Aviation photos on small and medium format

[Don Dudenbostel]

Aviation is a popular theme and thought I'd start a thread with a couple of images I made about twenty years ago. The F16 was 35mm Provia and the DC3 was 6x7 Velvia.

Both shoots were for clients. It's hard to beat a day like these.

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Here's a shot of the Liberty Aviation Museum's (https://www.restoretheford.org) 1928 Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor. Nothing like experiencing three radial engines, in-person. Shot on 35mm Fuji Velvia 50.

242025

[Embdude]

Stearman 350 factory 3 seater... c1998 in San Diego, CA. Shot on a 6x6 Rolleiflex and cropped... I generally prefer the 6x9 format... Shot on Kodak color print film, don't remember the type, probably portra VC...

https://live.staticflickr.com/4584/26469797519_78b026719a_k.jpg%22%20width=%222048%22%20height=%221152%22%20alt=%22Stearman%20over%20Mission%20Bay,%20San%20Diego

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Stearman 350 factory 3 seater... c1998 in San Diego, CA. Shot on a 6x6 Rolleiflex and cropped... I generally prefer the 6x9 format... Shot on Kodak color print film, don't remember the type, probably portra VC...

Really nice image, Embdude! Unfortunately, I have never had the chance to do air-to-air imaging.

[phdgent]

Long time ago, I made these for a calendar on the theme 'Vol De Nuit' inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book from 1931, here you see only a few:

242190242189242188242187242186

These were shot with Hasselblad (leaf shutter!) on FujiChrome 100F, using the technique "Nuit Americaine" (Night by day) With 3 Multiblitz flash generators of 3200J each, about 7 flash heads and a lot of sweat blood and tears...

[Martin Aislabie]

Long time ago, I made these for a calendar on the theme 'Vol De Nuit' inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book from 1931, here you see only a few:

242190242189242188242187242186

These were shot with Hasselblad (leaf shutter!) on FujiChrome 100F, using the technique "Nuit Americaine" (Night by day) With 3 Multiblitz flash generators of 3200J each, about 7 flash heads and a lot of sweat blood and tears...

Nicely done.

I had always wondered if that was the technique.

I've used flash to lift the subject out from the background before but only perhaps 1/2 to 1 stop.

Here you look to be using 3 or 4 stops brighter than the ambient.

Martin

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Long time ago, I made these for a calendar on the theme 'Vol De Nuit' inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book from 1931, here you see only a few:

These were shot with Hasselblad (leaf shutter!) on FujiChrome 100F, using the technique "Nuit Americaine" (Night by day) With 3 Multiblitz flash generators of 3200J each, about 7 flash heads and a lot of sweat blood and tears...

Those are absolutely beautiful!

[phdgent]

Nicely done.

I had always wondered if that was the technique.

I've used flash to lift the subject out from the background before but only perhaps 1/2 to 1 stop.

Here you look to be using 3 or 4 stops brighter than the ambient.

Martin

Yes, about 3 or 4 stops, that's the advantage of the leaf shutter, the flash synchronize with all the shutter's speeds.
The aperture was around 11 and 16, the speed somewhere near 1/500 sec., the film 100ASA, and a ton of Polariöd film (it was before the age of digital).

Luckily I had powerful flashes, a Diesel power generator, and radio command.
As I had to wait for the 'right' clouds, I made 2 photos a day...

[Martin Aislabie]

Yes, about 3 or 4 stops, that's the advantage of the leaf shutter, the flash synchronize with all the shutter's speeds.
The aperture was around 11 and 16, the speed somewhere near 1/500 sec., the film 100ASA, and a ton of Polariöd film (it was before the age of digital).

Luckily I had powerful flashes, a Diesel power generator, and radio command.
As I had to wait for the 'right' clouds, I made 2 photos a day...

Thanks

Ahh, yes I remember Polaroid test shots.

Yes, it was easy to blow a lot of Polaroids getting the lighting right before committing to film.

Martin

[Don Dudenbostel]

Long time ago, I made these for a calendar on the theme 'Vol De Nuit' inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book from 1931, here you see only a few:

242190242189242188242187242186

These were shot with Hasselblad (leaf shutter!) on FujiChrome 100F, using the technique "Nuit Americaine" (Night by day) With 3 Multiblitz flash generators of 3200J each, about 7 flash heads and a lot of sweat blood and tears...

Beautiful shots!

[Mark Sampson]

phdgent, those are just spectacular. I've done enough location lighting to know how hard you worked, and to appreciate your results. Well done!