JFK 6/3/2010 pics

**SengaB** · 2010-06-03, 11:48 PM

A few from today.

Senga

**adscram14** · 2010-06-04, 06:43 AM

Very nice shots, Senga!

**MarkLawrence** · 2010-06-04, 08:58 AM

Great shots Senga - I love your night shots!!

**george** · 2010-06-04, 09:34 AM

Great Shots!

**Hiflyer** · 2010-06-04, 08:01 PM

Hi Senga,

Could you share some hints on night photography. I would very much like to have a go but need some help, any comments would be welcomed...I have all the neccessary gear just a
few tips to help me along the way. Your images always 1st class... :borat:

Cheers Hiflyer

**SengaB** · 2010-06-05, 05:32 PM

Hi Hiflyer,

Thanks for the compliments. Some of the suggestions I would mention would be the following.

Take note the types of flood lights at airports. It seems most of the ramps at JFK and EWR are poorly lit and require over exposing the images to get more light to reach the camera. Also these flood lights occasionally "power down or OFF" to save energy so make sure you are getting the shot when the light is ON and not off or powered down.

Unlike many other large airports JFK has more of that ugly orange colored flood light. This screws up the color of night time images and changes the hue of the image. With Orange lights Blue and green becomes black. White becomes Yellow Or orange. Orange and yellow just DISAPPEAR etc etc. Its better if you have a nice white or blue-whitish light source illuminating the aircraft as it give a more natural colors of the aircraft. You can see this in my Evergreen B744F shot above. The front of the plane is illuminated by nice bright white flood light but the rear of the aircraft is illuminated by the orange and less intense flood light and the colors change accordingly.

Its also very important to take note of where the main light source if located. If its bright and in the front of the aircraft. You need to balance out the image or focus on the brightest part. That's what I did in the Evergreen shot. If you focus on the back of the plane white the front of the plane is the only part illuminated then they front will be blown out.

In the end 100 ISO or whatever your lowest ISO is would be best to use. My shutter speeds are anywhere from 10 seconds to 30 seconds and depend on what what I decide to do with the aperture and the exposure.

I am sure others will have other ways- this is mine.

Here is an example of the "good light". Its fairly natural and retains the true colors fairly well. You can see the ugly orange flood light behind the plane and also the light its casting in the ground behind the plane. That rack does have a combination of orange and white lights.

Senga