to the lens for this particular shot.Inspiration
I loved the idea of getting a shot where the object you expect to be moving with great speed is in fact static and the clouds were the objects appearing to move quickly instead. I chose this particular aircraft as I liked the design on the tail fin and the fuel tank underneath, giving this F-16 a bit of character and also breaking up all the grey paint. The F-16 is a particularly sleek aircraft and is reminiscent of its name, the Fighting Falcon.Editing
Yes. I cropped the image slightly and converted to mono using Adobe Raw. I also boosted contrast lowered highlights and lifted the shadow slightly. Finally I removed the sharpening in Raw and added it in Smart sharpen in Photoshop CC.In my camera bag
I only have the one body at the moment, A Nikon D7200, which is a superb camera with fantastic sensor and excellent AF system taken from the D750. I carry four lenses, A Nikon 35mm F1.8, a Nikon 70-300mm VR F4.5-5.6, a Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 wide angle lens and finally my Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD macro lens. I use a Meke SB910 flash and also carry spare batteries, a set of screw in filters and either my Benro travel tripod or my Manfrotto 055 tripod depending on what I am shooting and what the conditions are like. Oh and a bar of chocolate (for emergencies of course!).Feedback
Try to either get to a show like this early to avoid the crowds or wait until the air displays start as fewer people will be around the static displays. For shots like this always use a ND1000 or Lee Big Stopper to increase exposure time to creat the movement in the skies and also blurs out any remaining people in shot. Use your tripod and try to set up showing a nice angle of the plane, displaying lots of its details. Finally, be patient and take several shots to maximise your chances of getting a "keeper".
