Pelicans of the Shem

When I've traveled to South Carolina, seems I always find some time to spend at Shem Creek in Charleston.  The waterfront area is built up, commercialized, nicely.  What I like the most are the commercial fishing boats.  All the masts, booms and nets.  And the colors.  The scenery lines are everywhere.  And the colors.

And where there are free fish to be had, Pelicans are around.  I'm guessing the locals think of Pelicans as trash birds - and they may be.  But for the tourist in me will overlook societies harsh judgement.

Pelican on a Roost

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

350 mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 110 (AUTO)

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size FX, Polarizer

Pelican Committed to Takeoff

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

175 mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (AUTO)

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size FX, Polarizer

Pelican Water Takeoff

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 220 (AUTO)

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size FX, Polarizer

Pelican Water Takeoff

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 (AUTO)

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size FX, Polarizer

Pair of Sandhill Cranes in Flight

Last Saturday's Eagle chase yielded some surprising guest shots.  One of the unexpected guests was a pair of Sandhill Cranes.

This was a very cool event.  Through a long clearing, over a mix of water and grass, a pair of Cranes flew just about right over the spot where I was standing.  I watched their approach for I'm guessing, about 300 yards.  I heard them before I saw them.  I'm guessing I watched them for about 15 seconds - but felt like minutes.  In a good way.  Plenty of time to get the camera up and acquire focus.  No rookie mistakes.  Even had time to breathe.

One of the few events I could watch the entire event unfold through the camera, and not miss much.

Pair of Sandhill Cranes in Flight

NIKON D850 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6

500 mm, 1/1,000th sec, f/5.6, ISO 140 (Auto)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

Pair of Sandhill Cranes in Flight

NIKON D850 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6

500 mm, 1/1,000th sec, f/5.6, ISO 280 (Auto)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

Pair of Sandhill Cranes in Flight

NIKON D850 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6

500 mm, 1/1,000th sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 (Auto)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

Very cool experience to have a subject fly so close.  Will be tough to beat.

More from MCAS Beaufort - Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

I really enjoyed the MAGTF demo at the MCAS Beaufort Airshow.  

I have a number of F-35, F-18 and demo team (Blue Angels) shots already.  Not that the shows are boring, I could listen to the sound of Freedom all day long.  For those events to get something different, I have to experiment with fames, and angles, and exposure triangle stuff.  Not much success in that department this time around - other than I know what to rule out at future events.

But, helicopters.  Very little library and very little experience.  Not like a jet where you set the speed as high as you are comfortable with and GO!  Props, not matter if it is for thrust or lift take some amount of planning.  A new toy.

You have to have some amount blur on the main rotor - and still be able to see the tail rotor.  The main rotor turns at under 200 RPM.  At a diameter of 79 feet, the RMP must keep the blade tips from going super sonic.  And however the math works out, about 185 RPM will do that.  The tail rotors diameter is 16 feet.  It can turn a bit faster.

So the dilemma is shoot slow enough for the main rotor and fast enough for the tail rotor.

In these three shots, I was 'experimenting' with shutter speeds.  I know to get a full rotation of blur on a C-130, that is 1/60 second.  If it is not moving, very doable.  That being said that same shutter speed on a UH-1 renders both main and tail rotors invisible as posted here.  Depends on what you like.  But catching a moving object at that speed is a bit beyond my normal capability.  But I can get a good percentage of shots at 1/100th of a second.

In the end for me, as long as the rotor isn't frozen I'm good.

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G

280 mm, 1/60th sec, f/22.0, ISO 100

EV 0 (Polarizer), Shutter Priority, Size FX

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G

310 mm, 1/100th sec, f/16.0, ISO 100

EV 0 (Polarizer), Shutter Priority, Size FX

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51/NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G

185 mm, 1/125th sec, f/16.0, ISO 100

EV 0 (Polarizer), Shutter Priority, Size FX

I really like the last shot.  Blur is OK, but both helicopters are reasonably sharp.  There was a lot of movement going on here.

As to lessons learned, I think I'll be keeping to 1/80th to 1/100th second for my larger aircraft shots.

And as is said, no matter how many shots didn't turn out - a bad day at the show is better than a day at (fill in blank).

Eagle with Dinner

A week ago, I was in 80 degree weather.  Today, 40 degrees, 8 knot winds and drizzle.  The only difference, about 1,000 miles.  I'll get back to South Carolina.

Today, I had an invitation to see an Eagle's nest in Clarkston, Independence Oaks County Park.  Can't pass that up.

Did I mention the weather was pretty crappy?  All of the sky shots will end up being deleted.  Anything eye level or lower, or with a dense tree in the background turned out OK.  And in reality, I'll be back there when the sky is much better - someday.

But we did have a few moments of excitement when one of the parent Eagles hit the water for an un-suspecting catfish and departed for the nest in what seemed to be one move.  I missed the business end of the bird and fish, but did get the water takeoff.  There is a fair amount of distance involved, so the cropping is fairly aggressive.  Won't win any prizes, but looks good on the monitor.

A bird and a fish.

All photos were taken with the D6/200-500 f/5.6 combo, 1/1,000 sec, f/5.6 and ISO between 2500 and 3600.

Bell UH-1 and AH-1 from MAGTF (MCAS Beaufort)

The 2023 photo season for me opened up with a stellar airshow in Beaufort S.C.  This is the second time I've attended the show.  April is the perfect time to escape the winter of Michigan and get some sun and warmth.  The 2021 show was cancelled due to Covid - so the last show was 2019.

This year's weather didn't disappoint.  Mid 80's with a broken deck.  Thunderstorms factored in to the show, but late in the afternoon.  The final act, the Blue Angels had to end about 15 minutes short when lightning moved into the area.  Still, a very good show.

While the Blue Angels were the headliner, for me I wanted to see the MAGTF event.  In 2019, I took one of the best helicopter shots in my journey, up to that point.  Good photo, but lots of room to improve.  The four year wait was worth it, as the show was bigger and better with more active participants.

MAGTF is the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.  The force is comprised of a variety of response options, coordinating teams of ground, air, logistics, and cyberspace assets under a central command.  Planes, trains and automobiles.  Almost.  In this case - airpower.  The participants for this demo was fighter aircraft and helicopters.

For me, I concentrated on the Bell UH-1 Iroquois and the Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters.

In my opinion, the helicopter photography is very challenging.  Very slow shutter speed.  And a relatively heavy lens.  The only saving grace, if any, is usually a slow and predictive motion.  In reality, only about 5 to 10% of my shots were useable.

Bell AH-1 Cobra

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51 /NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/80 sec, f/20, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0, Speed Priority, Size FX

Bell UH-1 Iroquois

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51 /NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/80 sec, f/20, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0, Speed Priority, Size FX

Bell AH-1 Cobra

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51 /NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/80 sec, f/20, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0, Speed Priority, Size FX

Bell UH-1 Iroquois

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51 /NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/80 sec, f/20, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0, Speed Priority, Size FX

Bell UH-1 Iroquois and AH-1 Cobra

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51 /NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/80 sec, f/20, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0, Speed Priority, Size FX

Bell AH-1 Cobra

NIKON D6 Ver.01.51 /NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

400 mm, 1/80 sec, f/20, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0, Speed Priority, Size FX

The shutter speed for the rotors, both main and tail, makes the photo.  There has to be some blur, but you also have to see the blur.  The UH-1 photo from Thunder over Michigan was shot at 1/60th second.  The tail rotor is barely visible.  And the main rotor is just visible.  In most of this year's helicopter shots, the tail rotor is more visible - and some overlap.  (If I remember) I may use 1/100th next outing.  Or not.  

Flint Rogues Rugby Football Team - Team Photo

Since everything starts with the goals of the next airshow, follow me here and I will get to the Rugby team in short order.

Every year I think of what I want to accomplish in the next year's airshow season.  Last year - it was the use of Auto ISO and is it a benefit?  And every year is the battle to get better with prop blur.  In order to determine the goals, I search out airshow and general aircraft photos on line, and see what works for me.  Kills time on rainy days.  This year, I started looking at Moose Peterson's aviation photography.  Moose is primarily a nature photographer, with a fondness for the aviation subject.  He's very good at both.  And since he is a Nikon dude, I don't have to put his tips and tricks through some form of Rosetta Stone.

While looking at the technical aspects of his photography, one of his lines of non-technical advice is 'just show up'.  That gets to me - just do something.  Preferably interesting.

To the Rugby.  Just show up.  Post a few pictures.  Get a bit of an audience.  And it all works.  On Flickr, the Rugby album is the most active.  And popular enough that the team asked me to take their team photo - the 50th year team photo.  I expect they will use where appropriate.

This is my first project with a staged team situation.  I looked up a number of team photos.  I like shots close enough to see and count the rivets.  That doesn't happen here.  I'm used to using long lenses - again not here where a nifty fifty will do.  And the new D6?  In the bag as this is a situation for the D850.  Oh yea, and that pesky tripod thingie.

And if that wasn't enough pressure, the photo was date and time sensitive.  The date worked out as the fall storm clouds cleared.  The time not so much.  The time was less than an hour to sunset.  Oh, those client wishes/demands.  And the setting?  North goal post.  Can you spell harsh light?

I'd like the shots to be a bit lighter, but light is really tough to work at that point.  So it is what it is, maybe newer software will help at a later date.

Both shots were with the D850 and a NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens.

And just the Lads:

You never know what will happen when 'you just show up'.

Davison High School Football '22

Since the last high school football adventure, there have been a few new developments and processes.

As to the developments, there is a new camera in the stable. For the football games, at night, the D500 and D850 did real well.  I some time forget that that this is a hobby.  The D500 was not built for 'under the lights' photography.  That point is probably mentioned in the documentation.  But it has a virtually unlimited buffer.  I have never filled the buffer, even at 10 FPS shooting RAW.  Technically the documentation says it will hold 200 shots.  I never tested that.  But the D500 with the crop sensor does much better in daylight.  The D850 with the full frame sensor did very well at night, but it is built for portraits and landscapes.  The 48 mp files fill up the buffer quickly.  Yep, I lost a few shots.

Enter the D6.  Built for sports, or action shooting.  The 20 mp layout on a full frame sensor means the pixels are almost as big as a beach ball.  Lets in a lot of light - and reduces the noise.  What's not to like?  

First, it is a bit pricey.  I can deal with that.  I looked at a used unit from KEH.  I used KEH for a lens and was very happy with the transaction.  That being said, a lens is not as complicated as a camera unit.  And for a few $$$$s more, I could get a re-furbished unit from Nikon.  And I get all the accessories, including the most outrageously priced Nikon sells, the battery charger.  Easy decision.

The other minor decision is, why stay with DSLR and not move to a mirrorless system?  Everyone has their opinion, here's mine that applies to me only.  I have too much sunk into the system I have.  If I was 10 years younger, I might change.  My opinion is that adding an adapter between the lens and the camera (FTZ) won't help anything.  And if I was going to move on to a mirrorless system, it would not be with Nikon.  (Or Canon!) So a D6 it is.

I used the D6 for the rugby shots here.  It did not disappoint in the daylight, nor did I expect it to.  But it is here for night shots.

One other development in the past few weeks comes from the software world, and that is the introduction of Topaz's Photo AI.  In summary, it uses AI for denoise and sharpen.  In practice, I have found it useful for shots that need very little cleanup.  So in the cases of the rugby and football shots, this application works well and has sped up the post processing.  Not sure how it will go with the aircraft.  So far, for past shots - not as well.  The time will come later for real testing.

But for now, some football shots with the D6 and quick post processing.

Not sure how many more games there are this season, playoffs begin soon.  Hopefully this team has a few more games to go.

Flint Rugby

I found out recently that Flint has a rugby team.  Turns out someone in the subdivision is related to the team, and had a sign in their front yard.  A few quick searches and I found out all the pertinent information.  The game yesterday was preceded by the the delivery of the D6 - perfect timing.

Now I know nothing about rugby.  So the night before the match I was cruising YouTube to see what the game was all about.  After watching a few game highlights video, I drifted to the most egregious red card activities.  Don't judge me.

For more photos of this outing: Flickr Album

Next match locally be in a few weeks.  May have to get a heavier jacket by then.

Why I shoot RAW - Again

Why I shoot RAW  - Again.

First, the disclaimers.

I generally set up my camera for the day to create both RAW and JPG images.  My reasoning is with JPGs, through the Snapbridge App I can download a file to my phone.  I can save it for later or share it.  That is the only reason.  I have the JPG setting for in camera processing to Vivid or Landscape.  That's it.  Nothing special after that.  I'm sure if I was living in JPG land, I could tweak the settings a bit more.  But I don't live in JPG land.

Truth is, most of the JPGs come out pretty well.  Nikon, as one would expect, does a nice job.  Especially if you give it something to work with.

But sometimes in more difficult environments - not so much.  And the reality is I'm not into quantity.  If I shoot 1,200 shots at an air show, I'm looking for the 10-20 best shots.  Most outings, I'm looking for 5 to 10 good shots.

And working with RAW files fits that mold.

The past two weekends, I've been enjoying Friday Night Lights football at the local high school.  And enjoyed every minute of it.  Last weekend, the sky was lightly overcast providing a lot of good light.  Last night was clear and a million.  (Very clear)  Harsh shadows.  The stadium is basically north-south.  With the stands on the west side.  When the sun is setting, the shadow comes across the field toward the aluminum seats.  Perfect setting for HDR - except for that tricky action-motion thing.

This is the story:  120 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/5, ISO 360.

Metering is center weighted.  I use Auto ISO, so metering is taken into account.

The original RAW image:

Those stands are bright.  Let's see what the Nikon in camera processing does.

If there is improvement, I don't see it.

The original histogram:

Lot's of darks, but I'm guessing the camera won't adjust anything because of the lights blocking much movement.  JPGs are not designed to be manipulated.  You can, but with each subsequent save, there is data lost.  RAW files are designed to be manipulated.

The trick, for me anyway, is to manipulate the curves.  For aircraft photos, this is the tool for filling in shadows.  In the case of this shot - need more than filling in.  But this is what the curves will do.

Nix the highlights.  Pump the Darks.

The adjusted histogram:

I still have the highlights on the right, but I've evened out the darks.  You could make an argument that I could lighten the darks even more, which is true.  But I'm claiming artistic license here.  It's still in the shadows.  And I want to show the difference.

The adjusted shot:

Much improved.  For me anyway.  Doesn't look photoshopped.

Could you make such a drastic change with a JPG.  Maybe.  I would want to stake a one time only shot on it.  Again, RAW files are designed and meant to be manipulated.

And that is why I continue to shoot and 'develop' RAW files.  I can depend on the shot.  Unless I miss it.  Ha.

Success Story

It is a small step, but I will take it.  

I have a few success stories, in that someone will ask if a photo of mine is for sale of if they can use it.  Note to people going forward to ask - for personal use only.  Anyway, the biggest success story was a local author wanting to use a photo for one of his book covers.
Belle Isle Fishing Pier

The next batch of successes comes from the UHH (Ugly Hedgehog) photography forum.  Like most forums, if there are comments they are nice and politically correct.  But if members take the time to leave a comment, or even a smiley, that is a feel good moment.  On one photograph, the user said they were going to put it on their coffee mug.  No offense taken.

As to publishing on the web, and the threat of theft, it is a double edged dilemma.  I want to get my name out there - but not as an easy mark.  I risk it.  Investment to the journey.

A few days ago, another UHHer asked if they could use one of my photos for personal use.  If someone takes the time to ask, they are respectful of the process.  Whatever I can do to help - I'm at their disposal.  The photo they were interested in:  

Heritage Flight - P-51 and F-16

OK - I'll say it - that is a darn fine shot.  Prop blur - no mistake.  And no sun spots on the canopies.  And just enough blue sky to make it interesting.

But that fact someone else likes it enough to reach out takes the ego to another level.  And makes it all worthwhile.

And when someone shares what their vision was - just friggin' awesome.

For clarity - this is not my photo and this is not my photo of the cat.  (Which looks to be a great photo as well.)

Happy to be on someone's wall.

It's going to be a good day.

Friday Night Lights

And now for something completely different.....

Every now and then I get to start a new category.  Today is one of those days.  Not sure if it will stick, but the 2022 Airshow season for me is pretty much over.  Need to do something - and this is what we call in the corporate world a 'stretch'.

A few weeks ago, I was out to a lacrosse tournament.  Haven't seen a game in years.  It was a lot of fun.  Lot's of good action.  And in the middle of the day - warm.  I never figure these things out for myself - I get invited.  Or in this case - dared.  And good for photography friends who pull me out of a rut.

And the same 'friend' dared me again to stretch, this time with Friday night lights.  As with most of my photography friends, he's a Canon guy.  I think he really wants to see if I could handle a Nikon outside of perfect airshow conditions.

And good for him, I wanted to see what the Nikon would do as well.  And can I handle the Friday Night Lights.

As with most times I try something new, if you shoot enough shots, something is bound to work right.  And Friday night I shot 350+ shots.  And a few turned out OK.  A few.

I use the D850/70-200 f/2.8 for the evening.  It did OK.  The shots that didn't require much cropping were pretty much good right out of the camera.  I shot manual with Auto ISO, and the highest was 11,400.  And for the most point, the shots were usable.  That being said, I hit the shot buffer a few times at 7 fps.  That was a first.  Yes, shots were missed.  I dialed it back to 5 fps which somewhat cured the issue.  Lessons learned.

DHS Stands

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20 /Nikkor 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

70 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800 (Auto)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

To me this is one of the more interesting shots of the night.  Pure football.  Should have been higher than 1/500 sec.  lesson learned.

DHS Running Back

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20 /Nikkor 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

200 mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 900 (Auto)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

For the most part, I focused on the QB.  Most of the action is there, right?  Rookie stuff.  Coming from the defensive side.  I like the shots where you can also see the ball in flight.

DHS Pass

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20 /Nikkor 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

200 mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1000 (Auto)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

The opposition runner.  He is pretty good.

Detroit Central Catholic Runner

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20 /Nikkor 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

135 mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800 (Auto)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

Will post a few more shots later.

But for end of the experience thoughts.  I chose the D850 for the full sensor and low light exceptional ISO traits.  But it is advertised as a portrait camera - and fast action is limited.  That is truth in advertising.  Next time, the D500 gets a try.  If I do that, I'll have to put the 70-400 on the front end.  There won't be as much room to crop.  It will be more than enough lens.  The noise could be more prevalent.  The best shots for focus were 1/800 to 1/1000 second.  I could use the 1/500 shots - but I wouldn't want to count on them.  And after all, this is a learning experience.

ToM '22 Heritage Flight - P51 and F-16

One of my favorite events of any airshow is the Heritage Flight.  The Heritage Flight is a combination effort between an older era aircraft and a current generation aircraft.

In this case, the combination flight was the P-51D Mustang Bald Eagle and the F-16 from the Viper Demo Team.  Great colors.

As with any shot of a prop driven aircraft, slower shots are always a crap shoot and to get a few useable shots is a bonus.

This Viper Demo Team and I have crossed paths earlier this year at JB Charleston.  The post is here.  Odd fact, the most visited post of the year at 237.  That photo is one of my favorites for sure.  And one of these will be in that class as well.  That paint job is incredible.  And the Bald Eagle's paint job is pretty cool as well.

Heritage Flight P-51 and F-16 High Pass

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

435 mm, 1/200th sec, f/13, ISO 100

EV +0.33, Shutter Priority, Size DX

This one is going to be a favorite - fits on the monitor really well.  If I could get some snow on it, it would be in the running for this year's Christmas Card.

Heritage Flight P-51 and F-16 Show Pass

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

315 mm, 1/200th sec, f/16, ISO 100

EV +0.33, Shutter Priority, Size DX

WWII Air Pair - Kittyhawk and Hurricane

Nothing like a little pressure to get a good shot.  Pressure in that I never like to say once in a lifetime, I may see this pair again.  But probably not.  And pressure to get a prop driven aircraft.  It's not like an early jet flying where you can dial up the speed and almost ensure a crisp shot.  Shooting moving objects at 1/200th second or slower decreases the chance for a decent shot.  Pressure.

I'm settling in on a shutter speed of 1/200th of a second for my best chance of a WWII fighter class shot with acceptable prop blur.

The Thunder over Michigan '22 show featured some WWII fighter aircraft from the European theater.  And some others.

In the end, it doesn't matter to me as I'm happy to see whoever shows up and starts up those engines.

In this case, two Allied fighters take to the skis again.  A P-40 Kittyhawk and a Hawker Hurricane.  To me, a non-English major, this is poetry.  To me, the non-Art major, this is Art.

Kittyhawk and Hurricane Level Flight

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

420 mm, 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

And this shot is quickly becoming a favorite as a screen background.

Kittyhawk and Hurricane Right Bank

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6

420 mm, 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Good shots.

Super Saber F100-F Two Weekends in a Row

Last month had two airshows for me.  Both close to home.  One was a one day event, for me, and the other was a long weekend.  From what I can tell, there was only one aircraft that made both shows.  The Selfridge ANGB and Thunder over Michigan are not small shows.  I thought there would have been more crossover between the two shows within a few miles of each other.

The aircraft that made both shows was a North American Aviation F-100 Super Saber.

The Super Saber was designed/developed in the 50's, which makes it older than me.

The Super Saber was the first operational jet aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.  (Operational, not test.)  It was also the first jet fighter to cross the North Pole in 1959.  It was the first jet to enter the Viet Nam war.  The Super Saber has a place in history.

The aircraft is powered by a P&W J-57, which is where we cross paths.  This J-57 has an afterburner for extra thrust.  The J-57 I worked on used water to increase thrust on take-off.  But a J-57 is still a J-57.  It's all in the guts.

Photographically this is a tough bird to catch.  Polished scored aluminum.  On a sunny day, there is probably a hot spot somewhere.  Somehow I survived.  The first shot is from the Selfridge Open House, where the sky helped the shot a lot.  

F-100F in the air.

F-100F Inflight

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

247 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Another F-100F inflight shot, but this time there are two aircrew at the ToM show.  Fortunately there was heavy overcast which cut down on the sun hotspots.  The blue sky is due to heavy post processing and a RAW file format.  If I ever do another post on why I shoot RAW, this would be a test photo.

F-100F Straight and Level

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

495 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

I like takeoff shots, especially if there is something unique to capture.  Not that an afterburner shot is unique, but an older AB shot is interesting.  

F-100F AB Take Off

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

540 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

I thought this last shot was a bit different.  Two in the cockpit.  For most taxi shots, there is only one.

F-100F Taxi with Two

NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

135 mm, 1/640 sec, f/5.0, ISO 64

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

Neat aircraft to watch and listen to.  It is interesting to hear the differences between one of the early jet engines of the F-100 and the current generation of engines in modern aircraft.