Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane
Grabbed a shot of the Sikorsky while working on an airlift
Grabbed a shot of the Sikorsky while working on an airlift
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COOLPIX P900
Aperture 56/10 ISO 400 Shutter 10/4000 Focal Length 1160/10 
Detroit, Michigan, US
Oct, 2020Views
65
Awards
Treasure Award
Winter Award 2020
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Behind The Lens
Location
The shot of the Sikorsky Skycrane was taken in Detroit, Michigan. It had been dispatched to lift new building signage to the top of a 25 story headquarters building. The assignment was to capture video footage of the airlift, but I was able to switch to get some images as well. I positioned myself on the roof of a building across the street, with a lot of winter gear on, and wait for the airlift to begin.Time
Early morning. The airlift was scheduled for the first thing in the morning, so shadows from surrounding buildings were dark, and the sunrise light above the shadows was bright and stark.Lighting
Because the Sikorsky had to hover low to the ground in the shadows as they connected each large sign, and my primary objective was to shoot video, I could only chance switching the camera to shooting mode when I knew the lighting was perfect. Because the morning sun was at my back, it provided dramatic lighting when the skycrane came up from the shadows into the morning light. It didn't hurt that the helicopter was bright orange, a nice contrast to the sky behind it. The key with this low morning light was to add motion to the subject. I worked to slow down my shutter so the helicopter blades where not frozen in the sky. Adding an ND filter would have been the proper way to do this, but because the P900 has amazing stabilization, and because the situation was extremely fluid, I chose to just pull my shutter speed down. It seems to have worked!Equipment
The assignment was focused on video, and the primary video camera was positioned on a tripod on the top of a building nearly two blocks away. Because I was a secondary shooter on a building across the street, I brought a Canon R for basic video and, believe it or not, a five-year-old Nikon COOLPIX P900 as a backup. When the moment was right, I wanted to see what the P900's long lens would get me, and it performed like a champ. The stability of the camera allowed me to handhold while shooting.Inspiration
I work in visual media for a regional power utility, shoot a lot of industrial videos, but still like to grab still images when the opportunity presents itself. This was one of those situations where being on the roof of a building in the cold autumn air, with dramatic sunrise light, and with good equipment and a hot drink, everything seemed worthy of shooting.Editing
No. Although I do usually tune-up and image using Adobe tools, this one I just put out there as it was shot.In my camera bag
For video, I carry a Canon R with a range of lenses from a Sigma 18-35 all the way up to a Canon 70-200. I use a DJI RS2 for handheld stabilization. I keep an old Canon Rebel i3 body handy as a backup, and sometimes throw in my personal P900 for extreme grab shots.Feedback
Usually, when people talk about dawn shoots, they are focused on landscape interests. Morning light is amazing, and works to add drama to just about any situation. Mentally prepare for dynamic situations. See in your mind what is going to happen, and then prepare your gear for that action. If things suddenly change, and they will, you can quickly adjust if your gear is already 3/4 of the way in place.
