Seattle 862
A modern-day helmet made to look vintage, on the cockpit of a WWII Mustang P51
A modern-day helmet made to look vintage, on the cockpit of a WWII Mustang P51
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Dec, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is a shot from Everett Airfield in Seattle, WA. The pilot had left his retro-style helmet on the side of his warbird and I just couldn’t resist the shot.Time
The helmet shot was taken in the morning, prior to going on a flight on a B-25 bomber.Lighting
This is natural lighting, spot metered on the helmet to ensure that I’d get the tone I wanted in the BW image I had already envisioned when I first saw the helmet hanging there.Equipment
I used my Hasselblad H4D 50 Aerial camera with an HC 2.2/100 lens and took the shot handheld.Inspiration
I like picking out a detail from a scene and then see, if I can make a shot that tells a whole story and possibly evokes some kind of emotion. This one worked for me and I’m happy if anyone else enjoyed it too.Editing
Well, obviously I did a couple of things, but nothing too severe. I converted the image into BW, because I had “seen” it that way before I shot it and it seemed to fit the subject to the point where it might easily have looked like that, when this warbird was in WWII action.In my camera bag
My Hasselblad H4D and the 28 and 100 mm lenses go in first. Next, I like a polarizing filter for some color work and if I’m shooting either portrait or macro, I’ll take my ring flash and maybe the 120 macro lens. For architectural work, the 35mm and tilt/shift adapter is a great combo. I always pack a small wooden Berlebach tripod and then, depending on the subject I’m after, sometimes I’ll pack a larger Gitzo tripod. A lastolite reflector, remote release and my color-checker usually go in the bag as well as the big stopper and Lee filter kit.Feedback
Airfields are packed with this kind of subject matter, so it is a question of picking your favorites and being able to envision the final image, as I find that deciding on BW or color, retro or modern style helps define the way I shoot it. Mornings and evenings are my favorites for light quality, but if those are not options, I’ll take what I can get and let the guide me towards subjects and a style that works for me. I always use spot metering, to make sure I have the tonality I want - probably a zone system leftover, but that’s the way I like to shoot.
