Thanks! The T-6 is a wonderful aircraft and compared to other vintage military aircraft, it's a reasonable warbird to own costwise. I like it much better than a T-28 for instance, the tailwheel configuration and lines give it more character. The bark of the Pratt & Whitney just adds to the experience. I take clients for flights in most of my aircraft, but when the hangar door goes up, their hands down first choice is the T-6. That's a pretty neat experience to be able to provide.
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:40 PM GMT
I've got my webmaster working on a new section for my website that will address upcoming seminar dates and details. I'm thinking that it will be difficult to put anything of substance together between now and the end of the year, all of our schedules will be crazy until early 2007. That's good though, it will give me time to organize a program that will be great for all involved.
Based on your feedback, and thank you for the time and thought you've put in to this idea, It seems that the best scenario at the outset will be a casual classroom setting in a hotel. Seems like a West Coast, maybe San Diego, Midwest, probably Chicago area, a Northeast possibly NJ?, and something in the Southeast like Atlanta or Savannah. Dallas makes sense because it's so centrally located (and I get to sleep in my own bed!). Additionally, a gathering in Florida, probably around the Orlando area or a little further south would make sense. I have contacts in all of these areas for an aviation related outing as well.
I know you guys are busy, but just for planning purposes, drop me an e-mail ([email protected]) and let me know how many people would be interested in participating in each of those locales. We need about 20 to 25 to make it work and could probably handle 35 to 40 if we knew the group was going to be that big ahead of time.
The venue, still very wet paint, would be a Friday evening get together, Saturday seminar and Saturday evening we could have a casual dinner with a review of your favorite, or most disappointing shots. In some locations we could stretch it to Sunday and do a field trip to a nearby museum or manufacturing facility. I've had several offers from notable museums to have our gatherings based at their facilities with private access to the display aircraft.
Keep an eye on my website, www.Jimwilsonphotography.com for news and please feel free to e-mail me all your ideas and aspirations. We can orchestrate this into a tremendous amount of fun! Several airshow organizers have gotten wind of our plans and are interested in us participating in their events this coming year. Let me know guys, this will only work if you all jump on. Oh, something that might help you in your planning is cost. I'm thinking around $500 per attendee as we get started. Expenses such as travel, hotel, some meals would be the attendee's responsibility. But if we had seminars in enough locations, those costs could be somewhat minimized.
Here we go guys, the gauntlet has been thrown down, should we do it?
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:41 PM GMT
How about Seattle? There is the Boeing Museum of flight and Everitt where Boeing has their restoration facility.This is coming from a High left coast person.
Another local to think about would be Ontario/Chino, CA there you have Charles White's American Yanks and Ed's Planes of Fame at one local. Though nicely restored and a fine shop Charles,I don't think has them flown much if any while at Ed Maloney they fly those and something might be done there. Steve's there as is Robbie Patterson who flys most of Ed's A/C and Lady Jo at the races.
My aerial work encompasses a myriad of subjects. This shot was particularly challenging and dangerous due to the low level perspective, the 100 degree day, dust and corn husks flying everywhere. My helicopter pilot had to fly sideways and backward while maintaining about a 45 degree bank angle and fighting bodacious thermals at that height. I could use a higher shutter speed because there were no props to worry about blurring. These are lucrative types of assignments but require a tremendous level of competence on the part of the pilot, one hiccup from that helicopter and everyone in it is dead, or wishing they were!
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:42 PM GMT
I am generally in the Orlando area in late January and often in Ft. Lauderdale (close to Orlando), in the summer. If my visits and your seminar coincide, I will gladly attend.
Hell, at the price you indicated, I would just come to shake hands and pick your brain over a sandwich, let alone get to shoot with you and benefit from your experience.
I will keep my eyes open for your dates and logistics.
You are most kind. I'm looking forward to meeting you particularly. I've gotten a number of encouraging e-mail responsesbut need a bunch more. I would begin these seminars with as few as 15 in a group, but less than that it becomes economically less feasible and the larger group helps because the idea pool gets bigger and more lively. I'm working on all the details for this and I'll keep you posted.
First and foremost, your work is both amazing and inspiring. This is a fantastic thread. I've been lurking and watching for a little while, and finally decided to write.
I would be interested in attending the seminar, especially if one was in the FL area.
Keep posting and thank you for your work!
I sent you an e-mail so this might be redundant. Florida is shaping up to be a good place for a seminar, lots of interest. The weather would be great in Jan/Feb. too! Thank you so much for your kind comments on my work, they mean a great deal. I've got a few yacht manufacturers in your area that I need to shoot some assignments for, I'll let you know when, maybe we can have lunch or dinner in the midst.
Here's a great aircraft to practice on. Slow moving, big airframe, but you have to be down around 1/80th to get good motion on those Pratt & Whitney's Props.
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:43 PM GMT
The opposite of the C-47 as far as practicing techniques. The Pitts is a screaming bumble bee that does everything fast (faster if you're viewing it from the pilot's seat!). This image was captured before digital was commercially viable. The shutter speed here was around an 80th, fortunately my pan was accurate and as a result the speed and emotion comes through.
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:44 PM GMT
By the way, slow shutter speed panning is also a great way to turn a crummy background into something beautiful. If you're at your local airfield and your backgrounds are less than pleasing, slow that shutter down and pan, you'll end up with a whoosh of color and light and dark, very effective. You can see from the Pitts shot this also serves to bring the viewer's eye straight to the subject by separating it so well from eveything else. Panning is a tough technique to perfect though, and it's different for every subject. A horse galloping requires a different pan than a bipe screaming by, practice, practice, practice. Some of you seasoned shooters remember when you had to wait for your shots to come out of the soup to see how well you did. Digital really makes perfecting our craft easier and chepaer. I wish I had all the money I spent since high school on transparencies that went in the trash!! Where was the delete button when I really needed it!!
