Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]For low altitude aerial photography, using radio controlled model airplanes is an option. In fact, a model airplane can get shots that alot of full scale airplanes could never attempt. Like down the middle of a street between buildings. Large model sailplanes can climb with electric motors and loiter around slowly making photos while gliding (hence, no vibration). I am setting up an aerial photo/video rig that will allow me to launch and land from small areas. This is actually a video system that transmits live video back to the ground. You wear these special sunglasses that have a small LCD display in the lower right of your right eye. You can record video or use the picture to frame up a still image, if you have a camera on board wired to a switch on your transmitter. --Jim On Mar 14, 2006, at 2:22 PM, Henning Wulff wrote: > At 11:26 AM -0800 3/14/06, Ted Grant wrote: >> B. D. Colen >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Aerial Photography >> >>> Thanks, Sonny....My question was going to be...Is this person a >>> photographer? A professional quality photographer? And, if not, >>> why would >>> he think that owning an airplane and a camera makes one a >>> professional >>> aerial photographer? :-) >> >> Quite frankly guys I've never seen anyone drive and talk on a cell >> phone without endangering the lives of others. Let alone a guy >> flying a plane and take pictures at the same time. :-( >> >> I've had some pretty hairy rides under my belt shooting aerials >> with pilots who supposedly had flown photographers and they knew >> all the right ways to handle the plane. I found in some cases I >> had far more airtime than the pilot. >> >> All you have to do is come back from a shoot with tree branches in >> the under-carriage and it puts a whole new perspective on >> believing the pilots ability. >> >> So I began giving them instructions before we took off! Pissed off >> a few, their problem, but at least they kept looking at where we >> were going and not looking at what I was photographing! >> >> Surely that isn't what this fellow means? Fly plane & shoot at the >> same time? >> >> Besides the best aerial photo platform is a helicopter in my book. >> >> ted > > I definitely prefer shooting from a small plane if possible rather > than a helicopter. With thorough instructions to the pilot I can > get a lot more done in a short time and the thing generally doesn't > vibrate as much. I can go down one shutter speed in a small plane > compared to a helicopter. > > One of the scarier experiences I've had shooting aerials was when > we left the doors off at the back (I was sitting on a bench just > behind the propeller bulkhead) and as we started banking to do my > shots I noticed that the bench wasn't fastened to anything except > the seat of my pants. It took me a few heart pounding seconds to > realize that the seatbelt was attached to the airframe and not to > the bench, but then we had to fly back with me holding onto the > bench as well as my camera equipment to keep it all from falling > out, and trying not to accidently unbuckle the belt. > > He didn't charge me for that flight. > > -- > * Henning J. Wulff > /|\ Wulff Photography & Design > /###\ mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com > |[ ]| http://www.archiphoto.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information