Ok guys, how about this challenge. First shoot with the Thunderbirds, we're all alone in the Arizona desert and the adrenalin in flowing. Unfortunately so are the low clouds. The light is low, I'm shooting Velvia 50 and have to go by instinct because there's no preview screen on the back of my Canon EOS 1V. Ugh!
The good news is, we had a great time and got wonderful images in spite of the weather. There were some transparencies that went directly from the light box to the trash, but not as many as I was thinking there might be.
I had a radio on my belt to communicate with them in the air so we could be coordinated. Being out where no one cared, I guess I made an irresistable target for the boys as I stood in the middle of the desert. At one point things weren't going as we planned in the briefing, I could see the F-16's way out over the mountains doing something. My attention was so riveted on the ones I could see, I was oblivious to the two sneaking up (at 500+) behind me. They were on the deck and pulled right before they got to me. When I came out of the fetal position and recovered my hat, which had been blown off my head by the AB blast, there was still a lot of laughing going on over our frequency.
Great fun, great memories with fine people!
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:44 PM GMT
Great photo and amazing story. I can just hear them laughing now lol
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Ok guys, how about this challenge. First shoot with the Thunderbirds, we're all alone in the Arizona desert and the adrenalin in flowing. Unfortunately so are the low clouds. The light is low, I'm shooting Velvia 50 and have to go by instinct because there's no preview screen on the back of my Canon EOS 1V. Ugh!
The good news is, we had a great time and got wonderful images in spite of the weather. There were some transparencies that went directly from the light box to the trash, but not as many as I was thinking there might be.
I had a radio on my belt to communicate with them in the air so we could be coordinated. Being out where no one cared, I guess I made an irresistable target for the boys as I stood in the middle of the desert. At one point things weren't going as we planned in the briefing, I could see the F-16's way out over the mountains doing something. My attention was so riveted on the ones I could see, I was oblivious to the two sneaking up (at 500+) behind me. They were on the deck and pulled right before they got to me. When I came out of the fetal position and recovered my hat, which had been blown off my head by the AB blast, there was still a lot of laughing going on over our frequency.
Early on in this post I asked if anyone would like a screen saver disk with the images I've posted so far on it. I've got a wonderful new source to get that done. They will be available in about a week at $25.00, including shipping. Just e-mail quantities and where you'd like them shipped and I'll zip them off to you.
Thanks! I submitted that the other night as a whim. Scott e-mailed me this morning he was surprised to see himself looking back from his Avflash. He teaches a great aerobatic and or unusual attitude course in that aircraft. Scott is a gentleman of many talents. Besides being an F-15 Jock he is an aviation author, writes novels and was in charge of Airforce One's scheduling during part of his tour.I haven't found anything he can't do and do well! He's a humble quiet guy and a good friend. That humble and quiet part probably doesn't apply if he's on your six!
We should have seminar news shortly. Looks like the first one will be in Dallas in late January with several more to come shortly after. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your interest!!
Jim
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:45 PM GMT
I'm making plans right now for your first seminar is in Dallas I think I mentioned this before that I have a niece and nephew who live in the area and have been trying to get me to drop by some day. This will be just the motive I need to get out that way! That's not to say I won't attend anything you put on here in Florida though...
I know what you mean about your friend Scott. I'm looking forward to meeting him one day. One of my assignments while I was in the Air Force was as instrumentation engineer on the Test Pilot School staff at Edwards for over 4 years. I had the distinct thrill and pleasure of meeting literally many of the country's finest as they came through those doors - both as staff instructors and students. They all had the same qualities you describe in Scott. Even my new neighbor is that way - a newly designated F-22 instructor pilot here at Tyndall AFB. You would never guess what he does with just a casual meeting on the street. I hope to someday work with him and the base to get some photos of him and his steed in action! Of course, there's always his wife's C-180 (yup! his wife flies also) and the new Harmon Rocket version of the RV-8 he's also starting to work on.
Great!! We're going to have some fun. Over the years I have spoken to numerous photographic and business groups around the country. My sponsors have been industry related companies like Fuji Film, and organizations such as The Professional Photographers of America. One of the factors that makes it so enjoyable is the common bond of passion for what we do with our cameras. It doesn't matter if you've got a point and shoot and you're trying to capture the personality of one of your children or if you have thousands of dollars worth of bodies and lenses and your goal is to regularly produce jaw dropping images of majestic landscapes or jet fighters. We are bitten and each time we pick up that camera it represents an opportunity to do something greater than we have done before.
Sheila and I have five beautiful grandchildren, the other night I was backing up the folder of images of just one of my grandsons, he's eight. I drug the folder to the back-up hard drive icon and it told me there were 59,765 images in his folder and it would be approx. 2 hours in back-up. Now you'd think I'd be satified that I captured him in 60,000 shots, but the next time we're together, I'll have that 70-200 2.8 at the ready because I know I can get that next great image. That's what drives us all to one degree or another and that's what bonds us together as artists on many different levels.
That very passion is what has us standing on the north rim in the pre-dawn chill, in hopes of adding yet another killer image to the gallery. Hoisting that 14 lb. lens skyward one more time to shoot an aircraft you've shot a dozen times, because this this day the light is different. This day "THE" shot is lurking out there, and this day you'll discover you have what it takes to get it.
My goal in our gatherings is to be able to bring each person along a little further in their quest for the next level. What a privilege to have an opportunity to put a little of myself in someone's creative effort.
These are great shots!! I like the ones without the clipped wings, however. Somehow, the clipped wings give me a strange feeling when I look at them ...
I have to be very cognizant of every possible usage scenario when I'm on assignment so I shoot the subject sixty different ways. Personally I like the tight in clipped wing vertical orientations, they make dynamic covers. Editors and Art Directors love 'em. I generally give them a series of full shots and tight perspectives, 9 out of 10 times they'll choose the tight ones for covers. In actuality, those are the toughest shots to get because they require the all pilots involved, and the photographer to be at the top of their game simultaneously.
P.S Barry, you think looking at them gives you a strange feeling? Try facing backward while you're clipping forward at 160 knots, looking through a camera and having a churning propeller 10 feet out from the end of your lens shade. Takes some getting used to. My buddy Charlie Hillard used to do barrel rolls around the aft portion of the photo ship's fuselage to achieve some of the angles we wanted, "don't try this at home!"
JWilsonphoto wrote:
P.S Barry, you think looking at them gives you a strange feeling? Try facing backward while you're clipping forward at 160 knots, looking through a camera and having a churning propeller 10 feet out from the end of your lens shade. Takes some getting used to. My buddy Charlie Hillard used to do barrel rolls around the aft portion of the photo ship's fuselage to achieve some of the angles we wanted, "don't try this at home!"
JW
Wow, that gives me goosebumps. My closest formation flight was within 40 or so feet straight and level.
It sure has taken on a life of it's own, hasn't it. Hope we can keep it and our seminar idea going. I've got the powers that be at Canon looking into how they might help. It would be nice to have one of their reps present to give us a presentation.
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 04, 2007 at 06:46 PM GMT
Looks like our first seminar will be in the Dallas area. We'll begin with arrivals Friday evening January 26th 2007, and a full day on Saturday the 27th and Saturday evening. Some possibilities for Sunday are a field trip to a local grass strip and a flight with Scott Perdue in his Extra 300 for one lucky attendee. That's all weather pending of course. We're going to set attendance at this first seminar at 25 to see how that flows. The fee will be $500 per registrant. Hotel travel, etc. is of course, additional.
Please e-mail your reservations to me at [email protected] as soon as possible so we can plan for you!
