October 16, 2007
-
And Now For Something…
…Completely Different.
As I type this, I’m 4 weddings behind posting here on xanga.
The images have been delivered to their owners, and each photo
has been processed, the only thing remaining is posting them
here, for your enjoyment!But alas… I had an amazing weekend, and I think it’s time
to break stride… To share some very different photos from my
norm, and to show that I still very much enjoy my life in aviation,
and the joy of taking photos purely for fun
Without further ado… I give you:
The 2007 Miramar Airshow!!Years ago, I began my writing career at a small aviation magazine
based in Central Florida. I quickly moved from a writer, to an editor,
and ended up as the advertising editor by age 17.At the time my life was an absolute flurry of activity, and over the space
of that year, I’d moved on, and my interests starting centering on marketing
and photography…. One thing that stayed with me though, was my media
credentials… And they’ve constantly been a blessing!!The process often starts the same way; I decide to travel to some big event…
Conference, Airshow, Sports Game, Auto Show, Race, or the like. I submit
my credentials for approval and the dance begins.First, they prove that I’m not a stalker, racist, or rapist, then they make sure
I really intend to get my work published, and finally they graciously give me
and my team the “star treatment”. It’s handy!!That said, I must admit that working with the Military is different… And if
you ever are in a position of needing something, I recommend offering lots
of free beer
For some reason Marines respond well to that, haha.Bribes aside, this past weekend I was able to offer a truly unique opportunity
to my dear friends Matthew Saville, Mary, and Brianna. By the grace of God,
and a few truly friendly Marines, they were able to join me in the media tent,
and were offered full press passes for the day.Better yet, because of the relationships I’d struck up in the weeks previous, we
were offered some TRULY remarkable opportunities that no other members
of the media were afforded!More on that later though
We left early… My I shook myself awake at 4:50AM, and we made the drive
South smoothly, even through all the rain, and arrived safely at around 7AM.
You won’t mind if I jump right into pictures now, will you?
“Set The Mood”
For some reason, most of the photos I shot left me with the same
giddy, but sepia toned mood… The clouds throughout the day improved,
and made for some incredible drama in the shots…. But you’ll see what I
mean as you look through this post
This giant image is actually an 8 image stitch….. Click Here to see it much larger,
the way it should be seen [if you are a dial up user, don't even think about it though!]After hurrying about, shooting all the same static displays that everyone had access to,
I made a quick run back to the Media “chalet” to find out if I could convince them to
let me into the restricted area.A particularly adventuresome Corporal said “Well, if the men with guns don’t stop us,
we’ll be okay… Let’s try it!”
Corporal Taylor
After picking up the rest of the gang, we headed into the restricted
area…. And were immediately greeted by some of the heroes of my
youth. The Red Baron Pizza Flying Squadron!!
I got to hang out with the lead pilot for a bit, and he ended up giving
me his card, and a ballcap… Look for potential in flight photos with
them sometime in December or JanuaryFrom the Barons, we made our way down through a massive hangar
filled with all the civilian airshow performers and I was able to capture
some really unique portraits of them as they were preparing for their
routines… Such a cool experience!But then…. It was on to the closed of… “RESTRICTED” side of the
hangar… The place where Skunk Works pride and joy was resting.The F-117 Stealth Fighter.
Our guide warned us that we may not be able to get close to it at all,
and I prepared myself to be led away by Marines with M-16′s, but
pushed on until I’d walked to with in a few feet, smiling at the guards
and quickly switching lenses.
The Piercing Eyes Of A Pilot.
There’s just something about the eyes of a pilot… Piercing, yet
somehow filled with a realization of beauty. As a pilot myself,
I understand the reasons yet I’m always fascinated by them.A true appreciation for Glory, I suppose.
“Business End”
Just after we arrived, the team began pulling the Stealth out to prep
it for it’s airshow run. That’s where things got interesting…Shortly after I snapped the shot above, I moved even closer.
Catching shot after shot as the pilot began his pre-flight checks.
Suddenly, one of the guards stopped me and ordered me away
“Twenty Feet Back… NOW!!”I obeyed in a hurry!
But then I captured this image:
Worth it I think
After the F-117 was under it’s own power, we started heading back
to the golf cart we’d been driven in on (did I mention that it surely is
nice to be a member of the press?).But we didn’t make it far before our guide stopped to take a closer
look at the OTHER F-117 they had there… Or rather, a closer “smell”.
“Smells Like Wow”
He was priceless, lol.
With over 2,000 photos taken Saturday, I’m sad to say that
there is just no way to get them all uploaded here, and summarily
I’ll have to jump around a bit.Why don’t we move on to the airshow?
“The Shockwave”
Powered by three enormous jet engines this Peterbuilt
Semi Truck is capable of nearly 400 MPH… So much fun to watch!
(I’m going to try for a ride soon
“Grace”
After a coordinated invasion of the main runway, the Marines involved
went along the flight line to shake the hands of all those assembled.
It was such a blessing to see true patriotism in the eyes of these men, and
in those who gripped their hands and thanked them for all they’ve done
and will do.
“Set Apart”
“I Want One”
You know what’s funny about me?
As a wedding photographer, I just cannot get enough of taking
pictures of people.. I love to try to capture a bit of their personality,
their joy, their intensity… All of it.Even when I’m just supposed to be shooting an airshow, haha
“Vet”
“Interesting Tidbit”
When an aircraft pulls high G’s or is close to going supersonic, it produces
a unique billowy mist from certain parts of it’s airframe. The F-18 has a truly
unique signature, and is often photographed because of it…. But this was the
first time I’d ever seen a rainbow in the mist… Wow!
“Highspeed Rainbow”
“Stunning”
Sean Tucker is one of my all time favorite pilots, he is a
master in the sky and is a fantastic showman as well. Really cool
“World’s Smallest Loop”
Up next was the Red Baron Squadron…
Check this out!
I love the shadows in the clouds that their planes cast… Too cool!
And then?
It was on to the Thunderbirds
I have a TON of photos, but here’s two of my favorites.
“Timing”
“Break Away”
After the Thunderbirds Bri and I made a break for the car
to back up images and pick up some more camera gear for the night show.
On the ride there (again, golf carts and media credentials are worth their weight
in gold I snapped this shot:
“Details”
Later….
“I’ll Fly Away… Oh Glory.”
“Matthew Saville”
As the night wore on, the crowd waited in anticipation of
fireworks and the famous “Wall of Fire” (See Matt’s site for
great pictures of that one soon)“Anticipation”
But first, the Jet Truck had to make another run….
Here’s what that looks like at night with a 3 minute exposure.
(The yellow white line in the middle is the afterburners from the truck)
And now, my post must end so I bid you goodnight with this
exposure of one part of the “Wall of Fire”… That’s Matt just to my right
What a fun day!
After shooting for nearly 16 hours straight we packed up and
headed back North to Laguna Beach. Did I mention that I moved here?More on that later
P.S. Help me out, would ya?
Which was your favorite image today? I’m getting
a few printed for my new place and I need *YOUR* help!Thanks
______________________________________________________
All of these images *ARE* available for sale in print, or digital form.
For more information, browse the full gallery at:
http://blueshoephoto.smugmug.com/gallery/3646797
Comments (65)
I need like a 10 star rating option for this post. Without even glancing at my airshow photos (literally) I know that I might not even need to bother, yours are WAY better. Beautiful moments, beautiful compositions, beautiful processing. Word.
=Matt=
eric, these are simply fantastic! what an awesome series of photos to look at. they are all great…but my favorites are “stunning” and “red baron squadron”. you captured the events of the day perfectly.
These are amazing Eric– way too good to pick a favorite. How about, “I like all the ones with planes in them.”
To frame on a wall, I think I’d pick the “World’s Smallest Loop” (the red and blue are amazing) and the Red Baron Squadron. . .And maybe “I’ll Fly Away.”
Good stuff.
Half way through reading this post I realized I was giggling with delight
as I anticipated the next photo yet not wanting to scan ahead because I was enjoying your take on the day so much.
THANKS FOR AN INCREDIABLE EXPERIENCE! I loved it
As for favorite images, there are so many to choose from!
As for images to print, kind of depends on the other images you chose…I’d ask and interior design student for advice
I saw your comment on Dan’s xanga and I just had to look…
As an Air Force member and being through several air shows…some of which I have been voluntold to work at…The pictures are beautiful but it’s the same crap at EVERY air show. They display a multitude of jets, do some stunts with some different jets, Thunderbirds make an appearence, do a reenactment or two, and end it with some crazy stunt or a badass reenactment of something. It’s all cool for the civilians but it sucks for the military people who work at or around the flightline(like myself) where the Air show is at. No one ever sees the garbage people throw on the flightline after everyone leaves. None of the Air Show jets can leave until the flightline is clean of foreign object damage(FOD). You would think people would have the common courtesy to not litter a military base/post. We open our gates only to have people litter it. People don’t know that a paper cup can cause $30k+ in repairs to an aircraft engine. It’s inconsiderate. I hate Air shows…and so do the majority of the people hosting the “Dog and Pony Shows”…
Eric — these are amazing pictures. I think “Stunning” is my favorite of all; “Timing,” or “Break Away” might land on my wall as well – and I like the Red Baron Squadron too, with its clear shadows. Those press passes did wonders in getting you where you could do your magic. I was at the evening portion of this show a couple of years ago — still remember the heat of that wall of fire! Thanks for sharing these! Janet
I loved this air show, all the tiems we’ve gone, before Jimmy Franklin died. Amazing photos. Thanks for the share.
wow, these are amazing!!!!!!
Wow. Amazing. Positively Amazing! Since we serve with a ministry to truck drivers, I have to choose the truck – “The Shock Wave” as my favorite. “I’ll fly away…Oh, Glory” is another favorite.
Hello Eric,
I like your site that you worked hard to make simple yet elegant. The pictures are a nice touch. I see that you have a wide variety of observations here!
I like to write articles about God and religion on my site to help people to really get to know God, especially in these troubled times.14 When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come. (Matthew 24:14) (CEV) I hope you get a chance to look at them.
Great shots man, and sounds like a great adventure as well. I think “Stunning” is the most powerful shot and would look good at any size on any wall. Good luck to you and good work.
Two favorites ~ “World’s Smallest Loop” and “I’ll Fly Away, O Glory” ~ stunning photos!
Hi, I came over from Mary’s site, where she talks so much about you that I feel that I “know” you. LOL The pictures are GREAT, STUNNING, AWESOME, and I will be showing them to my boys at some point today. A+++++ work and thank you so very much for sharing them here on xanga! Blessings.
I think my fav is the Vet one, though I think the Timing one is right there next to it because of the precision of the move. But people’s faces with deeply etched character are also a favorite of mine.
What’s with the fire coming from the rig? I pretty much got stuck there.
Amazing is not adequate for these photos!!!! I have a son who is a marine and a husband who is crazy mad about airplanes so the both of us sat here and looked at the photos in slide show format…. enthralling to be sure!!! THanks for posting them to share. I will be back to tell you my favorites. I would also like to own on or two…mybe as a gift for my husband….. we will see….. meanwhile I have subscribed for inspiration in photography….
wow wow WOW eric… these are truely amazing photos! you did an AWESOME job! goodness, i can’t even begin to pick out my favorite.. so i gess i’ll have to come back and look at them again later. (imight even look into buying a few… i LOVE your photographs
)
Wow, they’re amazing! You’re inspiring.
The Red Baron Squadron but of course they are all fantastic.
first I loved the one of the Vet, his weathered face, stern concentration. then second and third are grace and then the pic of the Red Baron Squadron, four planes in the clouds, with the shadows. What a gift you have, these are lovely. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, you all were awful calm or tired to be so quiet about your experience…course Mary was kinda glowing when she got to the Wedding party. Your narration adds so much to the photos….gives an even greater appreciation. It is hard to pick favorites…too many. I have to agree that “worlds smallest loop” and ” I’ll fly away” would be great artwork because of the beauty of the composition and color. I also love the breakaway or timing…hard to pick which one.Stunning is a great one for the serene mood. You know art work is hard to pick for someone else….it is largely how it makes you feel when looking at it!
Anyway, well done! Big hugs! Know you are always welcome….we are just down the highway
love, Jenny
Hi; I subscribed because I CAN’T WAIT to show my husband your pictures. He works on these things,,,does radar systems….and we are SO into this kind of stuff. Hey..and we are Calvary Chapel people (though there’s not one here) God bless and thanks for your site.
I have to say, very nice job on the air shots. Excellent post-processing. So I take it that you’re from San Diego?
ryc: wow - that was fast… and i guess laguna beach isn’t THAAAT far away from SD… what an hour and a half? Not
that
bad for an assignment
(grr at xanga screwing up the formatting on my comment)
hahaa – yay for gmail instant notification?
this post was fantastic. i have many favorites… but i’ll just choose two… first off, i have to pick the tank. my husband was a gunner on a tank JUST like that a few years ago, and i know he would simply die to have that photograph hanging in our home… my second favorite was the biplanes in the hanger. just gorgeous!!
these are awesome! a whole day hanging out w/ expensive equipment? I really need to apply for a press pass.
i like the Red Barons w/ their shadows in the clouds and the 3 minutes exposure of the truck’s afterburner.
wow such awesome pictures
i like the ‘break away’ one.
omg these are breathtaking….”Stunning” is unbelievably beautiful…well, stunning actually. great job…!!!!
Thank you for the comment. It was much appreciated.
By the way, you took some amazing photos. Very good job!
Eric, your photography is outstanding! I felt as if I was at the event standing beside you!
Fabulous Job!
Are you really in So Cal now?
Dude! ¿Sup?
yayyyy, eric updated!!!
jim and i are sitting here looking at all these photos together and he’s especially loving these!!!! they are all really good and our favorite is “stunning”! i love your descriptions of each photo. (in fact, on sarah and chad’s pictures i miss how you had given each one of them a particular name in the first batch you edited, i thought that was neat-o! btw, i want to order some but am waiting until you get all of them up. let me know when the final one is processed so we can order away.)
it looks as though your life in southern cali is going really well. have a great week!
those shots kick mine in the arse!
I grew up by tinker afb in midwest city, Ok. Those bombers sounds like excrusiating nails on a chalk board when they are coming down for a landing.
and they only land/fly out at night.
Wow! Welcome to SoCal.
I’m real close to where the Miramar Air Show was last week. I hear it every year, but have yet to go to one. Loved your photos. We need to do a photo field trip sometime now that you’re close by.
Hope you are doing well and that your Walk with Him is going well.
Warmly,
Jas
AMAZING……simply AMAZING. Hard to choose a favorite but I think the stealth on the runway and the piercing eyes of the pilot are AWESOME. I’ll fly away is another favorite.
OMG you don’t even know how hard it was to chose favorites in this post but I guess I will….. definately “Stunning” and “I Want One”.
Wanna know something crazy…. I was supposed to go to that airshow….
LOVE this post! You are such good storyteller.
so here is my two cents on your photos:
*Umbrella Kid..think I’d like to see this in color
*Giant sleeping….Luv the mood, a sense of waitng, the lack of people, the water on the ground, the compositon…looks like a beast that has just swept it’s wings downward preparing to leap skyward
*Cpl Tay…like how you captured his seriousness about the job, but still youthful
*Biplanes in Sepia…feels like steping back in time, crisp focusing
*Pilot…Excellent capture! Handsomely done (one of my favorites)
*Business End…photo journalist_telling the story so well
*Sepia F-117…Elegant
*Smells like Wow” strange compositon, but like Taylor’s smile
*Shockwave” …YES!!! Such a great image!
*Grace…ethereal
*Set Apart…good choice in desaturating the color, strong compositon
*I Want One..totally strong image! The clouds really made the picture
*Vet …perfect exposure and detail (jealous)
*Rainbow…I want to see this with a grey or brown sky..the baby blue sky looks too pretty or such a strong image
*STUNNING* …absolutely. It’s like looking at a silent film from the twenties.
A very romantic image…this would look beautiful in Bri’s room, matted and place in an old frame
*Smallest loop” LUV, Luv, luv the COLOR and the composition. It just pops!
Definately worth framing.
*Squadron…another epic flim photo! it needs a powerful story..the mood is so tenuous…there’s a mystery to it.
*Timing…OH YEAH! Great capture, but I want to see this one in sepia..that blue sky is bugging me
*Break Away” Love the Thunderbirds and smoke against the dark grey cloud… “Oh I want to get away, I want to fly away, Yeah yeah yeah”
*Details…oh good job!
*I’ll fly away..Oh Glory the title sells the picture
*Matt Saville…nice even tones (but remove that pimple next to his nose, distracting)
*Anticipation..I don’t exactly know why, but I REALLY like this picture
*3 min Exposure…Beautiful
*Wall of Fire…I can feel the heat!
Do you realize how good you’ve gotten over the past year!
wow…these are just superb. I love how the cloudiness doesn’t keep you from getting amazing shots. I know I personally get bummed when it’s gloomy out, but you somehow turned it into something great. Oh, and you don’t really know me…but I just had to subscribe because I love your work. (puts my amateurish stuff to shame).
wow. absolutely fantastic!
I LOVE YOUR PICTURES!!!!!!!
what kind of canon are you using… (i’m guessing because of your huge white lens.)
seems like you got front row seats or something!!!!! ^^ that’s soo exciting.
are you in the army or anything?
Coming by from Sharon’s site (justhopingnow). Great air show pics. We just had our air show in Houston, and saw Shockwave.
as always your artistry with the camera is amazing…I love all of the shots!
my favorite is the shadows one. . . hey, that comment on my sister’s wall was. . .
once again, inspiring shots.
Awesome pictures. I always enjoy them. You are a very talented young man.
for lack of better words, i have to revert to the overused ‘amazing,’ ‘amazing,’ and ‘amazing.’ no other word seems to make sense. now i just have to dry off my laptop because i think i drooled. thanks.
(really, these are fantastic shots. i.am.jealous)
“Stunning” is certainly my favorite. But I have a soft spot for sepia tones.
RYC: Problem solved: do.
hey eric, yeah, we definitely should get together and talk shop! do you live in so cal? btw, i was looking at the “grace” photo again…such a peaceful feel about it.
Holy Cow! Did you get some amazing images or what?! Grace and Stunning are my two faves, and the untitle one before Smells Like Wow. GREAT job! Looks like it was totally worth the early morning wake up call!
Love this post! I think you should get prints of “Grace,” The Tank, and the Red Barons (they’re pretty classy!)
I like the one of Matt. It would be slightly weird to have a picture of him for your new place though, so I suggest “Stunning”
These are tooooo cool Eric! Great work.. and I’m sure you’ll sell a lot of these!
wow, some really great photos!!! love the sean tucker sepia. great composition.
I liked “Highspeed Rainbow”, “Stunning”, the Red Barons and “I’ll Fly Away… Oh, Glory” the best, though all of them were cool.
RYC: Ah, yes, how could I possibly refuse an invite from a man who calls me a “dork”? =P
just coming by to say “howdy”!!! i hope you guys had a great time this weekend. i just referred your website to a fellow xanga friend, fotoimpact, and saw you updated it. it looks so great!!!! sarah gave me a bunch of numbers of pictures to order but i’m still waiting to hear if you are uploading more. if not i’ll just order the ones she gave me the numbers of. hope all is wonderful!!!!
You do realize that if you buy a 50 f/1.2, there will either be an intervention, or you will not be my friend anymore? To be perfectly honest, (not watered down like on Cameratalk) I think the 50 1.2 is borderline huge waste of money. Because the 50 1.4, if you get a good copy, is alll you’ll ever need. Owning the 50 1.2 is one of the biggest steps you can take towards being a flat-out L snob. Do yourself a favor and get the 35 f/1.4 L if you’ve got a hankering for fast apeture L glass… You’ll thank me later when you get a full frame body!
=Matt=
ryc *I’d* eat a llama.
The fire behind the truck looks so cool.
I can’t believe I haven’t commented on this post yet… I’ve looked at it in awe several times! I love so many of the shots! I love the mood of the 2nd shot. It’s just fantastic! And the 4th shot of the propellers… so cool. I also love “the shockwave” and “grace”… oh and “stunning”. These ARE stunning! But I think my favorite is the Red Baron Squadron. There is just something about that photo that I love!
Great work Eric… as always!!!!!
~ Dawn
Ps: Just a thought… you may want to put a watermark on the images you have for sale. When clicked on, they blow up so beautifully and some not-so-honest people could very easily screen capture them and make gorgeous prints. Your images are beautiful enough to just tempt someone!
Sorry it took me so long to get back but my favorites are definitely the in the air ones….especially the bi-wing black and white…… enjoyed looking at them all again…… and the wedding ones…. so do you fly everywhere to do the wedding shots???? I assume it is part of the fee…..
You have some nice shots there.
awesome stuff
) way to go!