Brooks' Photos

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

KC-135 refueling a C-5 flying southwest along I-81 south of Bristol. Hope you guys enjoy. I really had to downsize them because they were close to 6megs of space.

 

[Geedee]

Hey Aaron, thats a great shot and it looks like you were on the ground at the time. Thats quite a zoom you've got there !. Nice

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thanks. I shot it with a Canon Rebel xsi and a 75-300 lens. Guessing I would say they were just above 20,000 feet but I'm just guessing. I wish I could post it at full size. The detail is unreal.

 

[rochie]

great shot mate

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thanks guys.

 

[Airframes]

Nicely caught! Don't seem to see that often from the ground; great shots.

 

[Gnomey]

Yeah unusual to see from the ground. Nice shot!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

They fly over both of our shops on a weekly basis. I was out at lunch time one day back in October shooting semis and got 7 shots of these two. Thanks again.Here is a full size view that's been cropped. It's somewhat fuzzy but for a novice it ain't too bad.

 

[Wayne Little]

Nice Aaron!

 

[109ROAMING]

Cool! and with a 300 lens ,Nice job!

 

[evangilder]

Nice catch.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thanks guys. I've still got a lot to learn but I'm having loads of fun and that's what counts.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Here are some more photos. Please criticize. I need all the help I can get. Thanks.

 

[evangilder]

The first shot with the train is very nice. The second shot could have been a tad better with a little longer exposure, but still nice.

The King Air shot, well, let me give you a couple of pointers. The car in the foreground and the truck really distract from what should be the central focus of the shot, the King Air. Watch for clutter in the foreground and backgrounds in the shot. Sometimes, taking a step or two in any direction can make all the difference between a great shot, and a so-so snapshot. It takes a while to get the feel for where to be to get the shot and there are times when dumb luck does happen too, but being prepared and fully aware before you take the shot can make a huge difference. Watch the lighting and watch for things that might enhance the shot, like the moon, or other interesting pieces.

The stream shot looks fine. The car shot is nice, but if you had moved the cinder block and the wrench from the shot before you took it, it would have been a bit better.

You're doing fine and off to a great start. Just keep your situational awareness up a bit and you will be composing nice shots in no time. You have a good eye for it. It takes a little time to be able to compose the shot in your head before looking through the viewfinder.

One thing I try to do is to take a little better shots every time I go out to shoot. While the progress may not seem noticeable at first, when you go back at photos from 6 months ago, or more, you will see a difference.

And as always with digital, don't be afraid to experiment and get outside of your comfort zone. It doesn't cost anything if you blow the shot, and you often get something you wouldn't have otherwise captured.

 

[timshatz]

The first shot with the train is very nice. The second shot could have been a tad better with a little longer exposure, but still nice.

The King Air shot, well, let me give you a couple of pointers. The car in the foreground and the truck really distract from what should be the central focus of the shot, the King Air. Watch for clutter in the foreground and backgrounds in the shot. Sometimes, taking a step or two in any direction can make all the difference between a great shot, and a so-so snapshot. It takes a while to get the feel for where to be to get the shot and there are times when dumb luck does happen too, but being prepared and fully aware before you take the shot can make a huge difference. Watch the lighting and watch for things that might enhance the shot, like the moon, or other interesting pieces.

The stream shot looks fine. The car shot is nice, but if you had moved the cinder block and the wrench from the shot before you took it, it would have been a bit better.

You're doing fine and off to a great start. Just keep your situational awareness up a bit and you will be composing nice shots in no time. You have a good eye for it. It takes a little time to be able to compose the shot in your head before looking through the viewfinder.

One thing I try to do is to take a little better shots every time I go out to shoot. While the progress may not seem noticeable at first, when you go back at photos from 6 months ago, or more, you will see a difference.

And as always with digital, don't be afraid to experiment and get outside of your comfort zone. It doesn't cost anything if you blow the shot, and you often get something you wouldn't have otherwise captured.

Thanks for posting that Evan. Sounds like good advice. Going to use it when I shoot too.

 

[evangilder]

No problem, Tim. I also have an online article about shooting static aircraft on my website
Van Gilder Aviation Photography, Static Aircraft

I haven't had time to write any more on techniques, but do want to write more like that one. But I have no problem offering tips and advice for free, but you get what you pay for.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you Evan for the advice. On the King Air shot I was confine to where I could stand for the shot. I do appreciate the advice greatly. Most of those I took on several different settings.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Here are some more. I shoot anything that holds my interest so some of these may be uninteresting to some. Hope you enjoy

 

[RabidAlien]

On a cloudy day, try shooting those rigs as they're moving: if you've got a fairly long exposure (1/60 or so), focus on the rig and move the lense, keeping the rig centered. Slowly push the shutter, keeping the camera moving at a steady pace. With luck and practice, you'll get the truck in focus, with the rest of the background blurred out....shows motion, and focuses attention on the subject.

That bein said....when I get one that turns out right, I'll post it.

Also, for sunny days, consider puttin a polarizer on your lense. The skies will really pop out. Found that works well with sunsets, too, although you need a tripod as the polarizer cuts down on available light, making sunset shutter-speeds alot slower.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

They are moving. About 70 miles per hour on I-81! Thank you for the info. When I can scrounge up some more cash I will see about the polarizer. I only have two lenses at the moment, 18-55 and a 70-300 the first has lens stabilization the larger does not. Thanks Rabid Alien.