13 Votes (4.62 Average) and 3,089 Views  

Boeing 737-900 (N805DN) - A pair of Boeings, Delta's N805DN (a B739) and UPS's N444UP (a B752), on the move in the dawn hour at RNO. The Delta jet was taxiing out to Runway 34L for departure to Salt Lake City (KSLC) while the UPS jet was turning off 34L to taxi to the cargo ramp.
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Boeing 737-900 (N805DN)

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A pair of Boeings, Delta's N805DN (a B739) and UPS's N444UP (a B752), on the move in the dawn hour at RNO. The Delta jet was taxiing out to Runway 34L for departure to Salt Lake City (KSLC) while the UPS jet was turning off 34L to taxi to the cargo ramp.

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Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
This was a "learning experience" photo series. I don't get an opportunity like this very often with one jetliner moving toward me while another jet is moving away. Added to that was the fact that it was still dawn so the camera settings, including the shutter speed, had to be adjusted to accommodate the darker dawn hour light conditions. In an effort to keep the ISO setting no higher than 400, I slowed the shutter speed slightly. And that was my mistake. The UPS did not come out quite as sharp as I had hoped, and the Delta, which was coasting toward me rather rapidly because it was a few minutes late, is not ultra-sharp. I should have set the ISO to 800 and set a faster shutter speed. I'm OK with this one, but if I ever get another perfect opportunity like this, I'm sure I'll get both in super sharp clarity.
For anyone who may be inclined to try this (AND who is fortunate enough to get two jets moving in opposite directions in the SAME FRAME), here are the settings I used ...
Lens: TAMRON 70-300 ... Focal Dist: 110 mm ... ISO: 400 ... F-Stop: 5.6... Shutter: 1/125 sec ... Light Conditions: Prior to Sunrise
For this shot, I should have set >> ISO: 800 ... F-Stop: 6.3 ... Shutter: 1/250 or 1/320
And a PS -- The Delta jet's engines were creating hot exhaust heat waves and when the UPS passed behind those waves in the distance, they distorted the UPS. I failed to anticipate that. If possible, try to get the shot before one of the jets passes behind the heat exhaust of the other one.
Good luck!!
Lewis Tripp
5 Stars, Gary. Well done.
Darryl Sarno
Great shot Gary!
Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
Lewis & Boss D .... Many thanx for your kind complis, guys. I appreciate the kudos, but we all know it could have been a bit better. With one coming closer to me fairly quickly and one in the distance moving further away from me somewhat more slowly, I could not take pics until they were both visible separately and then I had only a few seconds to make fast final corrections to the settings and click a few shots while they were both still in the viewfinder together because the "gap' between them was widening every second. And I wanted both of them to be in sharp focus but one was close while the other was much farther away. As I said above, I'm OK with how this one came out but I did learn from it, too. (I forgot there would be heat waves caused by the Delta's engines - they distorted the UPS in the background.) Frankly, if the sun had been up and the day well lit, I wouldn't have had to fiddle around making adjustments to accommodate the dawn light conditions ... and this shot probably would have been A-OK. But I did learn. KRNO isn't a very busy airport so getting a commercial paxjet taxiing out at the same time as a freighter is landing is not very common, and getting two in the viewfinder simultaneously at this specific angle is even less likely, but if I get another chance at this, I'll do better. But again, Thank You both for your nice comments. (Wave)
Greg Byington
Hey, it is still a pretty darn nice shot! Thanks for the info, Gary. If (and that's a big if) I ever get a chance for this type of shot I'll try to keep all your info in mind! ;-)
Turned out really well
ACTIVITY LOG
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Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
06-May-2025 B739Salt Lake City Intl ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 08:10AM MDT 11:19AM CDT Scheduled
05-May-2025 B739Lic. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Int'l ()Salt Lake City Intl () 04:14PM CST 07:23PM MDT Scheduled
05-May-2025 B739Salt Lake City Intl ()Lic. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Int'l () 11:25AM MDT 02:34PM CST Scheduled
05-May-2025 B739John F Kennedy Intl ()Salt Lake City Intl () 06:40AM EDT 09:22AM MDT Scheduled
04-May-2025 B739Salt Lake City Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 03:16PM MDT 09:41PM EDT 4:25
04-May-2025 B739John F Kennedy Intl ()Salt Lake City Intl () 10:26AM EDT 12:31PM MDT 4:04
04-May-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 06:51AM EDT 08:39AM EDT 1:47
03-May-2025 B739Lic. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 01:34PM CST 06:29PM EDT 2:54
03-May-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Lic. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Int'l () 10:15AM EDT 12:18PM CST 4:02
03-May-2025 B739Northwest Florida Beaches Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:05AM CDT 07:46AM EDT 0:40
03-May-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Northwest Florida Beaches Intl () 12:44AM EDT 12:28AM CDT 0:43
02-May-2025 B739San Francisco Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:46PM PDT 11:08PM EDT 5:22
02-May-2025 B739Minneapolis/St Paul Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 11:23AM CDT 12:38PM PDT 3:14
02-May-2025 B739Indianapolis Intl ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 07:32AM EDT 08:04AM CDT 1:31
01-May-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Indianapolis Intl () 08:44PM EDT 09:46PM EDT 1:01
01-May-2025 B739Tocumen Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:26PM EST 07:05PM EDT 3:39
01-May-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Tocumen Int'l () 10:03AM EDT 12:36PM EST 3:32
01-May-2025 B739Greenville/Spartanburg Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:15AM EDT 07:47AM EDT 0:32
30-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Greenville/Spartanburg Intl () 09:08PM EDT 09:38PM EDT 0:29
30-Apr-2025 B739Sacramento Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:11AM PDT 02:22PM EDT 4:10
29-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 05:35PM EDT 07:09PM PDT 4:33
29-Apr-2025 B739Newark Liberty Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 11:07AM EDT 12:48PM EDT 1:41
28-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Newark Liberty Intl () 09:13PM EDT 11:02PM EDT 1:48
28-Apr-2025 B739New Orleans Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:36PM CDT 04:37PM EDT 1:00
28-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()New Orleans Intl () 12:56PM EDT 01:04PM CDT 1:07
28-Apr-2025 B739Indianapolis Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 10:05AM EDT 11:09AM EDT 1:04
28-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Indianapolis Intl () 07:32AM EDT 08:39AM EDT 1:06
27-Apr-2025 B739Los Cabos Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:18PM MST 08:31PM EDT 3:12
27-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Los Cabos Int'l () 11:46AM EDT 12:39PM MST 3:52
27-Apr-2025 B739Nashville Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:10AM CDT 09:51AM EDT 0:40
26-Apr-2025 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Nashville Intl () 11:44PM EDT 11:24PM CDT 0:39
26-Apr-2025 B739John F Kennedy Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:41PM EDT 10:23PM EDT 1:41
26-Apr-2025 B739Queen Beatrix Int'l ()John F Kennedy Intl () 12:30PM AST 04:36PM EDT 4:05
26-Apr-2025 B739John F Kennedy Intl ()Queen Beatrix Int'l () 06:30AM EDT 10:29AM AST 3:58
25-Apr-2025 B739Austin-Bergstrom Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 04:48PM CDT 09:12PM EDT 3:23
25-Apr-2025 B739John F Kennedy Intl ()Austin-Bergstrom Intl () 11:52AM EDT 02:24PM CDT 3:32
25-Apr-2025 B739Miami Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 07:49AM EDT 10:18AM EDT 2:28
24-Apr-2025 B739Salt Lake City Intl ()Miami Intl () 11:30PM MDT 05:29AM EDT (+1) 3:58
24-Apr-2025 B739Los Cabos Int'l ()Salt Lake City Intl () 05:10PM MST 08:45PM MDT 2:34
24-Apr-2025 B739Salt Lake City Intl ()Los Cabos Int'l () 02:19PM MDT 03:56PM MST 2:36
24-Apr-2025 B739John F Kennedy Intl ()Salt Lake City Intl () 10:07AM EDT 12:52PM MDT 4:44
23-Apr-2025 B739Harry Reid Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 11:25PM PDT 06:53AM EDT (+1) 4:28
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