The article is shared from photographer Curtis W. Smith at Petapixel
If you are a photographer and regularly travel by plane, you will know that the scene from the plane is often magnificent and completely different from the scene on the ground. But how do you get the best shot that stands out from the “snapshots” anyone can take from a smartphone?
Let’s find out in today’s article.
Choose the right seat on the plane
Baffin Island at sunset: f/1.7, 1/50 sec, ISO800
It probably goes without saying that the best seat for taking pictures of the outside of the plane is the seat closest to the window. But the number of rows is also an important factor, because if you choose the wrong seat you can sit right next to the wing, blocking all outside view. For example, with a Boeing 737, you should choose a row of seats about 4 rows from the wing, specifically rows 6 – 9 in economy class and 1 – 4 in business class.
Sunset over southern Washington state: f/4, 1/80 sec. ISO100
Also, do not choose seats that are too low, because the balance composition of the plane can also block the scene, in addition, the heat from the engine will make your image blurry. Choosing a row of seats needs to be done early, just like choosing a beautiful row in a movie theater!
Know the plane’s path in advance
If you know the plane’s path in advance, you will be able to know the beautiful scenes that you will pass to take photos. There are a few ways to do this, the easiest of which is Google Maps, or look up the plane number using Flightaware.com.
Sunset view of Mount Adams in Washington state; Merge 2 photos to create Panorama, f/1.7, 1/80 sec, ISO100
You also need to know if you are sitting on the left or right side of the plane. For example, on a flight from Seattle to Phoenix, if you sit on the right, you can capture the volcanic mountains south of Washington and the Oregon region, while on the left you will capture Mount Rainier and the Grand Canyon.
Afternoon mist at the Grand Canyon; f/4, 1/800 second. ISO100
Is it day or night when you shoot?
Lighting is very important to photography, so you need to know whether you will be traveling by plane during the day or at night. If you go during the day, please “wait” for the camera to take pictures of all the beautiful scenes you see, and if you go at night, it’s best to take a nap to regain strength for the next day!
Shooting the aurora on an airplane is quite difficult because there is a lot of movement: f/1.7, 2.5 seconds, ISO 3200
Unless your plane goes into the aurora borealis! During a trip from Seattle to London, I captured a very beautiful photo of the aurora borealis, with a 2.5 second exposure and high ISO of 3200.
What direction is the sun in?
Chicago skyline upon arrival at O’Hare International Airport at sunset; f/1.7, 1/80 sec, ISO100
When taking photos during the day, your main light source when shooting from an airplane will be the sun. You should know which direction the sun is facing, to avoid it shining directly on the plane, which can create glare through the windows. Unless you want to capture sunset or sunrise, you need to choose the correct flight time to capture those scenes.
What camera and lens do you use?
Each person will have their own “set-up”. For me, it’s a Pentax K-1 Mark II with a 50mm f/1.7 Rikenon manual focus lens. This camera kit is compact enough for me to comfortably take pictures on the plane, and the large f/1.7 aperture allows me to set a low ISO (noise reduction) and shoot with a faster shutter speed (reduce vibration). shake). If you have a camera with a high resolution, try using it, because the sharper the image, the easier it will be for you to crop and zoom in post-production.
Tropical Storm Slashes Louisiana and Texas in 2019: f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO100
As for the lens, my advice is to use the 50mm focal length. This type of lens has an angle of view that is narrow enough to not capture the fringing around the plane’s windows, but is also wide enough to capture the scenery outside. You can replace it with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but it will be bulkier and heavier.
Use the 200mm focal length on the 70-200mm lens to capture the Grand Tetons mountains; f/8, 1/200 sec., ISO100
There are some distant scenes where you can also use a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, but like the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens it will be very large and heavy, making it inconvenient to use on an airplane. with a 50mm lens.
Choose a shooting angle for “correction”
Aerial photography is similar to ground photography, you can apply photography rules to make your photos better such as “rule of path” or “rule of 3”. However, taking photos on the plane will also be more difficult to adjust the angle of the shot because you can only shoot through a small window, all you can do is move the camera up, down, left, right a little to take the picture. more eye-catching.
Photo taken in southern Greenland: f/8, 1/80 sec., ISO100
If you have a high-resolution camera as mentioned above, it’s a bit easier to adjust the angle because you can crop the image in post-production software. But choosing the right angle right from the start is still more important.
The Boston waterfront was taken during take-off from Logan International Airport; f/1.7, 1/400 sec, ISO200
You can take pictures when the plane takes off or lands, there will be more beautiful scenes than it was in flight. Be sure to set a very fast shutter speed (higher than 1/250 sec) to avoid blurred images due to shake.
Post-production steps
To get the best photos, you need to use post-production software to remove the blur from the airplane windows as well as in the air. I use a mix of software including Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop and Nik Silver Efex Pro.
Reduce the amount of light and increase the contrast
Increase Contrast with Histogram
Use Silver Efex to highlight black and white areas
Transferring the Silver Efex layer to Photoshop
Switch the layer blend mode to “Brightness”, then adjust the colors to your liking.
Hope the tips above will help you to take the pictures from the plane “for life”!
at Blogtuan.info – Source: Soha.vn – Read the original article here
