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Tuesday, 21 August 2012

The Challenge of Aerial Photography


First off if your looking for a “how to do it guide” your reading the wrong blog, to be honest I’m learning by trial and error, and I suppose this is a bit of waffle is to show case the pictures that didn’t make it and you wouldn’t normally get to see – the outtakes.

A bit of background, the pilot Captain Pugwash is a similar age to myself, I’ve known him most of my life and I trust him explicitly with my life (which helps).

The plane, a CTSW by Flight Design is compact and modern in design.

 Flight Design CTSW Microlight

If you read up on aerial photography they always say Cessna or use a helicopter with the door open (sorry you can count me out from dangling from a bloody helicopter) so with this in mind I asked Pugwash why he chose the CTSW over a Cessna.

“Costs about £20 per hour in fuel (then there's finance, insurance, hangarage, maintenance costs etc) whereas a two seat Cessna would probably be something around £80 per hour in fuel.

My CT is cheaper to maintain than a Cessna. More economical. Newer. Better equipped. Doesn't guzzle oil. Plus I reckon it looks a bit sexier than a Cessna.”

So there you have it cheap and sexy, just how he likes his women.

The thing about aerial photography is I find it is very hit and miss, your cramped, your surrounded by shining plexiglass and to be honest you just waste so many shots (or I do) fighting against haze or sunlight.

Generally you can spin the plane round to get another few shots, but this set of The Needles taken on the Round Britain Rally couldn’t be retaken as every minute counted, Pugwash was racing against the clock and the adverse weather that chased us at every turn and threw the plane around.

Needles - reject 

Map !!!! reflections !!! - That's my shoe you can see in the water

Needles - reject

Needles - reject

Needles - reject

Needles - reject

But in the end we get got a cracker !!!

Needles

 



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