Lockheed C-130 Hercules (92-0549)

My goal was to get some prop blur so I had the shutter speed set quite slow but with all those headlights (the four on the Herc and the nose gear light on the FDX) shining at me I was having a very difficult time just seeing the gray Hercules against the dark hills behind it, so it was extremely hard to correctly pan with it as it was turning in order to keep it sharp yet still get the blur. As is obvious above, I was able to get some prop blur but it was so dark that the whirling props are virtually invisible. If there had just been a little bit more light from the trailing FDX, I believe I'd have gotten the exact pic I was attempting to get.

Amazing shot. To get away with 1/13s at 4000 ft distance is some effort hand held. I've been shooting up to ISO-5000 which allows a LOT of latitude. Provided the resultant exposure is bright enough, noise is minimized BUT it's just about mandatory the exposure is correct. Too dark and the noise will be extremely apparent, too light is a bit less of a problem as you can darken the pic in PS or similar. In all cases though, the camera's own high-ISO NR will influence a result.

Too bright is a small problem, and things in the distance don't seem very clear. It may be the problem of the camera, or it may be that the focus is not good. Keep up the good work, come on!

Thanx, O ++. I'll bring these issues up with Lockheed and Mother Nature the next time we meet together and maybe we can find a solution.
Gavin >> I have the high ISO-NR set to ON but it doesn't really "kick in" until the ISO is set above 1600 and for this shot I stayed at 1600. That FDX in the background was already very light at 1600 and the sky was also still too light ... anything higher than 1600 would have blown them out. I could have set the shutter speed to faster but I was trying for prop blur; a faster shutter would have "frozen" the props making it appear that the C-130 was parked ... which may have looked pretty strange with a Fed Ex 752 obviously coming toward it. The blur IS there but only barely visible (click on FULL and it is easier to discern). If that FDX had been slightly closer, the light from it would have lit up the Herc's props a bit better and the blur would have been more obvious.

Fantastic shot Gary! Great job with the settings and lighting! Well done!

Certainly a lot of 'ifs' COULD MAYBE have made it better but to me it's a damn fine shot given you had to deal with a lot of dissimilar light sources. All that and prop blur, atmosphere for the time of day - winner in my books.

Perhaps some critics should try their hand and see what it's like to get such pics.

I like it, Gary!