70
Aeroplanes are not easy things to
get pristine photos of: the wings
are an awkward shape to fit in a
standard photo frame, they don't
look the same from the front as they
do from the side and inevitably they
are sitting on backgrounds that
contain old tyres, other aeroplanes,
ladders and all the other detritus
that call airports home. The other
issue is that most aeroplanes in this
world are predominantly white, so
cameras have exposure problems
straight away.
And that's just if the thing is
sitting on the ground! If you want
to capture the bird in f light then
you just multiplied your woes
many-fold. Now the subject is
going to move, the propeller is
going to spin and the light will
change as the aircraft turns. The
background changes, the position
of the sun changes ... all variables
that you have to wrangle to come
up with a shot worth all the
trouble. Then there is the skill of
the pilots, and sorry to say, your
own skill, to take into account.
Yes, photographing aeroplanes
is a complex art that the average
photographer, professional or not,
will struggle with unless they have
a good handle on what's needed
to get a great image. Fortunately
for magazine editors, all the tricks
needed are now contain in one new
book: Takeoff – the Alpha to Zulu
of Aviation Photography, by gun US
photographer Moose Peterson.
Peterson, like so many other
aviationists, started out staring at
large aeroplanes through fences at
international and regional airports
before discovering the joy ofcapturing them as subjects
on film. A staple presence
at air shows and airports
around the United States,
Peterson has a lifetime's
collection of images of every
imaginable aircraft in their
natural environments.
This book is just more
than pretty pictures.
Peterson includes the trade
secrets of the aviation
photographer that make
a good aeroplane shot
stand out from something
produced on a happy-snap or,
worse, a mobile phone or iPad.
Peterson goes into light, shutter
speed, aperture, ISO settings and
all the other technical bits and
pieces needed to make a camera
work, but complements that with
the know-how that will set you
apart from the madding crowd:
angles, how to get that very elusive
prop circle, the importance of
clouds, motion, equipment and so
many other tips and tricks.
But as you read through
Takeoff, you begin to realise that
Peterson is not talking as much
about how to point a camera at
an aeroplane as he is about how
to use a camera to capture the
relationship between people and
aeroplanes. The shot needs not
only to be technically correct, but
also artfully done to illustrate
the aspects of an aircraft in
f light that will make fellow
aviationists–pilots, enthusiasts
and photographers alike–go all
misty-eyed as the image evokes
the deep affection we have for
aeroplanes and flight.Getting that Shot
AUSTRALIAN FLYING July – August 2018innovation
Products &
70 A LOOK AT SOME EXCITING PILOT EQUIPMENT & RELATED PRODUCTS
A new book from experienced aviation
photographer Moose Peterson will help
you produce aircraft images you'll be
proud to show off.That is the material that makes
Takeoff such a valuable resource
for anyone who wants to make
their aeroplane images a cut above
everyone else's.
Peterson talks about the
practicalities of air-to-ground
images, air-to-air images and
ground shots, supported by
examples of his own work that
show the result of techniques
and processes that he talks
about. Can you shoot through
Perspex? It's something that
causes aviation photographers
the world over to groan when
they are asked to do it. Peterson
shows it can be done, based on
years of experience.
He also talks about the toll
air-to-air photography can take
on the body if the camera ship is
perhaps not appropriate, the in-
frame relationship between people
and aeroplanes, how to make blue
skies bluer and every other little
thing that has crowded his career
snapping "airplanes".
Underlying it all, Moose Petersontalks to the reader about the
importance of being a part of the
community that he photographs.
Understanding things such as
take-offs and landings, high-side
passes, dirty passes and formations
gives the photographer a powerful
weapon in capturing the instant:
anticipation. Understanding the
environment also betrays the
passion for the subject that an
aviation photographer needs to have
if they are going to be more than just
a member of the crowd pointing a
camera at black dots in the sky.
Peterson's own passion is
obvious in Takeoff. Anecdotes and
memories illustrated with his own
images are living, moving proof
that he has the credibility to write a
book that even his peers will want
to read, even if only to nod their
heads and say: "You got it, brother."Takeoff: the Alpha to Zulu of Aviation
Photography by Moose Peterson
RRP: $56.95
Pearson Education Australia
http://www.pearson.com.au