Ketko2 From Slovakia, joined Sep 2006, 103 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 years 4 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 2210 times:
Hi!
As a lot of people mention the fact that spotting and aviation photography arent really the same, I wanted to ask you, which of these two do you practise.
As for me, I do both, as I care about registrations of planes and try to get full fleets and feel dissapointed when i see always the same aircraft, but I usually photograph rather than just writing down number.
BmiBaby737 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 1635 posts, RR: 10 Reply 1, posted (5 years 4 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 2201 times:
Quoting Ketko2 (Thread starter): As for me, I do both, as I care about registrations of planes and try to get full fleets and feel dissapointed when i see always the same aircraft, but I usually photograph rather than just writing down number.
I must admit, I'm rather the same as you. Photography is my target, my main concern. Writting what I've seen and collected, just an add-on.
Mhodgson From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2002, 5047 posts, RR: 30 Reply 2, posted (5 years 4 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 2175 times:
I don't spot as in logging or writing things - I have a fairly good memory as to what I have seen before, but am not concerned with registrations. I just like to be around the aircraft, hearing the engines and watching them take off. Photography is what keeps me interested.
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StealthZ From Australia, joined Feb 2005, 5424 posts, RR: 49 Reply 3, posted (5 years 4 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 2149 times:
Interesting question,
I personally would call myself a photographer or aviation enthusiast rather than a spotter, reg numbers are useful to me for filing photos not an end in themselves as they seem for some spotters.
A year or so back a recreation TV program did a segment on "plane spotting" here at SYD, the "spotting" community were ambivalent to the point of boycott. After the program went to air a local spotting newsgroup carried posts accusing the "photographers" of hijacking the program, well that isn't quite true. The offer was open to all and they chose not to participate. The whole episode illustrated the divide between the groups, an unnecessary one in my opinion.
Not sure I made any freinds with the "reg logging" crowd one day when one of them rushed over to ask if I knew which EK T777 had just landed, "a white one" was not the answer he was looking for!
Cheers
Chris
PS the "Great Outdoors" segment is available on YouTube
If your camera sends text messages, that could explain why your photos are rubbish!
JakTrax From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 4732 posts, RR: 8 Reply 5, posted (5 years 4 months 4 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2131 times:
I personally don't see the purpose of taking registrations. Many a time I have seen logs from foreign airports and although interesting I don't consider numbers (and letters) on a piece of paper sufficient memorabilia. If someone tells me they've been to such-and-such an airport it's nice to see the proof, if you like, i.e. photo's. Scribble on paper means nothing and doesn't captivate the trip like photo's can.
An example of this:
OY-KIA (a SAS DC-9-15) looked very different when delivered in the sixties to what it looked like when retired in the early 2000s. A picture from the early sixties would be priceless and would not resemble one taken in 2000. Following the aircraft's history in pictures is in my opinion a lot more interesting, as the registration on paper would look the same regardless.
I'm not knocking reggie-chasers here, if they get a kick out of it then that's great. I'm simply saying that, for me personally, it's pointless. It's not what I want out of my hobby and passion for planes.
I am an aviation enthusiast, I love planes, and photography too. Combining these two hobbies has been great for me. In the end I suppose I fall into the 'aviation photographer' category. I sometimes get the feeling that many reggie-chasers are simply in the game for want of 'collecting something', whatever it may be. Just happens to be planes. When they get sick of planes they'll move onto something else, then something else. The passion for the planes turns into a mad scramble just to get numbers and tick them off in a book. Let's face it, you could probably do that with supermarket trollies and get a similar rush.
On the other hand, I believe there are a lot of reggie-chasers out there that still have a strong passion for the machines they record, and I have much respect for them. I am a MAN regular and spotters and photographers congregate in totally different places, rarely crossing paths. I don't like to be called a plane-spotter - I prefer to think of myself as both an aircraft enthusiast and an aircraft photographer.
JohnJ From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1620 posts, RR: 3 Reply 10, posted (5 years 4 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 2073 times:
Two very interesting, but slightly different, hobbies in my mind. I'm a photographer, and by and large I don't care the registration of my subjects unless it's a brand-new airplane or a rarity. The make, model and paint scheme of the aircraft are much more important to me. I suspect for the hard-core spotter the inverse is true - the make, model, and paint scheme of the aircraft are secondary to a rare or unlogged rego. To each his own. I don't know if this is urban legend or not, but I'm led to believe the origins of spotting were in WWII when civilians in England were asked to log aircraft flying over for military purposes. If so, that gives the sport of spotting a couple of legs up in my eyes.
Terryong From Singapore, joined Apr 2007, 1 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1934 times:
For me taking photos of aircraft is my main priority. I will try to remember the registrations as far as I can. I don't keep a record of what planes I spot since I try to remember everything or just look at my shots.
Psych From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 2968 posts, RR: 60 Reply 14, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1925 times:
I always try to pursuade my wife and daughter that I am not a plane spotter . In may respects being called a plane spotter here is only one step up from being a train spotter - and let me tell you, to many people this is a term of abuse and ridicule!
I am definitely a photographer. I did have a phase in my childhood of recording registrations and underlining them in my copy of 'Civil Aircraft Markings', but that soon went. My only real appreciation of registrations now relates to the possibilty of getting a double rejection here, and how my choice of motive might be affected by this issue. However, I cannot deny that a knowledge of registrations is valuable, particularly if it enables you to realise when you are seeing something interesting to the database.
Viv From Ireland, joined May 2005, 3106 posts, RR: 32 Reply 15, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1909 times:
Quoting Psych (Reply 14): I am definitely a photographer. I did have a phase in my childhood of recording registrations and underlining them in my copy of 'Civil Aircraft Markings', but that soon went.
Exactly as for me.
Nikon D700, Nikkor 80-400, Fuji X Pro 1, Fujinon 35 f/1.4, Fujinon 18 f/2
Dendrobatid From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 1605 posts, RR: 65 Reply 16, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1894 times:
I think that this is an interesting question and I have long felt that this started in the UK in the days of steam trains when there was a competitive 'game' of trying to see as many trains as possible. Whilst the same with aircraft certainly existed in the 1950s, the hobby became more popular in the mid 1960s with the demise of steam, something which to many, like me, meant the end of interest in railways. For me it was a smooth transition to aircraft spotter in about 1967 at the age of 14. I soon started taking photographs, something I had been too young to do with trains. I generally travelled with a friend who remains a spotter, ie writing numbers down and that was a great arrangement, he did the writing, I took the photos. I was a spotter for many years but slowly lost interest in that side of things as the photography took over and in 1985 with two young children competing for my time I stopped the spotting. It has however left me understanding the concept and I will not deride the spotter. At times I even regret stopping doing it as my old log books still fascinate me. I have given talks to aviation groups and they are eagerly pored over by other enthusiasts, a glimpse into the past. There were a lot of spotters in those days but not so many photographers, particularly of the light aircraft
I guess that in many ways I am still a recorder of aircraft but now solely with the camera. I love to watch aircraft but feel the same frustration that a spotter does when they do not get the reg if I miss the photo. Just like the spotter who tries to write down every registrartion, I try to photograph every aircraft.
My photos are not that popular but on an almost daily basis I touch a nerve with someone over an oldie in the same way that my log books do to enthusiasts. Take your photos, not only for today but with an eye on tomorrow - one day someone will love looking at them. I never expected mine to be seen by anyone but me. I took them for myself and still do so though obviously I now share them with anyone who is interested. This site and others like it are the biggest change to the hobby that anyone could ever have imagined.
Mick Bajcar
Egmcman From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 898 posts, RR: 9 Reply 17, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1856 times:
At the moment I have not got my camera with me as I am in Spain at my parents apartment for the first time. The trip isn´t really anything to do with aviation other than my journey.
At STN a did some spotting at the gate my flight departed from.
Generally it depends where I am going, how long I intend to be there and what the weather is like. I don´t take many photos due to the lack of dedicated viewing areas at my nearest airports to take clutter free pictures.
I tend to spot although some might I cheat as I use my sbs-1 virtual radar to help me. On a daily basis I go past my local airport on my train journey I always take a look as the train goes past. I am a member of a few airport mailing lists and keep a record of the aircraft I have seen on a database and the aircraft I have flown on.
TupolevTu154 From UK - England, joined Aug 2004, 2116 posts, RR: 31 Reply 18, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1856 times:
Personally I don't collect registrations, before the aquisation of my DLSR, however, I did.
I don't mean to offend anyone here, but from my experience, the photography community is far friendlier than the "Spotting" community. I've walked upto many photographers, most commonly regular uploaders to this site, and have had good conversations and even the loan of the odd lens here and there.
On the other hand, I've asked many a spotter when an aircraft of interest is due in/out, and there's hardly a smile to be seen.
Egmcman From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 898 posts, RR: 9 Reply 19, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1849 times:
Quoting TupolevTu154 (Reply 18): I don't mean to offend anyone here, but from my experience, the photography community is far friendlier than the "Spotting" community
That matches my experience people tend to ask what you have taken pictures of? if I have had the dslr with me. Spotting may be many things but sadly civil isn´t the word springs imediately to mind.
JakTrax From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 4732 posts, RR: 8 Reply 20, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1798 times:
Quoting TupolevTu154 (Reply 18): I don't mean to offend anyone here, but from my experience, the photography community is far friendlier than the "Spotting" community.
I tend to find that the spotting fraternity seems to think us photographers are somehow depriving them of something. It's like we're a cosmic race to them half the time, as though we get in the way and shoudn't show ourselves around them. MAN is particularly bad; luckily photographers and spotters rarely meet. When we do, the spotters usually have something to moan about, like we're in their way or our lenses are sticking into their binoculars' field-of-vision too much.
They never wish you 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' and all they normally talk about is how many Air France A320s they need now.
I'm sure they aren't all like that but many seem to carry a chip on their shoulders, and many seem to be downright weird!
BmiBaby737 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 1635 posts, RR: 10 Reply 21, posted (5 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 1757 times:
Quoting TupolevTu154 (Reply 18): I don't mean to offend anyone here, but from my experience, the photography community is far friendlier than the "Spotting" community. I've walked upto many photographers, most commonly regular uploaders to this site, and have had good conversations and even the loan of the odd lens here and there.
On the other hand, I've asked many a spotter when an aircraft of interest is due in/out, and there's hardly a smile to be seen.
It's bad to generalise, but I do agree with the above. Most photographers tend to talk alot more where as Spotters will often keep themselfs to themselfs, or stay only in their little group (if they have one). Often the case though at more major airports... at more regional airports (from my experience) there doesn't tend to be any gap between the two.
Quoting JakTrax (Reply 20): many seem to be downright weird!
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