Photo Safari to Commemorative Air Force (CAF) in San Marcos, Texas
There is a great camera store in Austin, Texas (where my daughter lives) that offers a wide variety of classes covering many aspects of photography. This weekend they offered a class taught by a well-known aviation photographer (Moose Peterson) that taught us the basics of taking aviation photos. On Friday we had a two-hour class on the techniques used to shoot static and inflight aircraft using digital SLR cameras. On Saturday, the class went to the Commemorative Air Force hanger at San Marcos Airport, Texas. Not only did we have the run of all the planes in the hanger, they also arranged to have some World War 2 reenactors for our three-hour photo shoot. I really learned a lot from this short introduction into aviation photography, and I think in another 20 or 30 years I will feel comfortable taking photos with my Nikon. We were lucky to see "That's All Brother", a C-47 that is just completing an extensive rebuild and is preparing to return to Normandy in June for the D-Day anniversary. They told us that a number of C-47s are expected to be there to recreate the D-Day parachute drops. My photography needs a lot of work and practice, but I thought I might share some of the photos with you. (I took over 400 pictures today. Isn't digital photography cool?) I hope you enjoy them.
Rule #1 of aviation photography is that the day before an aerial photo shoot will be beautiful weather and the day after will be CAVU, but the day of will be 10/10 with thunder and lightning.
Rule #2 is the airplane will fly beautifully the day before the shoot and will be doing aerobatics the day after the shoot and the starter will break the day of the shoot.
🙂
I had to scratch my head a bit trying to figure out that jet pipe. Not until I saw the hanger shot I got it. If one can´t get it all in go for details, you got that one right. I love to get right up to the aircraft and get details and lines and make it more abstract at times.
Thanks for sharing these pictures George. It's great that those classes are given on such a fantastic location. The reenactors are lovely too.
"That's all Brother" is also taking part in the huge commemorative event of the Berlin Airlift in june this year. For those who are interested the list of aircraft expected to be there including many unique photo opportunities https://www.berlinairlift70.com/machines
You must've listened well in your photography class, George ... these are great photos!
Thanks for sharing them with us.
Thanks for sharing George, looks like you had a great day and your pics are outstanding. Would love to be in Normandy this June to see that 75th Anniversary drop. That will be quite a sight but also quite different than the night of June 6. 1944. As my dad would later recount when the left engine was hit and caught fire on his aircraft he shouted "boys it time to leave." And out the door they went.
Thanks everyone for the kind comments. You are right, Tom, about the weather. We have had several rounds of violent thunderstorms here in central Texas, but the picture day was awesome. Like many whose parents or grandparents fought in WW2, June is a special month for all of us. I, too, want to make the pilgrimage to Normandy one day before I get too old. I have been lucky enough to visit Pearl Harbor several times when I was flying for the Air Force.
Real nice!