Fokker DR.I.
German WWI Fokker DR.I. flying low over airfield displaying the colors of the Red Baron. This particular build is currently powered by a Volkswagen engine while...
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German WWI Fokker DR.I. flying low over airfield displaying the colors of the Red Baron. This particular build is currently powered by a Volkswagen engine while waiting on a brand new rotary engine build from the engineers in New Zealand. The Volkswagen 2 cylinder engine equals the original for power and is very reliable.
More images from this series were published in RetroBomb Magazine.
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More images from this series were published in RetroBomb Magazine.
Read less
Jul, 2016Views
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Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
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VanderblackStudios
July 21, 2016
You don't find to many of these flying. Where was the picture taken? I a picture of one flying at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in upstate NY. Great shot...
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at Archer Falls Airfield, a small private grass airstrip where an unlikely collection of friends had set up a charity event in Australia.Time
I caught this pass just before 11am, which is not my preferred aviation shoot time as we usually schedule aviation shoots for either dawn or sunset.Lighting
Just glaring Australian sunshine in this shot, no fill light.Equipment
For this shot I used my backup camera, the Nikon D3 with a Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 zoom at 300mm. Exposure time was 1/200th second at f/14 at ISO100. Usually shooting aviation I'd slow to at most 1/150th and as low as 1/80th with tracking the movement of the aircraft but as I caught this from the ground at 300mm I sped it up to 1/200th to also keep up with just how much this triplane was rocking about, ducking and weaving. It's by no means a fast aircraft, but it is tricky to track when it's doing simulated dogfights.Inspiration
This was shot for RetroBomb Magazine coverage of the charity event and as the magazine focuses on 1910-1969 vintage subjects, the replica WWI Fokker DR.I. makes for a dynamic subject.Editing
Only the exposure and shadow levels were pushed, and a little sharpening all done in Adobe Lightroom.In my camera bag
Before most shoots I'm often found completely repacking my bags to suit the job at hand. When on tour for the magazine I take with me my Nikon D800 and Nikon D3 camera bodies, a wide range of Nikkor glass 17-35mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, 70-200mm f/2.8, and a Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 with 2x teleconverter (ideal for airshow coverage but well overdue replacement with Nikkor glass). For quick lighting, an SB900 Nikon Speedlight, and for most of my outdoor commercial shoots I'm now using the Godox AD600B Wistro battery powered, cable free and wireless 600w/s high speed sync studio flash which allows me to shoot with studio flash sync speeds up to 1/8000th anywhere. I also have a Nikon P900 for video at airshows as the 2000mm equiv focal length range is just amazing. Half of my shoots though are air to air photography for commercial aviation clients. For those I'm often just carrying the D800 with the 24-70mm Nikkor glass, and directing the formation flights to get shots right up close to the other aircraft.Feedback
For shots like this, you don't need a giant prime 2.8 zoom like I'm shooting. It's shot at f/14 so most smaller 300mm range glass will capture this just as nicely. What you do need to do is get used to tracking movement with a steady hand. Rather than try to move just the camera to track - move from your hips to follow the pass smoothly. Some shooters prefer to shoot with a gimbal tripod but unless you're shooting massive glass like the 600 or 800 f/4 Nikon lenses you ought to try hand held. That said, I shoot the Nikkor 600mm f/4 hand held but pay for it with dead shoulders the next day. Access - unless you're in the UK where aviation authorities have been cracking down on airshows - you will find that more and more airshows are popping up around the world. Take a look in your area for warbird operators and see if their media indicates any local shows they're due to fly to soon.
