Last week I posted about Aerial Photography: Las Vegas Sunset . This weekend I finally got around to sorting through the video footage I recorded from that adventure as well as some key shots from each segment of the trip around the strip at sunset. Without further ado, here it is. Hopefully it gives you a sense of what the experience was like and you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
Cityscapes
Sunset as Sin City wakes up – Canon 7D Mark II + EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
The only way to see the Las Vegas strip and city lights is from 3000 feet, strapped-in, with the doors open, at sunset. About a week ago I had the opportunity to experience this unique perspective on Sin City. After searching for a unique vantage point on the city for my ongoing collection of limited edition skyline panoramas, I decided to look into taking one of the helicopter tours. However after some research and talking to some of the folks in the business, I concluded that I would have to charter the whole helicopter for an extended period to be able to realistically get a good shot of the skyline.
This was a much more sophisticated endeavor than it seemed at first blush. For starters, a separate flight plan would have to be filed with the FAA 72hrs prior to flight time, I would have to determine where exactly I wanted to fly to, and what I wanted to photograph as much a possible. The folks at Maverick Helicopters were most helpful from the very beginning. Their agent, chief pilot and staff went the extra mile to get me up to speed on the process including fast tracking the flight plan filing and approval process with the FAA.
Our amazing pilot Mike took the time to work out all the final details of the flight, points of interest, safety procedures and local airspace. I was able to communicate some of my objectives as far as framing my shots and he took all my feedback and integrated it into is flight patterns, even when I least expected. The helicopter ride was very smooth and stable. While I had previously worked through some of the challenges of aerial photography (see my previous post Aerial Photography: Sacramento to San Francisco Bay) I encountered some new challenges.
I was only too happy to be strapped in with the door open the entire flight. This meant that I would not have to shoot through the polycarbonate windows. However what I forgot to consider was the fact that I would have a huge rotor above my head creating a downward draft the likes of a hurricane wind. The rotor draft was also not a steady stream which I could compensate for, but more of very fine, high frequency pulses that introduced a corresponding resonance through the lens and camera body. It was so powerful that even the world class Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens and it’s 4 stops of image stabilization, could not cope at all. The down draft alone ensured a “keeper rate” of less than 40%.
I shot primarily with the Canon 7D Mark II and the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. From past experience, speed and responsiveness of the camera are the most critical characteristics for aerial photography. Even then, at times I did wish I had the 1Dx on hand for some of the shots. The 7D Mark II kept a steady stream of shots coming through. In all I shot over 150GB or photo and video. I will be posting more detailed shots and video as I get through sorting and processing it all.
It was a grand experience. Even though it was also my first time experiencing a helicopter ride, I am convinced this is the only way to do it, the only way to take in Sin City, the only way to photograph it, the only way to experience it – strapped in with the doors open. It was well worth it.
I would also like to say thanks to Cindy, Joe Bishop, Jim Ogletree, Mike Martin and all the folks at Maverick helicopters for making this possible. I look forward to flying with you folks again in the future.
Heading out to meet the folks at Maverick.
Maverick limo waiting to pick us up.
Going over the flight plan, helicopter and safety with our pilot Mike.
All strapped in, ready for lift off.
Lift off at sunset
Heading up the east side to the strip towards the Stratosphere
Pushing hard to get my shot given the storm of variables.
A celebratory champagne toast with our pilot
Rob, great guy, cool and took care of anything we needed.
Jimmy my bodyguard taking care of business.
Mellowing out on the ride back to the hotel. Taking it all in.
Teaser: getting creative with one of the ultra wide shots.
Teaser: getting creative with one of the ultra wide shots.
Teaser: Sunset over Sin City
Teaser: Sin City waking up.
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San Francisco from 1500 feet over the SF Bay
About a month and a half ago, I had the opportunity to go flying with my good friend Eric. We had been talking about getting out and flying the friendly skies for a while and everything seemed to be aligned for that to happen. We booked a fairly new 2008 Cessna 172 single engined aircraft. I had just taken delivery of the Canon 7D Mark II and thought it would be the perfect camera to explore aerial photography. This was meant to be as much an exercise in private aviation as a study in aerial photography and the challenges it poses. I hoped to learn enough about it to develop my techniques and understand what questions to ask as well as the requisites to successful photography of ground subjects.
The short version is this: Arial photography is a completely different beast that simply cannot be tamed. Below are what I feel are the requisites. Understanding these does not guarantee a successful capture of your subject but it will increase the odds of success.
- Weather
Before your excursion, you need to understand the weather around your subject. In this case there was a cloud blanket over the pacific, to the right, up to the SF Bay and coast line. This meant we couldn’t fly VFR along the coast and exercise the creative flexibility needed to get a good capture of the city. Given where the sun was in the sky, this was the ideal vantage point to capture the city. - Flight Plan
Consider the flight plan, what angles and perspectives on your subject it will offer. Is there restricted airspace around your subject that prevents certain key routes? We had to fly close to restricted airspace which added yet more complexity to the exercise. Also consider the time of day and where the sun will be relative to your subject and flight path. As you can see, from the photos, the best position for that time would have been flying along the coast and not circling the bay. However a few hours later, the best route would have been the circling the bay waters again at magic hour as the city starts to light up. The sun was still too high up and the vast bodies of water caused too much glare. Even with a circular polarizer. - Aircraft windows
Most light/private aircraft windows are not made of glass but of some kind of polycarbonate plastic. This is especially aggravating as it further cuts out saturation, reduces contrast and diffuses light. As a result it will soften (to put it mildly) and blur your shots. It also vibrates a lot and causes distortions in the image. I used the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and was unable to get a sharp shot of the city. The more the ambient light, the more pronounced the problem. Magic hour may yield slightly better results. I have been able to photograph the city at a similar angle and distance from twin peaks and been able to resolve people walking down the sidewalk with the same lens on the 7D. Opening the window was not an option this time and on this aircraft unfortunately. - No composite shots
Any type of composite shots are very pretty much impossible. Be it HDR or panoramas, you will have a very hard time overcoming extreme parallax. The aircraft is moving much faster than it feels this combined with the extreme perspective means you will not be able to stitch any two shots together. As for HDR you will need a very fast shutter speed. There was no point using the 5D Mark III for aerial stills (I used it mainly for ultra wide angle video) as it is just too slow. The 7D Mark II’s 10fps enabled only a few somewhat successful HDR composite shots but only after cranking up my ISO in broad daylight to keep my shutter speed in the thousandths or a second. Still the results were painful due to the plexiglass windows. I spent a good deal of air time attempting composite shots that went nowhere.
Overall this excursion was a success. I learned a great deal. I’m planning another aerial photography excursion sometime this year. I’m also considering a helicopter instead of an airplane and will also consult with private aviation authorities on what other options are available to me. It was a fun exercise flying the friendly skies, checking in with ATC (Air Traffic Control) and seeing who’s up there doing what.
We took off from Sacramento Executive airport, flew over Travis AFB and onto the SF Bay via Sausalito. ATC folks were a very nice and friendly bunch and took interest in our photography outing. It is humbling to know that they are there 24/7, all over the country, keeping the skies safe. Cheers to them!
Below are some highlights. The shots are straight out of the 7D Mark II and have not been processed.
Sacramento Executive Airport
Selfie
Tripple Niner Hotel Echo
Taking off from Sacramento Executive Airport
SF Bay approach
Golden Gate Bridge
Exploratorium
Downtown SF
Downtown SF
Alcatraz
Alcatraz
San Quentin correctional facility
Eric doing what he does best
Instrument Cluster
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Los Angeles skyline after sunset via Griffith Observatory
It’s finally ready! A few months ago I made quick weekend trip down to Los Angeles to visit my sister. I also took some time to explore the cityscape and attempt to get a good capture of the skyline at sunset. I posted a about my visit to the Griffith Observatory as well.
I quickly realized my biggest challenge would be the weather or should I say atmosphere over the city. There is a constant smog haze over the city from dawn till dusk and depending on weather conditions, it will often persist well into the night. I also packed very light for the weekend jaunt. I took just my Canon 5D Mark III, Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8, EF 24-105mm f/4L and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. I definitely wished for my 7D or 7D Mark II as I would’ve captured way more detail.
Magic hour was more like a magic minute. By the time I was done taking my shots from left to right, it was a completely different scene. I took 60 shots in all to compose 20 final HDR shots and stitched them together to give this 200 megapixel 1.5GB panorama. This image demanded especially painstaking processing because each bracket set has to be re-adjusted for color balance and exposure in addition to typical post processing. The 5D Mark III’s high dynamic range definitely came in handy here however the prime reason for the extreme disparity was also because of the 5D mark III’s slow shutter and image processing capability (compared to say the 7D Mark II). I simply could not traverse the scene fast enough. The entire panorama had to be re-composed over and over again as I slowly matched each set.
While some work remains to be done, I am pleased with the final result. The detail is staggering. I often entertain myself looking through these high resolution panoramas for the one guy taking a smoke on a balcony or the lady sitting at her dining table having dinner. Perhaps they will never know in that moment they were frozen in time and at the moment I took the shot I had no idea they were there. It is humbling…
This shot will make it to Limited Edition print. I am still not sure about the format and size. Please let me know any thoughts and feedback you may have.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Los Angeles sunset from Griffith Observatory
UPDATE: You can see my final shot from this outing in my post Los Angeles after sunset.
Last weekend I made a quick trip down to Los Angeles to visit my sister. It was long overdue. Of course one of the top items on my agenda for the weekend was to get a good high resolution panoramic of this captivating city and culture incubator. Given my limited stay on this trip, I did some research on possible locations that offered a good vantage point on the city. After much consideration, I made a safe bet on Griffith Observatory.
I highly recommend a visit to the observatory. Not just for visitors but also for anyone living in Los Angeles (most just don’t even know it exists…LOL) There are some really cool exhibits inside, telescope observations, breathtaking views of the city, a cafe, gift shop and hiking trails. The weather is also quite pleasant up in the mountains where it is located. It offers a great way to spend an evening relaxing. I suggest taking a cab ride as opposed to driving. Parking is going to be a challenge. I used the Uber private driver service and it was a $16 well spent indeed.
This was going to be a quick trip so I only packed my 5D Mark III, 24-105mm f/4L, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, and Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8. I also packed a small Manfrotto tripod. I wasn’t very satisfied with how far I could reach with the full frame 5D Mark III – one of the many little things I miss about the 7D. The final panoramic came out great but I did not get as much specific detail as I would have liked. Nonetheless a great shot. It is still in processing/editing and will release to limited print once it’s ready. In the meantime, here is a shot just before sunset I would like to share with you (above) and a few others below.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Denver CO Skyline at sunset
Almost a year ago I had to commute to Denver every week for close to two months in the fall. It was an interesting experience. Prior to that I had never been to Denver. My first week was a bit of an eye opener. Out there in the middle of Colorado’s vast expanse and emptiness lies this large sprawling city a few minutes from the Rockies. The city is bubbling with culture, diversity and enterprise. It has a laid back, very progressive feel. The citizens of Denver have invested heavily in their city and it shows. It is very beautiful and mostly well thought out. There is almost always some kind of major event or festival in this culture hub.
Naturally by my second week I was hauling all my camera gear with me. My camera bag barely passes as carry-on. I spent my evenings tirelessly scouting the city for that perfect view and perspective. I believe every city has at least a few. I am happy say I did indeed find a few of them and will be making them available in limited edition prints. Although the city is mostly very calm quiet and safe, my exploits did take me though some rough turns and alleys that had me looking over my shoulder all night. I will most definitely be returning to Denver again in the future to explore more of this beautiful state.
Denver CO Skyline via rail yards after sunset
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Happy New Year!!!
This year I decided to stop thinking about watching (photographing) the fireworks over the San Francisco Bay and actually get out and do it. One of my good friends and great photographer, Steve was only happy to come along and plan our New Year’s Eve photo excursion. We decided, since we were going to be out in the cold weather we may as well catch the sunset over the city. I had been wanting to revisit my last shoot from the Port of Oakland where I shot my last time lapse of the Bay Bridge lights. This time my focus was to obtain a really good high quality wide panorama shot for large format print and reproduction. I did however capture a time lapse of the sunset and city lights as well. It’s hard not to, as it has become fairly easy for me with my 7D and 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. I’ve shot so many time lapses with that combo, it only takes a few minutes to setup.
Magic hour over the city only lasts for a few minutes, and I found it very challenging to capture a full panoramic set of the city with a long enough exposure at a narrow enough aperture (f/8 or smaller). This was due primarily to the amount of the disturbance on the water from boats, ferries and large cargo ships. While you might see a few minutes of calm, they are punctuated by wakes, shadows of moving vessels and light streaks. My frustrations were only compounded by the fact that I decided to use my EF 2x Extender III on the 70-200mm f/2.8. I chose the wrong time to experiment. Under anything other than perfect lighting conditions you will find it exceedingly difficult to use any lens with the 2X extender III. As a result, I missed easily half of my photo opportunities. Below are some panoramic shots I managed to salvage. The detail is pretty impressive – you can see inside offices and hallways in all those buildings you see. The full res compressed JPEG is just under 200MB and the master GIMP file is 1GB (1000MB).
Canon 5D Mark III + EF 2x Extender + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
Canon 5D Mark III + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
We shot through the sunset till about 9pm then we packed up and headed out to treasure island to scout for a good angle on the action. I have never seen this many photographers and enthusiasts in one place. The whole island was crawling with people like me. Even in the seemingly remote bushes along back roads. We finally settled on the waterfront as the best vantage point. Fireworks are a challenge to shoot! This was my first time shooting fireworks and nothing could have prepared me for it. Below is a collection of some of the highlights. Overall I think it was a success. There are a few things I would’ve done differently now. Your feedback would be highly appreciated.
I was also able to capture a time lapse of the fireworks. The entire show lasted about 13minutes. It was a spectacular affair. If you missed it, the time lapse compilation below should help you enjoy the experience in a matter of seconds. My new years gift to you. I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
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Okay so it’s time to catch up on photos from Paris. If you like this post, you can also find previous posts from Day 1 here.
Day two wasn’t as busy as day one. This was mainly because I planned to visit only one destination – La Tour Eiffel. Obviously this was to be a highlight of my visit. I wanted to focus on this one location, experience it’s beauty through the sunset and into the night. I also wanted to get a time lapse while getting some good shots, and just take it all in.
La Tour Eiffel is one sight to behold. It is much larger than it looks in any movie, magazine or photo you’ve ever seen. Truly a wonder to behold, especially considering the era in which it was constructed and the fact that it still dominates the skyline in this age-old, world class city. It is yet another testament to the French and their pride in their ability to construct.
I arrived about 2 hours before sunset immediately began looking for a good, higher vantage point. I settled on the Palais de Chaillot / Esplanade du Trocadero. I wanted to also explore some ultra extended exposures to capture the intense traffic around the tower. I also hoped that the a few 10 minutes exposures with a 1- stop filter might help remove the crowd in the scene. I was wrong. The sheer numbers of tourists in this area was overwhelming! I could barely capture a clear shot of the sidewalks.
Below are choice shots from my evening as I chased the sunset through to the night. I took a time lapse as well in between these shots. I met some great people while out there and made some new friends.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III + EF 24-105 f/4 @ 35mm, f/4, 2.5s.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III + EF 24-105 f/4 @ 35mm, f/4, HDR
La Tour Eiffel, Paris – 16 x 24 inches
La Tour Eiffel, Paris – 16 x 24 inches
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Continuing from: https://bryanallo.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/paris-day-1-pont-des-arts/
My last stop on Day 1, after Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts, was Le Louvre. I had stopped by earlier in the day but found there to be just too many tourists and visitors to even get a half decent shot. My photographer instincts are always to come back and revisit my subject at a time most would consider obsessive or outright insane. Depending on how far I am willing to go, I may often find myself to be the only one around.
It was past 1:00am when I arrived at The Louvre. The square/plaza was gated-off but as I approached I found a small opening and walked through. Aside from a few men at the doors of the pyramid, I was the only one around. As I later on realized, they must have been part of a maintenance crew because the Louvre would be completely dark by this time every single time I tried to revisit it at night. This, as I found out, was due to budget cuts in the city of Paris or as the Parisians called it, “La Crise Economique” (The Economic Crisis). So I sort of lucked out on this night.
Apart from one-or-two couples in “love” who were stopping by to take in the night lights, I was all alone. I had the entire Louvre to myself. It was so tranquil and relaxing. I took my time to soak it all in and plan my shots well. I wish I had a tilt-shift lens with me to help make the panoramic stitches less painful and more seamless. I whould also have liked to do some HDR time lapses of my shots, as the overcast skies would have provided for a great dramatic background but all I had with me was my 5D Mark III, 24-105L lens and some ND filters.
I visited the Louvre until about 3:00 am. Here is my final shot before I left. I used in-camera HDR bracketing on the 5D Mark III. No Post processing other than re-sampling the image which would otherwise be too big to post. This shot will also be available for print, as soon as I can take it through final processing and proofing.
Here is a panoramic shot of the courtyard I took upon arriving. This is a panoramic composition of standard extended exposure shots. There has been slight contrast and saturation boost. It has also been greatly down sampled as the original panoramic would be too big to publish on here. This shot will also be made available for print.
This is perhaps my favorite from this evening. Also a panoramic composition of in-camera HDR bracketed shots. I was very satisfied with the 5D Mark-III’s ability to generate high fidelity HDR compositions in-camera and on the fly. This better helped me to adjust my bracket shot settings. The high dynamic range of it’s sensor gives me even more flexibility when processing the RAW files.
This is a quick hand held HDR panoramic I took upon arriving at the Louvre earlier in the day. As you can see, the entire courtyard was chock-full of tourists and visitors standing in lines that went on for days. From this point I pretty much concluded I was not going to bother getting any shots on the Louvre.
Here is another cool HDR panoramic of the right wing on my approach to the Louvre. I loved the dramatic cloud cover over Paris on this day.
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Continuing from: https://bryanallo.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/paris-day-1-pont-neuf/
After visiting Pont Neuf, I walked down towards the next bridge which was Pont des Arts. I thought I might get a few good shots since it was a pedestrians only bridge and had some beautiful architecture across the river. Upon arriving I was blown away by how many locks were attached to the rails. It was very interesting. Every on of them with a love message written on them. I call the love locks. There wasn’t a single square inch of the rails that was visible. The entire bridge sides were covered with locks of all shapes an sizes.
Here is a panoramic of the bridge from the Pont Neuf vantage point. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the distant background. Paris is littered with amazing views like this at every turn.
This is the view I found upon arriving at the bridge. If you look closely at the rails you will see they are completely covered.
Here are some close ups. The panoramic shots are just too big to publish here so below are some crops from just next to the right-most bridge lamp post.
Even closer. I wasn’t kidding when I said the bridge is covered with locks!
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