Large format aerial photography...anyone?

[Allen in Montreal]

Armin:

"Here I'm short before the start in Biasca in the Tessin south part of Swiss!"

That is an amazing setup.
I can't help but wonder if using it today in North America would get you shot down however!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noah,
I have shot a lot of aerials over the years.
Everything from Satellite "look a likes" at 10,000 feet with no door and full all out banking right (it was a blast but the pilot always seemed nervous...to classic building and site shots.

I never needed more than 6x6 or 6x7.
Looking forward to see what rig you end with and some of the work from the project.

[peter ramm]

I am more pilot than photographer, and a pretty lousy pilot. Perhaps that is why I have never managed to get beyond digital in the air. I would love to try aerial LF, especially as it would force me to stop trying to both fly and shoot. Yes, I know, stupid.

What rings my bell is the Lockwood Aircam (aircam.com). Cheap, cheerful, and no question of its capabilities for DSLR work. But, has anyone tried to use LF or even MF analog gear in one of these? I remember that handling a MFD camera with long lens was a nightmare in an open biplane. I wonder if the airstream around the AirCam is friendlier.

[Embdude]

Linhof made a Slipstream Cover to place over a LF camera to protect the bellows (and everything else) from the wind...

[Bob Salomon]

I have flown on aerial jobs with some very experienced pilots most of whom are also personal friends. The small, fixed wing aircraft costs a fraction of the helicopter's expense to operate and maintain. The commercial photographer who can work out of such an aircraft and deliver excellent results has a significant competitive advantage over one who is operating out of helicopters, which are seldom needed or appropriate for most assignments.

Even most experienced pilots feel uncomfortable at first with one of the most useful maneuvers for the photo-reconnaissance aircraft, the side-slip. Slipping requires crossing the controls and goes against all basic flight training and instruction, but when you have a pilot that can or learns to do it for you, it is a great technique.

Let's say you need to photograph a house for a real estate ad. You first circle the house a time or two and determine your best composition. Tell the pilot when you pass the point, because he probably can't see it himself but can use other terrain he can see as a reference. When you start to circle on your photo run you should be somewhat higher and further out from the house than when you found your best composition, because slipping will cost altitude and also carry you in closer to the house. The advantages are that you will stay in the "sweet spot" much longer than if you just fly by or around and your ground speed past the house will be significantly reduced.

The Champ, the Cub, the Cessna 150 and 172 are all great slippers. The 85 HP J3 Cub is the best for warm weather flying. The 172 has the advantage of space for a light-weight assistant who can feed you your holders. Remember to keep your own feet off the rudder pedals as you stretch and strain for that perfect exposure!

When I was Rec Tec in the USAF we began our own side business doing aerials of houses, all over the country, on 5x5” roll film.
At the time our squadron was flying RF 101 Voodoos. Someone would give us the location of the home and we would “arrange” for a Voodoo to fly it. We then ran the 5” roll film through one of our Versamat processors and print up to 20x20” on either the Durst 184 or, if there was a lot of dodging and burning necessary on ou 10x10” Logetronic CRT enlarger. Only problems with the LogE we’re very long exposure times and having to spot the small “flying saucer” mark where the CRT scan stopped.

[Embdude]

RF 101 Voodoo is a far superior platform than anything I have piloted for aerial photos! Your whole story sounds like a great time! I work with a U2 pilot and he was very excited to see my USAF Biogon that is modified for the Technika. He knew exactly what it was and could explain in detail the camera systems that it was initially designed to be used for. I was very impressed that for a pilot he had such a good understanding of photography and lenses. Perhaps he was an over achiever, but I guess at the heart of it a good reconnoissance pilot is a photographer...

When I was Rec Tec in the USAF we began our own side business doing aerials of houses, all over the country, on 5x5” roll film.
At the time our squadron was flying RF 101 Voodoos. Someone would give us the location of the home and we would “arrange” for a Voodoo to fly it. We then ran the 5” roll film through one of our Versamat processors and print up to 20x20” on either the Durst 184 or, if there was a lot of dodging and burning necessary on ou 10x10” Logetronic CRT enlarger. Only problems with the LogE we’re very long exposure times and having to spot the small “flying saucer” mark where the CRT scan stopped.

[Embdude]

This photo is from the Linhof Praxis book (because the photo itself -not the subject photo-was taken with a linhof camera) Any idea what type of RC plane/camera/film would make this type of super detailed horizon to horizon shot? And would you need a special type of enlarger?

[Bob Salomon]

This photo is from the Linhof Praxis book (because the photo itself -not the subject photo-was taken with a linhof camera) Any idea what type of RC plane/camera/film would make this type of super detailed horizon to horizon shot? And would you need a special type of enlarger?

Attachment 220781

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[Embdude]

re-trying

Your link doesn’t work.

[Bob Salomon]

Your link doesn’t work.

We contact printed these horizon to horizon show on a LogE machine. That let us burn and dodge simultaneously.
If prints were required we pasted them together after feathering the paper edges. Prints were made with a regular enlarger.
Largest one we ever did wrapped a couple of times around our squadron entrance hallway. It was a continuous shot from Shaw AFB, SC to Moses Lake Air Force station in WA state.

[Neal Chaves]

I photographed with a Master Technika and 4X5 Crown Graphics many times out of a J-3 Cub with the door down. The camera is not out in the slipstream. I also photographed with these same two cameras out of a Cessna 172 and a Piper Warrior. In these, I photographed right through the plexiglass widows with very good results. I tried Grafmatic magazines, but soon settled on double cut film holders as more reliable and trouble-free. I also made extensive use of the FujiFilm GW690 camera. It is an excellent aerial camera. I assisted another photographer once who hired a Bell Jet Ranger. Vibration was severe and the pilot would not hover. Air speed was always at least 50 kts. I much prefer to work out of a well-handled 85 HP J-3.