Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Mix 650+ MPH and Humidity and you get..... The F-35 Vapor Shots

I have a number of photos of fast jet tail pipes from last weekend at the Thunder Over Michigan show.  Seriously, most every demonstration show team has a speed run.  Don't hold your breath for the A10.  But I'll get to the Warthog later in another post.  But the fast jets will definitely get the Mach meter going.  We were close enough on the flight path for these speed runs, you can not turn fast enough through 150 degrees.  

Most of the time during the weekend event, the F-35 was the early show, which means there was humidity to work with.  Just like having mother nature as a partner.

You know the run is coming.  You can see everyone looking down the flight path.  You are on the right side if this.  Those poor folks at the other end of the show will miss this entirely.  But you catch a glimpse of a small dot against a cloud.  The dot gets larger.  You get the dot in viewfinder.  You hit the focus.  You press the shutter release button - and if you are lucky you will get more than the tailpipe.

It is close to that fast.

In the humidity, the air pressure around the speeding aircraft changes quickly.  This makes possible art to be captured.  The air being pushed causes a vapor area to be created, then the vapor will disappear almost as quickly as the aircraft moves forward.  The vapor cloud may last only a second or two.  You just press the take photo button and hang on.

And with a bit of luck, you can get your shot.  The luck comes in that one of these vapor clouds happens at the same time you have the camera in action.  If you see the cloud, it is often too late to catch it.   Although you might catch the one forming right after the one you saw disappear.  

My lucky shots.  Both are pretty much the same - fast jet in a cloud.

F35 Sonic Cone
NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
465 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 180 (AUTO)
EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX



F35 Sonic Cloud
NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
615 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 (AUTO)
EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Lots of room for improvement, such as maybe a bit more light via sunny skies.  I get to see the team at Reno in a few weeks.  The sunshine will be plentiful - the straight line vapor not so much.

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