Welcome to ISnAP I am honored to take over the reigns from Jay Miller as your new ISAP Chairman. Jay’s tenure has been long and productive, but after ten years, he’s decided it’s time to pass the reigns on to fresh blood. Like Jay, I’m of the strong opinion that the future presents ISAP with an extraordinary Photo credit © Jay Beckman opportunity to continue building upon our ISAP relationships while concurrently using ISAP to advance our skills and aviation photography knowledge. Importantly, ISAP recognizes the power of relationships and networking and how these are essential to membership growth. Accordingly, ISAP’s mission is to provide you with opportunities through which to build those relationships. I hope members will resolve to get ever more involved with ISAP and take advantage of the opportunities it presents to form, build, and strengthen camaraderie and subject knowledge. ISAP will soon be providing members with improved communications through our new website and upgraded ISnAP e-newsletter. Our primary short-term goal is to provide members with more ways to stay in touch. We also intend to focus on current membership needs while reaching out to members who have fallen by the wayside. Importantly, we continue to seek out new members to add to the richness and
depth of ISAP’s existing membership. We just held a very successful symposium in San Diego, California, wherein ISAP members gathered, friendships were renewed, and new friendships were formed. It was gratifying to hear members discuss technique and equipment while offering assistance with photography tips and information to further personal goals. We have some exciting news for you concerning ISAP! First of all, ISAP will be launching a totally new website within the next couple of weeks. We are extremely excited about the many new features the new website will offer. It will be much easier to use than our old site while providing members with more information and more resources for photography. More emphasis will be placed on general information, photography events, equipment, and member accomplishments. We will let you know soon when the website is to be launched. Put ISAP-XI on your schedule for May 17, 18 and 19 2012 in Virginia Beach, VA. More updates to follow soon! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this issue of ISnAP! Larry Grace, Chairman.
ISAP News / Symposium Recap: ISAP-XI Virginia Beach, VA. May 17-19, 2012 Connect with ISAP : www.aviationphotographers.org Facebook and LinkedIn (International Society for Aviation Photography) http://issuu.com/isaporg (Current and Back issues of ISnAP) In this issue of ISnAP, we will share with you some of the many images from ISAP-X. Consider it a photo recap of the symposium! For those of you who weren’t there, you missed one of the best ISAPs in the organization’s history. Images from the symposium by: Frank Landrus, Liz Kaszynski, Craig Swancy, Joe Oliva, Lynn Cromer, Larry Grace 2011 ISAP-X Symposium Speakers: Paul Bowen, Doug Rozendaal, Jessica Ambats, Tyson Rininger, Katsuhiko Tokunaga, Chad Slattery,Russell Munson, Ken Sklute - Canon, Mike Fizer, Jamie Hunter - Combat Aircraft Magazine, Liz Kaszynski - Lockheed Martin, Joe McNally - Nikon ISAP Lifetime Achievement Award - Philip Makanna Guest Speaker - Col. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson
Denny Lombard Steps From Behind the Camera
Lockheed Martin photographer and frequent Code One contributor, Denny Lombard retired at the end of January, closing out a forty-one year career with the company. During his career at the Skunk Works, he produced iconic images of most of the company’s aircraft, including the U-2, SR-71, YF-22, and X-35. At least those are the projects he can talk about.
He served as one of the photographic team leads for the LockheedBoeing-General Dynamics Advanced Tactical Fighter demonstration/ validation test program in 1990. He considers this assignment, which included taking air-to-air chase photographs of the YF-22 from the back seat of F-16s and F-15s at Edwards AFB, California, as the highlight of his career.
With fellow Lockheed photographer Eric Schulzinger, Lombard documented development of the F-117 Nighthawk while it was still a top secret program. In early 1990, the duo went to Tonopah, Nevada, and took what became the first publicly released photos of the F-117. Those photos immediately graced the covers of aviation and news magazines all over the world. They were just some of many cover shots he took over the span of his career.
As one of the founding members of the International Society for Aviation Photographers, or ISAP, Lombard served as the organization’s secretary for many years. Through ISAP, he established lasting friendships with fellow photographers from around the world.
Lombard started shooting pictures in high school. He then managed his own photography business before coming to Lockheed in the fall of 1969. At Lockheed, he started in the mail room as a package messenger earning a little over $3 an hour. He spent eleven years working in various capacities in Burbank and Palmdale, California, waiting for a photography position to open. He moved behind the camera in 1981. Some of his all-time favorite shots are shown here.
Lombard has been married to wife Andie for thirty-nine years. The couple has two daughters and six grandchildren. In retirement, he hopes to spend time with his grandkids, do some traveling, and maybe even take a few pictures once in awhile. Clear skies and tailwinds as you head off for new adventures, Denny. Eric Hehs, Editor Code One Magazine LM Aeronautics Company Communications Department www.codeonemagazine.com
Gadget Bag Epson 9890
prints not only extraordinary color, but also outstanding black and white images that rival anything I was ever able to get out of classic black and white negatives.
by Jay Miller
I sucked in a pretty serious breath before writing the check covering the cost of my new Epson 9890 printer. Retailing at $4,995 (there is a slightly more expensive designer edition with a couple of software add-ons that lists for $5,495), it’s not for folks who like to squeeze farts out of buffalo nickels. Adding to that sucking sound are the costs of the various Epson UltraChrome K3 ink cartridges. There are three size options: 150 ml; 350 ml; and 700 ml. These will set you back $89.95; $159.95; and $279.95 apiece, respectively (some retailers discount these inks a bit, but not much). No less than nine are required for a complete refill. That’s right, $2,519.55 to replace ‘em all (assuming that’s necessary – which it usually is not; and that’s also assuming you use ink in large enough quantities to merit the 700 ml tanks). Any way you look at it, it ain’t the buying of the horse that’s expensive – it’s paying for all that hay (i.e., ink). The Epson 9890 is the latest addition to Epson’s fleet of large format ink jet printers. It is capable of producing 44-inch wide images that in theory can be an almost unlimited number of inches or feet long. It is also capable of printing 8-inch by 10-inch prints – which is as small as it will go. Anything smaller requires a different, and smaller, printer. Paper comes in rolls up to 44-inches wide and 100 feet long (at a cost of about $320 per). A wide variety of surface finishes are available. The smallest rolls are 10-inches wide (at a cost of about $60 per). The Epson 9890 will also print on sheet paper. I often use the classic A3 series 13-inch by 19-inch when there’s no need for the big stuff. I bought the Epson 9890 primarily because I have a short list of clients who sporadically need large prints. They use ‘em for exhibitions, symposiums, expositions, and other venues that require high profile exposure to potential customers. Additionally, on occasion, there’s an in-house need for large images to hang in executive offices and meeting rooms, and to assist with customer relations. No, the demand probably isn’t sufficient to justify my having a large printer in-house, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find other ways to offset the up-front and on-going support costs of the machine. I have, for instance, spread the gospel around to all of my local fellow photographers. Between ‘em, I get a couple of jobs a week – enough to pay for a few ink cartridges as the need arises and probably allow me to partially amortize a little of my up-front costs. Over time, I propose that these small jobs alone eventually will cover the total price of the printer. Having said all of the above, after working with the Epson 9890 for over a month now, I can report that it is simply mind-bending in terms of performance and image quality. I won’t bore you with all the technical specs here (if you need those, go to the Epson web site at http://www. epson.com), but suffice it to say resolution is 2880 x 1440 dpi and droplet size is 3.5 picoliters. There are 360 nozzles per channel. The Epson 9890
When the printer arrived via large truck, I quickly discovered that moving it was not a one-man option. In fact, after the fork lift slowly maneuvered the very large pallet into my garage (thoughtfully displacing Susan’s Prius rather than my Explorer), I admit to asking myself if I had been sober when I picked up the phone and placed my order. Suffice it to say the printer weighs 292 pounds and is about 5-feet long and 4-feet tall (on dolly). Epson recommends – strongly – that four people be recruited for lifting assignments. Additionally, as I discovered while actually reading the instruction book (and it is, by the way, a “book” – and not a pamphlet), there are purpose-built handles at each corner of the printer to accommodate lifting and moving. The whole assembly sits on a stoutly built four-caster dolly. Unfortunately, the dolly is not designed for long hauls over rough terrain, and I determined quickly that I would have to sweet-talk three friends into giving me a hand moving the printer from the garage to my in-house office. Three victims eventually showed up at the front door after I promised to give each of them a new Nikon D3X and all the beer they could drink during the fifteen minutes they would be in the traces. Eventually we got the job done, but not without considerably more effort than any of us initially anticipated. Moral – if you’re going to buy one of these things, make sure you’ve got the manpower available to move it. The only negative I can point a finger at is the noise. This is not a quiet machine by any vague stretch of the imagination. While it’s printing, it uses a sizable vacuum system to literally suck the paper flat against the platen-like back plate. I doubt any of us have ever seen or heard a “quiet vacuum” and this machine is no exception. Not too surprisingly, a week before the Epson 9890 arrived at my front door, one of my clients called to ask if I had any way of printing no less than 24 20-inch by 30-inch prints. I replied to the affirmative and instantly covered the cost of my first full-set of ink cartridges (the set supplied with the printer is primarily to prime the pumps – literally; after they are installed, up to 80% of the ink they contain is consumed just filling the ink lines!). Over-all, a truly great printer. I’m very happy I made the investment – though I can’t say that Susan is of a similar mind set. Which reminds me to mention that if any ISAP members need large prints at reasonable cost, please keep me in mind! Jay
Meet The Member Jake Peterson
It didn’t take much to get addicted to Aviation Photography, what with the smell of avgas, the roar of the engines as they go zooming by, the sun glistening off of the plane’s wing and of course the cold beer at the end of a long day. Most importantly though, are the people and their stories behind the aircraft. Now having spent only a few years really working on my photography in the realms of wildlife and landscape, aviation photography was at that time alien to me to say the least. With one quick trip to Pylon Racing Seminar in 2009, the world of aviation opened up to me in exciting new ways I never imagined possible! I learned at Reno that the planes had a life of their own and capturing all their characteristics was not only a challenge but also very entertaining. Shooting statics became a joy not only in capturing the light that was bouncing off of the fuselage but also in the geometric lines of the plane itself. Everything about a plane is designed for perfection and in many ways that is the same as a photograph.
I am a Nikon shooter and have in my arsenal every focal length from an AF-S 12-24 f2.8 to an AF-S 600f4 and use two D3 bodies. When working with statics I love getting close with an AF-S 24- 70 f2.8 but I also love using the 70-200 VRII f2.8 or 70-300 VR f5.6 to control the background. I continually look for what I consider to be that perfect photograph, knowing perfectly well that there is no such thing. I learned at PRS the weight that these photographers have to deal with; slinging those 200-400 VR lenses around while panning with a plane going by at 200 mph is no easy feat. I also learned how essential post processing can be with the finishing of an image in order to truly capture the beauty of these planes, which spurred my desire to become better at my craft. PRS might have been the moment when I started in Aviation Photography, but it surely won’t be the last. Since that time only two years ago I have gone on many adventures, had the honor of flying in a P51D Mustang, traversed the ladder to the top of Home Pylon at Reno Air Races, and become friends with many great people like those at CAF Arizona, Fantasy of Flight, Stallion 51 and those at Reno. Having achieved so much in such a short period of time has only further inspired me to work harder in order to succeed. Now I was told that the pinnacle of Aviation Photography is doing an air to air shoot. Six months after I started photographing planes I had the opportunity to go flying in a T6 while photographing another T6 outside of Carson City, NV. It was truly an amazing experience being able to fly for pure enjoyment and not for merely getting from point A to point B.
The shoot was nothing fancy, just a couple orbits around Lake Tahoe on a cold January morning with overcast skies and a blanket of snow covering the ground. By the time we touched down I had a smile on my frozen face from ear to ear! I understood then why most consider air to air to be so amazing. Shooting the other plane though, that was painful. With a D3 in my hand and a 24-70 I was ready for anything, or so I thought. Looking out of the rear seat in the T6 with the canopy open in January, brrrrrr was it cold! It was definitely a challenging shoot but then it was my first time doing an air to air. I quickly learned to keep the lens out of the slipstream, no lens shade of course, turning my neck to see the other plane when the neck didn’t want to turn, and of course the hardest part not knowing the lingo well enough to communicate on the headset. Shooting out of the right side was no picnic either, I think that kink is still in my neck. Nevertheless, it was fun! I have been very fortunate already in the aviation world and had the privilege to fly a number of times in various aircraft. The one moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget was this past November at an Air to Air workshop started by my Dad, Moose Peterson and Richard VanderMeulen, teaching others the joys and safeties of flying and photographing air to air formations.
We were in a Skyvan the three of us along with the participants down at CAF Mesa, Arizona. It was the first time I had been able to get close to a B17G Flying Fortress. Sentimental Journey is its name and a fairly accurate one at that. I don’t think any of us will forget that trip. After a good morning of shooting statics and briefing by safety instructor Doug Rozendaal we were ready to fly. Being strapped down to the floor of a plane is a very different feeling. It kind of reminded me of putting the family dog on a leash and a stake so he can run around the yard, always chasing after something but never able to get it. That’s how it felt in the Skyvan, harnessed in with a strap on our back, holding us to the plane. We were flying only a few minutes when we heard the go ahead to get up. Richard opened the door and WHAM! There was Sentimental Journey. It wasn’t too far back, not down, not off to the side or above us; no it was so close I thought I could reach out and touch it. It was unbelievable. The fact alone that it was a B17 flying with us made it more unbelievable, but then I guess in a way that is what we photographers do. We capture the seemingly unbelievable, breathtaking and inspiring events so that everyone else can witness them. That’s what makes photography so important. In the short time that I have been a photographer, which truly has only been about five years right around the time I started college, I have
learned the importance of a photograph and how it can inspire others to shoot not only for their own pleasure but also to help others. This seems to hold sway more often in the aviation realm than in others I work because the planes need the help. As I quickly learned most everything at these museums, air shows, and flyin’s are all volunteer based and thus any help given is always welcomed. One thing that impresses me most about aviation is how much is done for these planes, not for profit or fame, but for the shear enjoyment and passion for aviation. My hat goes off to those people. Like most photographers, I’m not sure where the future might go or where my photography will take me. I know that I will continue to work with the natural world along with the mechanical, engineering world of aviation.
ISAP is a great group of people who I feel are trying to make a difference amongst the aviation community and I am proud to be a member alongside of so many other great photographers. I continue my studies in the photographic world in order to not only inspire but also hopefully give back to these guys who dedicated their lives to the community. Thanks to all who have given me such amazing opportunities and especially Larry Grace for allowing me to contribute to ISnAP. On one final note, the first day I went shooting statics at Reno, my Dad came up to me and said, “If you get hooked, it’s not my fault.” Truer words cannot have been said for it is easy to get hooked on aviation. http://www.jakepeterson.org/
My goal is not only to have a library of digital images documenting these planes but also to contribute to those that enjoy seeing these planes fly in hope that my work will inspire others to get involved. Young as I am, I understand the need for bringing in new youthful people into aviation, so that these planes will be preserved and their legacies not forgotten. One of the best ways I feel to do this is through ISAP.
ISAP-X Symposium San Diego, CA Photo Recap June 2 - 4, 2011
See you next year at ISAP-XI Virginia Beach, VA. May 17-19, 2012
ISAP Chairman -
Larry Grace
lgrace@mm.com
ISAP Secretary -
Joe Olivia
joe@jetpix.com
ISAP Treasurer -
Bonnie Kratz
bonnie@bonniekratzphotography.com
ISAP Lawyer-
Albert Ross
alross@sbcglobal.net
ISAP Board Member -
Jessica Ambats
jessicaambats@gmail.com
ISAP Board Member -
Mike Collins
mike.collins@aopa.org
ISAP Board Member -
George Kouins
george@pilotgetaways.com
ISAP Board Member -
Katsuhiko Tokunaga
tokunaga@dact.co.jp
ISAP Board Member -
Richard VanderMuelen richardvm@aol.com
ISAP Board Member -
Jim Wilson
jw@jimwilsonphotography.com
ISAP Chairman Emeritus
Jay Miller
aerofax@sbcglobal.net
ISnAP Editor -
Frank Landrus
viggenja37@sbcglobal.net
The ISnAP is a periodic publication of the International Society for Aviation Photography and is used to communicate news, functions, convention information, and other events or items of interest on the local, regional, and national scenes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and should not be construed as the views or opinions of International Society for Aviation Photography. Deadline for submissions to The ISnAP is the 25th of the month prior to month of issue. Please submit photos at a jpg file (240 dpi minimum) and text as a WORD file as an attachment via email to your editor.
It's "Airplane ID" time! Here's your next challenge:
Jay Miller Photo Collection