After my two helicopter flights earlier this year, theAmerican Heroes Airshow, an all-helicopter event in the Los Angeles area was, a no-brainer. It was a much needed opportunity for me to escape the gray and dismal weather of Michigan if only for a weekend. From Coast Guard, firefighting, local news and police, there was a respectable array of helicopters that attended this year’s venue. As a personal challenge for flying or running helicopters, I limited my shutter speeds to 1/80th of a second. I only cheated once, on the NOTAR MD 520 of all things. And because of such slow shutter speeds with the 100-400mm Mk2, the “Keeper” rate dropped significantly and made for a painful sorting process. But it made it worthwhile when you get an image tack sharp.
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Gear used:
Canon EOS 90D DSLR (2X)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L USM
Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
iPhone 11 Pro Max
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I heard Texas calling and felt the need to revisit Houston. So, I gladly answered its call. Even though it was late in the season, this was my first event with my upgraded kit. I switched my second body (5DSR) with another 90D. Along with a middle-sized messenger bag to carry extras such as extra lenses and bottle waters. Because of Saturday’s Solar Eclipse Adventure, I attended the show just on Sunday.
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Gear used:
Canon EOS 90D DSLR (2X)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L USM
Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Canon EF 500mm F/4.5L USM
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With the growing number of overcrowded “cookie-cutter” airshows, I feel this event is a hidden gem. Wings Over Waukegan isWarbirds Heritage Foundation’s one-day annual airshow which is held at Waukegan National Airport. For me, I fancy this event due to the well-lit show orientation and the closeness of the crowd line to both the taxiway and the active runway. Photographically, this combination never disappoints. Huge shout out to the members of Warbird Heritage Foundation as well as the dedicated staff and volunteers for their amazing efforts during such a unique event.
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Gear used:
Canon EOS 90D DSLR
Canon EOS 5DSR DSLR
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Canon EF 500mm F/4.5L USM
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For my next adventure, I headed to Seattle, Washington for a long weekend. And due to my wide variety of activities, I’m going to split it up into three posts.
Part Three:Seattle Seaplanes
During my adventure in Seattle, I wanted to do some seaplane spotting. I knew that there were many seaplane services in the area, but I felt finding a good location was going to be problematic. “Which Sea base would be most spotter-friendly? Along with how are the lighting conditions? And if I manage to find a location, would I have enough focal length to capture the action?” My first attempt was less than desirable. I googled “Seaplane spotting in Seattle” and got a bunch of locations to spot at SEA. Which is the airport code for Seattle-Tacoma Airport. I did come across Seattle Seaplanes on the east side of Union Lake, but they are a smaller operation with few arrivals and departures. Plus, the location was limiting photographically. But on Sunday, I was determined to find some seaplane action. After a brief trip down the rabbit hole, I came across Kenmore Air on the south side of Union Lake. I don’t know why I didn’t find them sooner, being one of the larger operations with tons of arrivals and departures. I managed to find a wonderful location, Goose Beach on the shore next to their sea base. And with my 90D and the 100-400mm Mk2, I had plenty of focal length to capture the aquatic aviation action. From there, I was able to catch the last few moments of landing, then taxiing to the Sea base along with the unloading and loading of passengers. For departing aircraft, the location provided a unique viewpoint to photograph the pushing away from the pier, start-up, and taxiing out for takeoff. Was there about half an hour before noon and the Sun was overhead but was behind me which lit up not only the props of approaching Seaplanes but water splashing from under the pontoons. I vigorously shot there for about 2 hours and took more pictures than the previous two days in Seattle. The time I spent there surpassed my expectations and it would be an understatement to say that I had a blast.
Thanks for looking,
Steven
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Gear used:
Canon EOS 90D DSLR
Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
If you like what you see, consider hitting the “Like” button or maybe start to follow my little blog!
