Hello everyone,

   I have extremely amazed at how some Aircraft Photographers are taking their photos, they look excellent. Could anyone please tell me what the fundamentals are, angles, etc...

Thanks !
James

in my view as a photographer.... all photographers are noobs 

My advice, just snap away Even the Stg. and the 2nd Lt. can take a few good ones...........once in a long while

Here is 2 things that I find the most important:

1.) Clarity
2.) Uniqueness.................like instead of taking picutures of people all the time, take a picuture of a dead bird for once

Jeff

P.S. I also find picutres that get the viewer thinking very intresting....................Like instead of having the viewer like "Oh that is a so-and-so," pump up the viewer's imagenation, so the viewer is like "Why is that thing like that?"

Hi everyone,

     Thank you very much for all of your tips and suggestions, I appreciate them a lot !    As for cameras, I have a Sony DSCT-1 Digital, the one where it is really flat and fits in your plam. On the contrary, I have a 35MM Film as well, I forgot what brand it was but I never use it too much, at least not for aircraft photography because 114 MM can do MUCH better than 35 MM.

Thanks and if you have any more tips, I'd love to hear them !

James

it depends on what you call a good photo? I have seen many very high quality photos that are in my opinion just poor photos. And the opposite i have seen many low quality photos that are really good. I consider a photo good when it is of something of interest. My advice is to take your time shooting a photo when possible. Think about whether or not you really want to look at it again and think about if others may find it interesting to view. Make sure you ty to frame the photo correctly and if you dont want a photo in the centre, make sure its selfexplanitory why the main subject isnt centred. Like Doug said get a large memory card always take the camera with you, to catch the unique moments. And practise practise practise.
That would be my advice, some may agree others may not:)

thats where the, "where possible", side comes into play. I dont see any harm in taking your time taking a photo, even if your taking 5 or 6 of the same thing. You are correct that the advantage of digital means you dont have to be as strict with how you take your photos, but i also still use alot of film so i try not to let bad habits form with the digital images. I am not saying you should only take 1 shot but try to take at least 1 what i like to call "keeper". The one shot you spend a little more time on from a specific angle. Then again every photographer has a specific style that suits them most, which is what you really need to find out for youself, which style suits you best.
Cheers Doug

P.S. One key thing, have fun when taking your photos, the more fun you have, the more effort you put in, and the better the photo.

I don't even know where to start.......thats why I have no input so far..........first, learn your camera while sitting inside and make sure you understand its limitations of operation.......if you don't understand some terms, look them up on the net or ask someone who may know........find out how much exposure control your camera will allow you to deal with, then see how this control can be applied to different types of shooting.
Bright sunlight and cloudy bright days may require different settings in the camera, and very low light shots may not a good thing if you need a flash. Don't forget that the tiny flash on the front of most cameras will only reach forward about 15-20 ft at the max and thats it. You can't light up a stadium with it, all you'll get is a perfectly exposed image of the back of the heads in the next 8 rows in front of yourself. Get a tripod for those shots, turn off the flash, and be advised that you will have blurs from any motion in your viewfinder but you will have a nice shot if the camera will shoot a long enough exposure.

Once you are comfortable with how your camera works, go out and practice composing still shots and moving subjects on the same day, so you can shoot by reaction to whatever you have come in your face......Composition is what makes a good shot, if you get it close you can crop it later, but get the best you can, and if you are not sure, shoot the shot with varying points of view.

Lastly, yes everyone is right, you're no longer paying for film, so shoot, shoot and shoot more....all you need to worry about is batteries and memory space.....for my 2 megapixel camera I have two sets of NiMH 2000+ batteries and a set of Lithium non-rechargeables. they have great life....I have enough memory to shoot 800 images without dumping any, so I feel I am good for a full day out........

Practice everything you find out about, close-ups scenics, portraits, action. See what your camera is capable of, then utilize it to the max with your own input....everyones eyes see things differently.

Always remember, a camera is only capable of capturing a moment in time for later viewing.........any moment lost is gone forever and can't be retrieved, so hold back nothing, and don't leave the scene till you are satisfied that you can't see another angle to try !

Two comments stand out in this thread for me.

Quote:

Excellent advice. A unique moment in time captured for ever. Hesitate or fumble for one second & the opportunity might be gone.

Quote:

My thoughts exactly. Not everyone likes the same thing. It's all very well trying to impress others but in the end you have to please yourself. If you can do that you have succeeded. I'm perfectly aware of my shortcomings & my own severest critic.

Having a digital camera is by no means going to make you a good photographer.  No camera will do that.  The camera is basically a hammer.  It's a screwdriver.  It is a tool that you use to take an image you have created and put it on paper.  A person with an old K-1000 can take more creative pictures than a person who has just picked up a 8 Mega-pixel whatever and doesn't know how to use it.

Know your camera, yes.  But also, learn the principals of photography, especially lighting and placement within the frame.  There are many subtle differences in what you do that will turn a good picture into a great picture.  For instance, there is a thing called 'the Rule of Thirds' where an object should be (instead of the center of the frame), it should be either 1/3 to the right or left, top or bottom, from the center.  As with anything else, get some good books on the subject (Ansel Adams 'The Camera' springs to mind) and read up on it.  Don't just go out taking picture after picture hoping to get what you want.  Go out and CREATE your shots.

Some of this may seem a bit old school, but it works... 

Composistion is key, use the "rule of thirds" to compose your pictures (I don't have time to explain it, do a google search).