momentsinair

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We are always looking for something new, something special. A paragliding start of a special kind!

We are always looking for something new, something special. A paragliding start of a special kind!
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NIKON D750

settings

Aperture f/11 ISO 200 Shutter 1/500 Focal Length 380/10

location

Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige, IT

upload_date

Feb, 2020

Views

Likes

Awards

Top Shot Award 21

Legendary Award

Summer 2020

2020 Choice Award

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Ranks

Top 20 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in South Tyrol on the Rittner Horn near the regional capital Bozen - Bozen. I am a semi-professional paragliding pilot and extreme athlete and I love photography. The Rittner Horn is my local mountain, I like to fly and take photos there.

Time

I took this photo in the afternoon, around 4 pm

Lighting

It is not always easy to get a good exposure when paragliding. The safety of the model is of course the most important thing, and the right wind plays a big role here. With this picture it was the last attempt to get a usable image after all. The wind was weak, but the evening sun was still good!

Equipment

For this picture I used my NIKON D750 with a 24-70mm f/2.8. As I also carry my paragliding equipment up the mountain this had to be enough - for this time :-)

Inspiration

I love pictures of special starts! We hike a lot on different mountains in the Alps to look for good points for photo shootings and always have our paragliding equipment in our backpack. The steeply sloping rock on the north side of the Rittner Horn is ideal. Furthermore the background with the many peaks of the Dolomites is something special and should give the viewer an insight into the landscape in which we are flying with our paragliders.

Editing

I developed the raw file once and only changed the usual parameters of contrast, lights, clarity and dynamics. And a few sensor spots had to be removed, I hate those! I have to clean my sensor thoroughly once again...

In my camera bag

The most important equipment for me is always my paragliding equipment! This is ALWAYS in my backpack, because normally I take photos during the flight directly from the air. Then there is always a GoPro with me for a few shots of myself. When I see that the weather is right and the conditions are right for good pictures, I pack my Nikon D750 with the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. It is a good compromise for me, not too much wide angle, not too much zoom. In the air I can't change the lens anyway. Oh my God, if it fell off...!!! A lot of people think I'm crazy anyway when I'm standing at the start with the big reflex camera. But I love good photos, and these succeed with a good camera.

Feedback

When you take photos of paragliders from the ground, there are a lot of things to consider. Wind force, wind direction, sun, the surroundings, the runway, obstacles etc. Often you have to make a compromise, that all parameters are correct is not often possible. The special location does not make a picture commonplace. If you are taking photos in the air and you are steering the glider yourself, you should be very careful. You have to keep an eye on the airspace around you to avoid colliding with another pilot or the model. But you also don't have full control of the glider, because you are holding the camera with one hand. It takes a lot of practice, both with the camera and with the glider.

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momentsinair

momentsinair

jump into the sky

We are always looking for something new, something special. A paragliding start of a special kind!

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow momentsinair

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