Into the Flare
May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Chesterfield, Missouri at the airport during an afternoon airshow. I love the challenge of trying to capture a unique perspective on planes as they fly.Time
This photo was taken with the afternoon sun blazing high in the sky, in the early afternoon.Lighting
I am a huge fan of natural sun flares and rays in my photos. Once I realized where the planes were headed, I focused on the area of the sky just outside of the sun, hoping to get a shot with the beautiful sun rays shining through. Sun flares and rays are so fun to experiment with in photos! I think it helps to create such an interesting sense of drama to the scene.Equipment
This particular photo was captured with only my Nikon D5000 camera and my 18-55mm kit lens. I wanted to be able to move as quickly as as possible without equipment weighing me down.Inspiration
The formation of the planes was the true inspiration for this photo. I stood in awe at these machines flying so close together and with such perfect timing. When the smoke was released, causing the near perfect lines silhouetted against the sunlight, I knew I had what I was looking for.Editing
I adore black and white photography and almost always shoot with the intention of a black and white finished photo. I used Lightroom here to desaturate the image, adjust the black and white points and bumped up the clarity just a bit to bring out the detail in the sun rays and the smoke trails.In my camera bag
My Nikon D5000 camera body, my 50mm 1.8 lens (my favorite), an 18-55 zoom lens, a 55-200mm lens, and a few polorizing filters.Feedback
Patience is key. In a photo like this, it also helps to try to visualize where the planes may be heading and then adjust quickly accordingly. I knew I wanted to frame my shot in camera, as opposed to cropping later, so I shot carefully but quickly.
