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Photographing The B-2

Michlis From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 737 posts, RR: 2
Posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1540 times:

I am going to have the opportunity to photograph a B-2 flyby next Saturday. Are there any suggestions/tips for photographing the B-2 (shutter speed, exposure, etc.) I've photographed an F-117 several years ago but this is a first for the B-2 and this is the first time using a digital SLR to photograph a stealth aircraft.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles.

11 replies: All unread, jump to last

Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10213 posts, RR: 21
Reply 1, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 1520 times:

it's no different from any other aircraft...

Determine exposure before you shoot, and don't let the camer sensors be fooled by the much brighter sky surrounding that big black aircraft or you end up with just a silhouette just as you would with an F-117, B-52, or B-1 (or any other dark painted aircraft).

Digital or film don't matter one iota in that equation, except that it's cheaper to bracket your shots.

I wish I were flying

ThierryD From Luxembourg, joined Dec 2005, 2021 posts, RR: 52
Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 1516 times:

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HEAD SUPPORT

Quoting Jwenting (Reply 1):
it's no different from any other aircraft...

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Photo © Thierry Deutsch

ISO160, 1/320s, f/9

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Photo © Thierry Deutsch

ISO200, 1/1250, f/6.3

Thierry

"Go ahead...make my day"

Michlis From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 737 posts, RR: 2
Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1452 times:

Thanks! I appreciate the input. bigthumbsup

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles.

Oobitsa From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 79 posts, RR: 0
Reply 4, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1316 times:

Thierry, great pics. Question from a noob here: how did you determine the appropriate exposure for these shots? I've got a folder full of black smudges that are supposed to be F-117s and B-2's against a bright sky. Spot metering? Educated guessing?

Many thanks!

ThierryD From Luxembourg, joined Dec 2005, 2021 posts, RR: 52
Reply 5, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1303 times:

AIRLINERS.NET CREW
HEAD SUPPORT

Quoting Oobitsa (Reply 4):
Thierry, great pics. Question from a noob here: how did you determine the appropriate exposure for these shots?

Thanks Oobitsa!
Using shutter priority works quite well; with fast moving jets, setting a shutter speed of 1/500 - 1/2000 works quite well and the camera does the rest. Works for any kind of plane. The F-117 was shot in auto mode as I found the camera was doing a good job finding its own settings; but basically there's no difference in shooting black birdies vs light birdies.
For instance I took this F-15 with exactly the same settings as the F-117:

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Photo © Thierry Deutsch

Cheers,

Thierry

"Go ahead...make my day"

Kukkudrill From Malta, joined Dec 2004, 1122 posts, RR: 5
Reply 6, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1280 times:

Keep in mind that if the sky is overcast it becomes a whole different ballgame. Contrary to the way people perceive it, an overcast sky is a lot brighter than a blue sky and this will lead the camera to underexpose. You'd probably need to set +ve exposure compensation even with spot metering.

Charles

Make the most of the available light ... a lesson of photography that applies to life

Michlis From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 737 posts, RR: 2
Reply 7, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1276 times:

Quoting Kukkudrill (Reply 6):
Keep in mind that if the sky is overcast it becomes a whole different ballgame. Contrary to the way people perceive it, an overcast sky is a lot brighter than a blue sky and this will lead the camera to underexpose. You'd probably need to set +ve exposure compensation even with spot metering.

Good point. I have a Canon EOS 20D and it has three different metering modes. I am thinking that I'll use either partial or center-weighted average with shutter-priority mode.

Again, thanks for the tips...hopefully I'll have some shots that will merit Airliners.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles.

Michlis From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 737 posts, RR: 2
Reply 8, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1265 times:

Nice F-15 picture Thierry! I was looking for a good picture of the F-15 from this angle to help me with a paint job I'm putting on a 1/32 scale F-15D I'm building...with the photographer's permission of course. Smile

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles.

Fotodj From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 87 posts, RR: 0
Reply 9, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1224 times:

I have few pictures of B-2 on my website www.fotodj.com , newest reports have exif info under the photo, metering usually
center-weighted average...

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Big version: Width: 640 Height: 427 File size: 51kb

Edwards AFB Air Show...

Polishman in New York

Oobitsa From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 79 posts, RR: 0
Reply 10, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1169 times:

FotoDJ and Thierry, great pix! The exposure of B-2 is amazing. I'm headed to the airshow at Oceana NAS next month and will be sure to have my camera set to center weighted metering, shutter priority, and, perhaps, a little overexposure and bracketing for good measure!

Thanks to all for the great advice!

Michlis From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 737 posts, RR: 2
Reply 11, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1149 times:

Excellent! I'm really looking forward to getting some photos of this dark gray beauty.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles.

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