More Aircraft Pictures (!!16 images within!!)

IanM · Post by **IanM** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:05 am

You may already be aware, as I've mentioned it in one of my SOTD posts, this week I spent another day in Snowdonia doing some low-level aircraft photography.

I did things slightly differently this time, being at one location until around lunchtime, and then changing (because the light gets awkward) to another location.

I had probably the most number and the most varied selection of aircraft I've had since I started doing this in March last year. I had a stunning day and bagged 3 aircraft that I've not photographed before!. Great weather, great company, and great aircraft.

Anyway, here's a selection.

Dominie

Tornado GR4

Then a change of location, and the challenge of taking these first 3 whilst still climbing the hill in midday heat!

Tornado F3

Harrier

Tornado GR4

Hercules

Typhoon (Eurofighter)

View over Tal-y-Llyn and out to see from the morning location at 0811.

Ian

joe mcclaine · Post by **joe mcclaine** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:19 am

Awesome.

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:21 am

Gone Troppo · Post by **Gone Troppo** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:48 am

Great job.

If it's not too much trouble, could you post the equipment used?

IanM · Post by **IanM** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:28 am

Gone Troppo wrote:Great job.

If it's not too much trouble, could you post the equipment used?

I think I've posted this before somewhere, but here goes.

Nikon D80 DSLR
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F4D ED lens for aircraft + Kenko Pro 300DG 1.4x convertor for some of the Dominie shots.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm 3.5-5.6G ED lens for the landscape shot.

All shots handheld - it's not really practical to try an use a tripod, as the aircraft move about quite a bit, and I'll be damned if I'm carrying any more equipment up there!!

Images shot as large/fine jpgs, the D80 can't shift the data fast enough to use RAW, even with very fast memory cards.

Hope that's helpful.

Ian

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:49 am

I understand that when American pilots were given the opportunity by the RAF to fly the Tornadoes for the first time, they came back from the flight and asked, "Will you take a check?" they liked it so much. Wonderful photos.

joe mcclaine · Post by **joe mcclaine** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:58 am

GR4 is a fantastic bit of kit.

wayne06 · Post by **wayne06** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 12:45 pm

Ian,

INCREDIBLE!!!! Some of those look so close that you could shake their hands.

Great photos .

Wayne

Gone Troppo · Post by **Gone Troppo** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:16 pm

IanM wrote:
Hope that's helpful.

Ian

It is. Thanks.

gsgo · Post by **gsgo** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:45 pm

Thanks Ian, absolutely love the pictures!

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:26 pm

Beautiful Ian! Thanks for sharing!

Trumperman · Post by **Trumperman** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:34 pm

Stunningly brilliant!

Incredible shots as always.

Regards,

Bill

F.W. Fitch · Post by **F.W. Fitch** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:09 am

Ian would you stop! I got a 'paniac attack' just perusing those now. I can't even 'focus' a simple 'SOTD' shot. Perhaps...I need to take all my 'toiletries' ,and try it airborne. Fantastic, as were, your last one's from Wales, and backyard shot's of the bird's. YOU Sir! have the 'stuff'!

Best,
Fitch

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:13 am

Super duper fantastic, Ian.

Clive

Chap · Post by **Chap** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 2:46 am

Very nice, how close/loud were they?

IanM · Post by **IanM** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 3:57 am

Chap wrote:Very nice, how close/loud were they?

Well, the once travelling left to right are fairly distant, but they sometimes cut in quite close.

The ones going right-left are closer and louder, and for a while can even look like they're coming straight at you.

I'll not lie, the first time I went out there, I didn't know if I should press the shutter release or hit the deck!!!

F.W. Fitch wrote:Ian would you stop! I got a 'paniac attack' just perusing those now. I can't even 'focus' a simple 'SOTD' shot. Perhaps...I need to take all my 'toiletries' ,and try it airborne. Fantastic, as were, your last one's from Wales, and backyard shot's of the bird's. YOU Sir! have the 'stuff'!

Fitch, If you saw the number of throw-away shots that I have from a trip like that, I'm sure that you'd feel better!!

To give an example, on this particular day I took 277 shots, and I regard only a small number as "usable". That first Tornado GR4 shot is from a sequence of 22 shots, and I reckon maybe 2 or 3 are "good enough".

wayne06 wrote:INCREDIBLE!!!! Some of those look so close that you could shake their hands.

They don't shake hands, but they often wave. In fact, if you look at the Hercules cockpit shot, you can see a white-gloved hand waving.

Thanks to everyone for the comments. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Ian

mmortus · Post by **mmortus** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:32 pm

Very cool photographs Ian!!!!

Earl Gray · Post by **Earl Gray** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 2:36 pm

Ian,you must be a pro shooter or at least a semi pro!!

Cheers,Richard

IanM · Post by **IanM** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 3:12 pm

Earl Gray wrote:Ian,you must be a pro shooter or at least a semi pro!!

Cheers,Richard

Actually I'm neither.

Although I've worked in the photographic industry for (thinks....)24 years, I've never earned a penny from any pictures that I've taken. My work in the trade has always been repairs/service/support based.

Ian

sgtrecon212 · Post by **sgtrecon212** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:32 pm

Gorgeous shots!!!!

While I was stationed at Ft. Hood, we would occasionally finish recon missions on a hill called Antelope Mound. The Air Force guys would use it as a sort of target for hit and run passes. If we were on top of that hill, and the F-16s came across the valley, you would swear they were gonna hit you straight on.