Brontosaurus

Did you know there's a dinosaur in the Chicago O'Hare airport? Yeah. I know.

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @230mm, f/7.1, 1/40s, ISO 1600.

Higher Learning

Nikon D700, 300mm f/4 lens, f/8.0, 1/5000s, ISO 400. The United States Air Force Academy turns out officers who receive some of the best learning available. And this is the view that greats them every time they walk out of their dorms. It's the roof of the Academy Chapel, which has sanctuaries and chapels for several different religions and sects. I think it's a beautiful building. These spires run the length of the entire edifice, suggesting the launch of a row of jets into the heavens; and if you graduate from here, you might do just that.

Final Approach

This is the first effort at an idea I'm working on...

Nikon D700, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/4.0, 1.0s, ISO 1600.

I love flying. I always wanted to be a pilot--a helicopter pilot was the latest desire, and in high school I even got to fly the simulators at the Army  base in Colorado. I was doing well at it--better than my classmates and even some of the cadets; so the instructor shot missiles at me, and that was the end. There's just something about being flying.

So last week when one of my students invited me to go up, I jumped at the chance. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading a chapter on aerial photography in John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide, which ended with, "Seize any chance you have to do aerial photography." So I did, and my dad came , too. And it was a blast. I was hanging out the door of a Piper Super Cub, swooping low and shooting away. Wow.

Nikon D90, 70-200mm lens & 300mm f/4.0 lens, various fast shutter speeds, ISO 400-800. fast enough shutters to freeze the shake of the plane, the slipstream of air out the window, and my excited hands.

Austin-Berstrom

Our trip to Panama is off to a rocky start. There were thunderstorms so terrible that they had to close the Dallas airport. We circle overhead for quite awhile waiting for it to pass, but finally had to land at the Austin Bergstrom airport to refuel. By this time, we were in serious danger of missing our flight to Atlanta to connect on to Panama.  As it turns out, we did miss it. It's pretty incredible to me that some people in the same job can do things when others just can't see a way. Stuart at Austin was incredibly helpful and got us to Atlanta about eight hours faster than the other two agents were going to be able to do. I'm sure glad that we met him. 

So, after Stuart arranged the flights for us, we had a few minutes to recharge batteries and stretch our legs. I captured the following images. I rather like this first one. I saw while I was headed to the restroom and had to turn around and get my camera. Then, I saw some stairs leading up to administrative offices with a landing overlooking this concourse. That was the spot for me. I'm finding that airports often have some really terrific architecture. Trouble is, most people aren't allowed to see it anymore. I can imagine myself going to an airport just to watch people and get creative; but I can't do it without a plane ticket. While I'm all for creativity, that would get mighty spendy after a little while.

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/3.5, 1/60s, ISO 200.

This image of the four man band was awesome, so I had to share it with you.

What I'd Rather Be Doing

So, there I am at Smilie's Szechuan Buffet, enjoying an unidentified hunk of chicken on a kabob, kind of pulling it apart along indistinct seams in the tissue, kinda wishing I hadn't taken it, but not wanting to not eat it because I had been chatting with the owners in Mandarin and being all friendly and didn't want them thinking, "I can't believe he didn't eat all his food! Doesn't he know that there are kids starving in Shandong Provence?!"

Anyway, I'm struggling through this little tough piece of meat when the when the mom and son at the table next to me starts talking about Siamese twins, and if they can be separated and live if they share a head, and weather they can have two heads on one body, and how it would be such an exercise in sharing...I didn't finish my kabob.

I was thinking I'd rather be doing a lot of other things. Like sitting alone at the Seattle Tacoma Airpost watching the planes while eating pastries form Seattle's Best Coffee, like this gal:

I also thought I might rather be driving an Indy car on the tarmac, like this dude:

Heck, I'd even prefer to be piddling along in a little cart:

I'd much sooner examine these light fixtures:

I'll see what else there is on this trip to keep my mind occupied when I get grossed out, and I'll show you what I find.

AIRWOLF

Just click here and enjoy a stroll down memory lane. Watch out for the after burners.

De-Icing

Cold days at SLC always begin this way. You hurry out of the house so you can make it to the airport in plenty of time, then you hurry through the baggage check, wait anxiously in the security line, which takes an extra long time because there is a whole group of elderly people who drove down from Boise who all have to remove their sweatshirts before being screened--and their belts, and their shoes, and yes, sir, your belt, too--which allows you to arrive at the gate just in time to board a section or two after your assigned spot, so you have to stow your bag at the back (even though you're sitting in the second row), then you finally sit down, and turn open your air vent because you're sweating from hurrying around for the last three hours, and then you sit there on the tarmac. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting to have your plane de-iced. 

This guy's got it good, though. The way he's dressed, it could be full summer. At JFK they stand in open buckets and try to bundle up against the cold and the backspray from the wash. This chap may have the AC going.

Germany or Bust

Met this fellow on a recent trip as he was headed to a family reunion in Germany. He's missing out: we had one in Twin Falls, ID and it was awesome.


His face was just screaming to be photographed. His eyes were bright and intelligent. The trick with airplane portraits is timing. Some folks are a bit cranky with hustling to the airport and are more amiable after a little nap. Others are nervous and talkative and will do anything to keep their minds off the takeoff. One Gal chatted with me half way across the country and let me shoot about thirty frames as we tried to get the arrangement right (it's tough when you're holding the camera against the seat in front of you guessing where to point). Actually the real trick to airplane portraits is getting the emergency exit so you have room to maneuver.

Nikon D90, 35mm lens, f/2.2, 1/100s, ISO 200. Soft light from windows is great on all planes--sure beats trying to shoot through dirty windows to the world outside!

Sentimental Journey

The B-17 ruled WWII. It was an amazing air plane, and there are hundreds of accounts of crews' adventures in it. The Sentimental Journey is one of a very few left flying. We saw it in the skies of Monterey, California over Labor Day weekend. She's beautiful.

Connections

"Phoenix? Sure I've been to Phoenix: quiet place, very peaceful. Loved it. Why, I was there twice last week."


Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/4.0, 1/800s, ISO 200. Matrix metering here takes the whole enchilada into account for the exposure. That means that the bright window filling most of the frame is accounted for most by the light meter in the camera. Done another way, metered lower with the model (me) taking up more room in the frame the window would be completely white (blown out) but the model would have a more even exposure. Use metering to manipulate the feel of your images.

High Portraiture

L. was in Florida this morning and had a bit of a hassle getting out. But good spirits always prevail when you take a break from medical school.


Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/2, 1/50s, ISO 500, available light from airplane windows.

Alaska, Briefly

Thanks to all the viewers inquiring about the break in posts last week. Internet availability in Alaska was intermittent during my trip; although, I'm not sure I could have forced myself to go inside to blog, anyway! When the sun is up until 11:45 at night, there is so much opportunity to photograph that it's hard to stop.


People were pretty amazing, an ecclectic mix of long timers and new arrivals.


There are so many lakes and rivers, bounded by beautiful flora.


I've never seen so many aircraft! What a romantic place.