PLANE SPOTTING
Military (Since WWII)
P h o t o G a l l e r i e s b y A i r c r a f t
Civil Aircraft
P h o t o G a l l e r i e s
World War Two
P h o t o G a l l e r i e s b y A i r c r a f t
World War One
P h o t o G a l l e r i e s b y A i r c r a f t
Project Brief
This project has been going on in one form or other since I first picked up a camera, but took a major step forward at the 2012 air show at Ohakea air base. In 2012, I made a few decisions which changed my approach and increased the rate of success, they included the purchasing of a longer lens, research and regular practice. To be fair those decisions are good steps to improve at anything and are well worth investing in. But they are not the only reason or even the major reason for my improvement, they just put me in a place that I could then receive a few gifts.
The 2012 Airshow at Ohakea Airbase, is famous for a couple of reasons. Firstly because of many factors including the major earthquake a few weeks earlier in Christchurch, the traffic management plan failed and a lot of the main roads in the Manawatu were turned into parking lots. The second reason it is famous, at least for those that made it, the lack of crowd numbers made access to some shots a lot easier.
You maybe asking how I made it out when so many others didn’t. The reason I can see now makes me a different aviation photographer than many others. I cut my teeth in photography as a landscape photographer, in 2012 I wanted to photograph an F18 Hornet that was being displayed as a static aircraft. How would a landscape photographer approach this, easy get up early when the best light is around and people aren’t, sunrise! Then approach the aircraft like it is foreground subject in the landscape. The story of how I got on base so early is a fun one, ask me some time.
What gift did I get at the Airshow? A piece of gear? No, it was the gift of community… People who selflessly help others take that next step. At the airshow I met several professional aviation photographers who took an interest in my images and offered hints and tips on how to solve some of the issues I was having. Soon after the show I met another person who I have learned so much from. Be respectful, be grateful and pass it on. This includes the pilots, many of them love to see the images you capture of their aircraft, share the images with them freely. These are the keys to getting better and it is way better than gear.
So what are my goals for this project? To capture poster quality images of military, ex military and interesting aircraft that are flying in New Zealand. To give back where I can and make some great friends along the way.
“community… People who selflessly help others take that next step....Be respectful, be grateful and pass it on. This includes the pilots, many of them love to see the images you capture of their aircraft, share the images with them freely. These are the keys to getting better and it is way better than gear.”
Related Blog Posts
We have all heard the saying “luck is when opportunity meets preparation”. Well we had done the prep… then out of the autumn blue sky, descends the Vought FG-1D Corsair. Surprise! No hints, no insider info—just plain luck. That gull-winged beauty struts its stuff, as it lands on the runway. This is it—a shot that’s been on my bucket-list for a while. No ropes, no crowds, just me, the Corsair, and that boundless blue canvas. If we had known we would miss the Mosquito would we have still gone… no. But because we risked it, trusted our guts, in the end we got something better,