Crossing the moon
A P-51 Mustang and a Spitfire crossing the moon. This is actually a composite of 2 photos. The formation shot was nice, but had a boring background, so I took a...
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A P-51 Mustang and a Spitfire crossing the moon. This is actually a composite of 2 photos. The formation shot was nice, but had a boring background, so I took a moon photo to use for the background.
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Oct, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is actually a composite of two images. I caught the moon in Oshkosh, Wisconsin during the annual EAA Airventure. It was an unusual early afternoon moon rise. The airplanes were captured in Camarillo, California.Time
Both shots that form the composite were taken around 4 PM local time.Lighting
Afternoon light is great at Camarillo when facing the flightline as the sun is at your back and gives perfect light on your subject. I watch as aircraft pass and look for the "sweet spot" to catch the right light without glare from aircraft shiny surfaces.Equipment
Both shots were taken with the Nikon D300 and the Tamron 150-600mm lens. I used the D300 for several years before the shutter started acting up after 165,000 photos.Inspiration
At some times of the year, the Camarillo skies are nondescript and make for boring backgrounds. I decided to take the background out of the shot, leaving on the airplanes and moved them over to be in front of the moon. I wanted an eye-catching photo of the two top WWII fighters from the US and the UK together. When I took the moon shot, I was fortunate to catch the F-22 Raptor in front of it in one shot. I wanted to create a similar shot with vintage aircraft. Thankfully I caught some moon photos that afternoon without aircraft in front of it.Editing
Yes, I used the background eraser to remove the flat sky from the airplane image and evened the exposure to match the photo of the moon, then dragged the airplanes into the frame of the moon shot.In my camera bag
Currently my main camera body is a Nikon D7100, with a D200 for a backup and quick short shots. For airshows and aviation shooting, I use the Tamrom 150-600mm lens on the 7100 and the Nikon 18-200mm on the D200.Feedback
In the fast moving world of aircraft, be continuously scanning the skies for not only aircraft, but anything that may be interesting in the background. Contrast clouds and the moon add some interesting elements to the image without cluttering the background. Mountains and trees can add a sense of speed and also provide nice contrast. Because you have no control over light and clouds, its good to have a collection of cloud shots to make an image more eye catching. Single color skies, of whatever color, make the image less interesting.
