Joe McNally, in my mind, that name means the impossible photo, DONE! I was very fortunate to just talk to Joe on the phone a number of times during the shooting of his latest Nat’l G piece which is now on newstands. He’s stories of all the fun he shares on the phone have me in tears. What this guy does with light simply breaks the law of physics. It’s simply gorgeous. Here’s to ya Joe!
I’m heading off to AK shortly and will be camping. More than likely we’ll be out in the rain and away from shelter when shooting. At the same time I’ve also been looking for a means of quieting the sound of the D3x when shooting so it’s not being picked up by the video camera. I found the answer to both problems in one product, LensCoat’s BodyGuard (they come in colors other than black).
I’ve written about these before, but Scott has improved it by making it with a clear back cover, finger holes on the sides and a flap on the top for using a flash or off camera flash cord. As you can see, it’s easy to see the back of the camera and the D3x was attached to the 600VR when the this photo was taken. Tripping through the AK forest (and that could be a literal trip), it will be nice to know the D3x has the BodyGuard on and is being protected along with the lenses which also wear LensCoats.
While at the Reno Air Race PRS, I ran into a problem that I needed to find a solution to. The problem, sunblock ALL over the LCD creating an oil slick that should be reported to the EPA. Cleaning it became a pain because it just kept smearing and smearing, not really getting clean. After the fact I remembered something Hoodman has sent me, the Hoodman Hoodcap. It’s like retro digital man, the days of the D1 but oh, does it solve the problem! How do I know? I smeared sunblock on my face and took the LCD cover for a test greasing. The Hoodcap got greasy and it was then easily degreased. I now have a couple in my photopack for just such occassions.
The deadline is nearing, entries are coming in. Where’s yours?
MooseNewsBlog has a little photo contest we want to run. The subject is nesting birds, deadline is 30 June, 2009. The rules are pretty darn simple.
The submission rules are simple as well. Those submissions that don’t adhere to them will be automatically deleted, no notification of deletion will be made.
All gallery of all the entries is going to be created. And remember, we have a prize for the winner. Nikon Sport Optics is awarding a great pair of bins, the Monarch 8×42 ATB.
Looking forward to seeing all the images!
Wildlife Photographers Base Camp is heading to Bosque del Apache Dec 07-11, 2009. The great news is our dear friend and killer photographer Kevin Dobler (also part of our DLWS staff) is joining us as co-leader. Kevin has been to Bosque and shot with me there many times. Hot dang, we’re going to have fun now! Our very rewarding, hard hitting, tiring and incredibly educational wildlife photographer business course is going to one of my favorite places and using it as the backdrop for launching the photographic careers of others.
Bosque is an amazing place, filled with thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. Birds is by far the main photographic target of our week. We will limit this Base Camp to just six campers, a 400mm lens or longer required. Look forward to shooting with you and sharing with you what I think is the greatest profession on the planet! We have two openings left, give us a call, now’s the time!
Then there was the Moose Cam experiment at PRS. I mounted like normal the Canon HS10 atop the hot shoe of the D3 which was attached to the Nikon 500VR lens (a great lens Nikon loans out at the school). You might be thinking that panning with this rig impossible. Na, but it does get heavy as you’ll see as I constantly put it down between laps. While I did capture some sharp images, it was way below average. The video camera acted like a big sail in the ever increasing breeze to the point where I wasn’t getting anything sharp.
So the outcome is, I only have Moose Cam from the Sports and Formula 1 rounds. While not my favorite planes, they rip around the course doing 450mph and pulling up to 4G in the curves. Photographically, using the D3 with AAA and the buffer upgrade is the ONLY way to work the races. As you’ll hear, I do like to rip that shutter and the D3 makes it so darn easy. I’m working on a better system for the races in Sept, but in the meantime turn up the sound and prepare to get sucked into pylon photography. Enjoy!
Photo captured by D3, 500VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Holly cow…where does the time go? Back in the office after a killer, killer time at the Reno PRS (Pylon Race School). While the new pilots learn the Reno Air Race coarse (just north of Reno at Stead Airport), 25 of the best aviation photographers are brought in to photograph the whole event. I’m incredibly fortunate to get in as a volunteer working the Nikon NPS booth who are there to support the photographers.
This is the GREATEST bunch of photographers! Besides the fun, quotes from every airplane movie ever made, they are the most sharing group of photographers I’ve ever run into. Thanks to each and everyone of them, especially my dear friend Richard who keeps pushing me by giving me a new technique to attempt (bastard) that he knows I just gotta master. Even had a newbie to tease this time, my dear friend Joe Glyda who kept texting me just saying OMG!!!! Then there are the guys, Bill Pekala, Bill Fortney and my long time friend Scott Diussa from NPS who just make it all possible. Thanks guys!
It was a great week, Jake came back with 2034 (and is totally hooked like dad), I 5165 images (after editing). I only kept 62% of what I shot, in part because of Richard and his “new” technique I was determined to master (I didn’t) and trying to do a Moose Cam. It was a giant sail in the wind and along with slinging the lens, just didn’t work in capturing sharp stills.
Here’s a little gallery (37) of images of my favorites from the week. I approach this whole thing with the romance of flight in mind. I look then for clouds for the background and not just any clouds. I’m constantly turning the camera body so the planes are lined up in the frame how I want and not plumb to the earth and I shoot in Shutter Speed Priority at 1/180 or slower to blur the prop (jets are back to Aperture Priority at f/8). Then it’s just pan, pan, pan, pan and more panning. I was quite thrilled to not only have Jake & Brent shooting beside me, but to hear their arms were sore on day two as well.
I can’t recommend the Reno Air Races enough. To see my 2008 images from Reno, click here. Whether you’re a shooter or not, the fun and excitement just rocks. The Blue Angles will be at the even this Sept along with some other aviation surprises I can’t announce other then to tell you, you should be there! Nikon & I will be.
Photos captured by (flight) D3, 200-400VR (static) D3x, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
This was back in 1975 and the photo was taken with the Nikkor 55f3.5 lens. That image and that definition of sharp has long stuck in my memory. Fast forward the clock to a week back in a cafe in St Mary, MT. We sat down to have breakfast and next to us was a killer face just dying to me made a photograph. Now I know of no one with better pick up lines than Joe McNally. But even though I’ve seen him in action many a time, it took me a while to screw up the courage and ask Walter if I could take his portrait. As you can see, I finally did.
Thinking back on that definition of sharp, I grabbed the loaner 60micro (now purchased) I had from Nikon. With this giant, killer north facing window bouncing in beautiful light, I made some clicks. To say the 60micro lives up to that old definition of sharp, check it out for yourself. There’s almost nothing on the web in regards to the 60mm which, for a lens that is so wickedly sharp surprises me. Its focus speed rips which is sweet. It’s small, silent and light weight. It is a beautiful lens!
Photo captured by D3x, 60AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
It was a GREAT day on the course today, the light, clouds, folks and planes all exceptional. The P40 was new to me and the course and we have two with very different paint schemes. I was doing a quick gander over the days images and this one just stood out so wanted to blog it. There’s is a lot more to come.
Photo captured by D3, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Another great morning of sharing a passion for aviation photography. Shooting with the great Bill Fortney not only is hilarious but darn inspirational. Bill said he was in a HDR mood this morning so was working on those types of images. I didn’t really think anything of it until the sun came up and I saw the long shadows. If Bill hadn’t said something and shared his photographic ideas, I would not have thought of HDR on the planes. When I saw the light, it was a natural, I hoped, HDR and the shadows.
Darn if this photo and the one of the L39 didn’t turn out pretty cool. I made the final image pretty darn quick as I had over 4k of images to edit tonight from today’s shooting. So I need to go back and make some fine adjustments, but I’m pretty darn pleased with the final feel. I’m even happier shooting with Bill and these great folks. It’s what photography is supposed to be all about!
Photo captured by D3x, 14-24AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
At 05:00 we were on the flight light to photograph the first light. We’re in Reno for PRS (Pylon Race School) volunteering to work the NPS station here as they take care of the photogs at the school. One of the perks is getting out on the flight line at 05:00. Jake, Scott, Bill, Richard and I were like kids in a toy store as we weaved between the planes shooting. It was great fun.
One thing I love about this group of photographers is that they are share their vast knowledge, expertise and passion for aviation so willingly. This photo is a perfect example of that. Richard first saw this shot and told Bill. Bill went over and shot it and then told me. I went and shot it and then Jake and Scott enjoyed the view down the line and all the tails. It was the perfect start for the day.
Photo captured by D3x, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital fi
I’m hear playing catch up with the mail, before I hit the road again and which is why I have to play catch up, from the last road trip. My good drinkin bud Rick Sammon sent me a copy of his new book (Sept ‘08) after a comment I made on Twitter. Rick has quite a following and it doesn’t take turning many pages of his book to understand why.
The one thing that struck me when I started reading it is a question I’ve often asked, “Is there a person out there who talks Canon like you talk Nikon?” While Rick talks the universal photographic language of light in his book, he is a Canon shooter and the book has a Canon slant. For those Canon folks out there, I would think this a great resource for you. See for youself right here. One thing is for sure, Rick’s humor more than comes out in his writing. But where are the red tennis shoes?
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