My turn: B29 Superfortress, Fifi -- for C&C

[IzzieK]

It was supposed to be a rainy day but it did not eventuate. I had bought our tickets for the show for two days a month ago so Bill does not want to waste my money even though he has seen all the Blue Angels and Snowbirds, Red Arrows, etc. having participated in airshows and air races in his time racing airplanes in Reno and other places. I told him this is for my project for last week. I always buy tickets for two days just in case there is something I missed out the day before, we can go back the next day. Anyway, it was cold and windy and I thought hell freezes on me while we wait for the gates to open. I am glad we got out of the house early because the line to the gate was about half a mile when we arrived. Looking behind us, that was a good 3 miles of people. We were able to find a place to put our picnic chairs behind the fence near center the air show centre .

1 Close up of FiFi -- is a WWII Boeing Model 345 Superfortress. Many knows FiFi as the only currently flying B29 super fortress and 2016 marks owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force based at Meacham International Airport, Fort Worth, Texas. (Hey – everything is big in Texas…..) 2016 marks Fifi's 42nd year of flight with the CAF. Here, she is being prepared for the opening ceremony at an airshow last weekend at St. Louis Spirit Airport. This was shot May 14th @ Shutter Priority, F16 1/250, Matrix, ISO 800 EC -1 with circular polarizer. Editing all done in ACR. When we went to Dayton, Ohio, we also went to the USAF Restoration Museum. One of the guides/restorers of the airplanes there pointed us to the real, fair dinkum FiFi which is being restored (as we speak here) so in short, it is not flying…YET. Here is a list of the surviving B29s.
List of surviving Boeing B-29 Superfortresses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...uperfortresses



2 Smoke -- As part of the opening ceremony, while three other Warbirds flew over Fifi with the sound of the American National Anthem, the first smoke started to come out of Fifi. Apart from Graduated Filters from Nik, any other editing like brighten and contrast and Luiminance was done in ACR. F22, 1/250, ISO 800, EC -1 with circular polarizer, Shutter Priority.



3 Smoke 2 – Same editing as above in ACR, I just lightened in Viveza, then Nik Filter for Graduated Filter. F22 1/250 ISO 800 EC-1



4 Smoke 3 – same settings and procedures as above. Same settings as above.



That was the last smoke before flight…same editing as above in ACR and Viveza then Color Efex for graduated filters. F25 1/250 ISO 800 Matrix. OK I did not remove any electric wires and power poles because in my next submissions these wires will still be there – seen.

5 After the National Anthems (Canadian and American) were sang, here is Fifi in her flying glory. Hardly any editing done here, only a crop to lower the mgpx for submission and a bit of sharpening after crop.It would have been nice to give structure to the clouds but I don't want the propellers to get lost nor the clouds be the center of attention here.



Anyway, I enjoyed taking these shots and others. The atmosphere was very electric at the start. Still my favourite is Skip Stewart and his antics. I will upload them when I finished editing.

For C&C. 'Will appreciate any comments, good and/or bad. All are welcome.

[Stagecoach]

Good set Izzie.

And you got the shutter speed for those props spot on

[outwithmycamera]

I like these Izzie! Especially #2 and #4, and I really want to see the last one done up as a black and white, seems a must with such a classic subject.

[Astramael]

I enjoyed this set a ton. Agreed on the shutter speed too, nailed it. Those old planes fly nice and slow, they have a lot more visual drama than jets. Very fun to photograph.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[LePetomane]

Very nice. My dad flew one in WWII. He would approve of your work.

[flashback]

Love these shots Izzie, nothing more majestic than a still-in-service military aircraft. (So long as it's not a homeless B-29 ) You have done the old girl justice, good on you. And I agree with Chris about B&W, for me I'd love to see #2 & #5 in B&W. Oh and the link...nothing like a little edjukation on the B-29s, learning something new everyday
As a vet it still sends chills up my back when I think about what these old birds fought through.

[mknittle]

Very nice set Izzie I love the sound of the R4360s? when they fire up.

[NorthernFocus]

I really like the first and last, Izzie. The detail and activity in the first shot makes it interesting. The power lines and fence in the BG are a bit messy but easy enough to clone out if so desired. A bit wider aperture would also help make the BG disappear a bit. The last shot is an excellent angle on the plane, nice sky and perfect ss for the propellers. Pulling a bit more detail out in the sky would make it even better IMO.

Looks like you had fun.

[flashback]

Very nice set Izzie I love the sound of the R4360s? when they fire up.

Engines: 4 * 1600kW Wrigth R-3350-23 (supercharged radial engines)


For anyone that's interested (any Air Force vets should appreciate this link) check this

[rpcrowe]

Great shots Izzie!

I recently read a book on the life of Air Force General Curtiss LeMay... Part of the book covered the introduction of the B-29 Aircraft to bases in China, and finally flying from captured islands like Tinian and Saipan. It also covered his change in tactics to strip the B-29 aircraft of all unnecessary weight and to drop incendiary bombs onto Japanese cities from low levels. Quite effective. In fact there was a firebomb raid on Tokyo that killed more people than either atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima or Nagasaki...

[xpatUSA]

Izzie, splendid shots full of nostalgia for this ex-RAF bloke. I liked the starter crew shots, did that for many years on many types. Once or twice on the last flying Avro Lancaster, even. And a PBY Catalina at RAF Muharraq (Bahrain). Best shut up now . . . you got me on a roll

[IzzieK]

Good set Izzie.

And you got the shutter speed for those props spot on

Thanks Grahame...I had done some reading two days before we went to the show and in one article it says,

in photographing air shows, there are only two kinds of airplanes -- prop and jet. You adjust your shutter speed according to each one.

I forgot to take note of which shutter speed to use for the jets but with the propeller aircraft the author said,

Shutter Priority, 1/250 and Matrix metering, +1 EC

but when I saw my EXIF, it says -1 EC. I keep checking my camera and it is there -- +1 EC. I gave up...

Thanks for commenting. I really do appreciate your passing by.

[IzzieK]

I like these Izzie! Especially #2 and #4, and I really want to see the last one done up as a black and white, seems a must with such a classic subject.

I was thinking of doing the last one in sepia but I changed my mind. I appreciate your suggestions. Since it is raining it will be a nice session to convert to B/W. Thanks Chris. 'Appreciate your passing by.

[IzzieK]

I enjoyed this set a ton. Agreed on the shutter speed too, nailed it. Those old planes fly nice and slow, they have a lot more visual drama than jets. Very fun to photograph.

Hubby being a pilot and now an ex-racing one, give me more thrills to photograph some in airshows than going shopping while Bill was trying to meet his maker earlier in his life. It was only recently too that I told Bill that I am not photographing any more of his airplane kind thing. Anyway, I went because I like to see the Snowbirds. 'Haven't seen them performed before...Thank you for your kind comments. 'Appreciate it very much.

[IzzieK]

Nice series.

Thanks John...

[IzzieK]

Very nice. My dad flew one in WWII. He would approve of your work.

Thank you so much or your kind words. Thank your dad for us for his service...

[IzzieK]

Love these shots Izzie, nothing more majestic than a still-in-service military aircraft. (So long as it's not a homeless B-29 )

I made sure I read about the old girl to make sure it wasn't a homeless one...

You have done the old girl justice, good on you. And I agree with Chris about B&W, for me I'd love to see #2 & #5 in B&W. Oh and the link...nothing like a little edjukation on the B-29s, learning something new everyday
As a vet it still sends chills up my back when I think about what these old birds fought through.

I hope I did not overdo it...you know me...I talk too much sometimes... Thanks for your kind comments. I have thanked you many times before for your service and you are still doing it and I can never thank you enough...Without you people who had served, it takes the fear out of many of us no other can imagine when our parents were alive and cowering in corners unable to live a normal life like we now enjoy...

Thanks for the links in your other post too. 'Appreciate your response...

[IzzieK]

Very nice set Izzie I love the sound of the R4360s? when they fire up.

It was more made beautiful with the sound of the American National Anthem being sang by everyone at the air show, well...part from one jerk who did not even bother to stand up to salute the flag...A little bit farther from him two chairs south was an old man, perhaps a vet too, in a wheelchair who struggled to stand up for the national anthem, removed his hat and put his right hand on his chest and sang like he is now enjoying the freedom he fought so hard to achieve for all of us in the sunset of his life. So touching...

Thank you for commenting. 'Appreciate it very much.

[IzzieK]

I really like the first and last, Izzie. The detail and activity in the first shot makes it interesting. The power lines and fence in the BG are a bit messy but easy enough to clone out if so desired. A bit wider aperture would also help make the BG disappear a bit. The last shot is an excellent angle on the plane, nice sky and perfect ss for the propellers. Pulling a bit more detail out in the sky would make it even better IMO.

Looks like you had fun.

Thank you Dan...yes I did have fun...once every two years is not that bad innings to go to an airshow. I think I had configured my camera right this time around and besides we were across the centre stage so every twists and turns and mostly banking performance were done almost in front of us. I will try your suggestions on the conversion. I can do the blurring in pp but when I have more time, it will be something to do. I think I tried too hard to keep shooting anything that moved those two days...because I ended up with over 500 shots on the 14th and some correction shots on the 15th...

'Appreciate your comments and suggestions..