Some Pics from RAF Coningsby
Some Pics from RAF Coningsby
Author
Discussion

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Go easy on me guys. Remember this is my first time using a DSLR in anger ! I had no idea what I was doing really !

















Edited by nick heppinstall on Sunday 11th April 14:00


Edited by nick heppinstall on Sunday 11th April 14:02

14-7

6,233 posts

221 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
None of them load up on the computer I'm using at the moment.

Is it a problem with thumbsnap?

Dr MAD

345 posts

233 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
I'm not getting them either frown

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Thats a bit odd. They were certaintly their earlier. I can see a few.

kevin63

4,661 posts

283 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
It was obviously a very cloudy day.

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
kevin63 said:
It was obviously a very cloudy day.
Wish it had been Kev ! It burnt my bald spot biggrin

kevin63

4,661 posts

283 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
nick heppinstall said:
kevin63 said:
It was obviously a very cloudy day.
Wish it had been Kev ! It burnt my bald spot biggrin
I would love to see your photo's Nick but I can't see anything, not sure if it's me or something else.

How you going by the way. Not seen you around for ages, see your missus quite often though (it's not what it seems everyone else)

14-7

6,233 posts

221 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
I would say it's a thumbsnap problem.

I get nothing at all then all of a sudden IE starts loading pictures (or at least trying to). After another minute or two I just get a load of the red crosses where the pics should be.


nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
kevin63 said:
nick heppinstall said:
kevin63 said:
It was obviously a very cloudy day.
Wish it had been Kev ! It burnt my bald spot biggrin
I would love to see your photo's Nick but I can't see anything, not sure if it's me or something else.

How you going by the way. Not seen you around for ages, see your missus quite often though (it's not what it seems everyone else)
:-) Fine thanks Kev. Family life you know. They just keep me tied up in a cupboard and get me out when the Virgin box stops working ....

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Couldn't see the thumbnails earlier. Can now but no click through ... did you post bigger files? I get a Thumbsnap message but no images if I try to click through.

By and large they look pretty good to me, excellent for a first attempt 'cos planes can be a real pain.

Some of them - notably anything in modern grey paint - look like they would benefit from some post processing as one would expect. Others stand out well already and suggest that only minimal PP would be required.

Observations from a brief glance FWTAW.

14-7

6,233 posts

221 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Never really tried shooting planes (at least not with a gun wink) but I think as the poster above says some post processing may be worth while just to bring some of the colours out a bit. Just my opinion of course!

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
I've treated myself to a copy of Photoshop Elements and just let that do its automatic 'Fix Everything' thing for better or worse. Thats another learning curve biggrin Still have the origional unmolested files though.

Used the heal tool to get rid of my famous dust spots .....

When I was shooting many of the shots were taken with brackting turned on. I think the setting was +/- 2 ? This may have helped on some but I had loads of over and underexposed images. Mainly underexposed.

I shot in RAW all day.

I had the camera set on Shutter Priority 90% of the time and varied the shutter speed especially for the propeller aeroplanes to try to get a smooth prop.

Their was a guy their who looked like he knew his stuff. He had about 8k's worth of Canon and lens which had obviously been properly used over the years.

He said he shot mostly in AV mode. Later I spotted my camera had an AV mode but it was a bit late in the day to see what it did. I'll have to look in the manual.

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
nick heppinstall said:
I've treated myself to a copy of Photoshop Elements and just let that do its automatic 'Fix Everything' thing for better or worse. Thats another learning curve biggrin Still have the origional unmolested files though.

Used the heal tool to get rid of my famous dust spots .....

When I was shooting many of the shots were taken with brackting turned on. I think the setting was +/- 2 ? This may have helped on some but I had loads of over and underexposed images. Mainly underexposed.

I shot in RAW all day.

I had the camera set on Shutter Priority 90% of the time and varied the shutter speed especially for the propeller aeroplanes to try to get a smooth prop.

Their was a guy their who looked like he knew his stuff. He had about 8k's worth of Canon and lens which had obviously been properly used over the years.

He said he shot mostly in AV mode. Later I spotted my camera had an AV mode but it was a bit late in the day to see what it did. I'll have to look in the manual.
Nick,

The Spitfire shot looks like an absolute classic of the genre.

As for processing, depends what you want, want they look like at your end, whether you plan on printing and whether you want them to really pop or be quite subtle. You can make them pop quite easily if you want to, based on a quick play with a few of the thumbs.

Av Mode/ Tv mode, whatever. It depends on the criteria BUT varying your speed to play with the props could be fun in Av mode. Not something I would particularly want to mentally reverse engineer 'on the fly' as it were.

Hmm, now what did the last shot give me as a shutter speed, will it be the same for this one, if so what Aperture adjustment do I need to slow the shutter by .... nah. Give me the shutter and let the Av look after itself - providing you have some general idea about the range the Av will be operating within under the conditions. If it's poor - play with the ISO settings ... wink

Shooting static shots on the ground, or landscapes, or portraits - different matter. Av more likely to be used unless handholding at low speeds for the size of lens or tied to what a flash wants to use as a max shutter speed.


nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for the kind words LongQ. I was pretty pleased with the Spit. Just wish it had had a few clouds in the background. It almost looks like an RC model !

I'll have a read about AV/TV tonight.

It's certaintly another world compared to my old Fuji S7000 ! I think I'm going to enjoy using the cam. The difference in quality has really made me smile.

One thing though. The 300mm is nice but I kept thinking I needed a bit more reach ....

Shame really because by the time I could afford a 400 / 500mm lens
i'll probably be 6 feet under smile

LukeBird

17,170 posts

239 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
quotequote all
Nice shots Nick! thumbup
Loving the Tornado on reheat.

JimNotJon

761 posts

239 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
quotequote all
I like them shots alot! I bet I saw you that day, it was very nice and really warm. I was making a delivery (waitrose van) down the road in New York and passed a few photographers at the end of the runway.

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Wednesday 14th April 2010
quotequote all
JimNotJon said:
I like them shots alot! I bet I saw you that day, it was very nice and really warm. I was making a delivery (waitrose van) down the road in New York and passed a few photographers at the end of the runway.
You should have stopped for a chat !! Were you the guy who pipped his horn and gave us the Coffee Beans ?

hehe

Simpo Two

92,808 posts

295 months

Wednesday 14th April 2010
quotequote all
Very good for a first effort - just a bit more work on sharpening needed to get the best of them.

nick heppinstall

Original Poster:

9,077 posts

310 months

Wednesday 14th April 2010
quotequote all
Thanks John. I have a copy of Photoshop Elements but just let it do its 'Auto' thing. How should I be approaching the Post Processing ?

Simpo Two

92,808 posts

295 months

Wednesday 14th April 2010
quotequote all
nick heppinstall said:
Thanks John. I have a copy of Photoshop Elements but just let it do its 'Auto' thing. How should I be approaching the Post Processing ?
First you resize the image to suit what you're going to do with with it (eg 750px wide for PH) then you need to sharpen it. I don't know Elements but if you can find 'unsharp mask' that gives you the most control - slide the slidey things until you get the best visual results. Anyway, have a poke around and see what you can find. Contrary to what you might think, the smaller the image gets, the more sharpening you need.