Warbird: P40 Warhawk
May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on a beautiful fall day at the "Warriors and Warbirds" airshow in Monroe, North Carolina. The next time this particular show is scheduled is November 11-13, 2016. The web site if you are interested is http://www.warbirdsovermonroe.com/Time
As I recall, this was fairly late in the show, 3:06 PM, and my arm was a bit shaky from handholding my telephoto.Lighting
The sky was a little bright and brassy, no convenient dramatic clouds.Equipment
I was using a Canon Digital Rebel XT at the time, and an old used Canon 35-350mm lens that I still have today. It may not be the sharpest or fastest lens but it has great range and has been a workhorse for me. I will be sad to see it go. It is a nice size and is not super heavy compared to the longer telephotos available.Inspiration
Well, I enjoy aircraft of all types and sizes, and you catch what you can. The P40 Warhawk has been a favorite of mine since I was a boy. The Flying Tiger paint job just perfectly fits the lines of the aircraft. Personally, there is a connection to the P40 through my Dad who was an "old China Hand" with Detachment 101 of the OSS during World War II. He served in the China Burma India theater and either in the course of that or his subsequent CIA career met General Claire Chennault, the founder of the Flying Tigers. I know he admired General Chennault, who apparently was something of a renegade. Anyway, what was cool when I was a boy is still a very stirring machine to see, hear and feel flying by.Editing
I used ColorEfex to lighten shadows of the background, increased contrast and detail. I usually don't spend much time with post because I'm partly color-blind. A few minutes is about all I can deal with, and is part of the reason I prefer shooting landscapes and other more inanimate objects. My interpretation of color and tone with inanimate objects causes less angst and second guessing than it does with people and skin tones.In my camera bag
For an airshow, the minimum, and it happens to be all Canon. The body (now a 5DmkIII), a telephoto (35-350, or a rental long lens), 24-105mm and of course fast 50. If the telephoto is heavy, a monopod is a good tool. On the other hand maybe the arm workout is worth it ;-)Feedback
Fortunately at airshows, the general pattern is pretty well established and you get several chances for the same shot. While getting any good shot is fun, I prefer those that give some reference to scale or orientation. Shutter speed is important at airshows. This shot was 350mm (560 on the crop frame) at ISO 400, f/5.6 and 1/1000. At the end of the day, capturing a moment in time is the key thing, and being able to share it with others is a bonus. Thanks for looking!
