MV5BMTYwNTk2NjQ2OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDc4NTMwMw@@._V1_SX300.jpg' alt='Watch A Birder`S Guide To Everything Online Free HD' title='Watch A Birder`S Guide To Everything Online Free HD' />Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get. THE BIGGEST WEEK IN AMERICAN BIRDING. Index. Biggest Week CoHosts Partners 5 How to Use the Visitors Guide 6 Black Swamp Bird Observatory 89 Renting Cameras. If you are like me, you do a lot of research before travelling to a new location for photography. Usually by the time I finish searching Google, Flickr and the local. Shop National Geographic for atlases, books, magazine, DVDs, travel clothing, outdoor gear, photography equipment, gifts and more at National Geographic Store. Blog Firefall Photography. Two of my passions are photography and aviation so its only natural that Ive often combined the two over the years. To be honest, my initial efforts were not particularly successful. I learned the hard way that techniques learned for landscape and wildlife photography often just didnt apply to aerial work. In this article, I intend to to help you avoid that same learning curve by sharing my hard earned aerial photography tips and how to guide. Images like this one of Kauais Na Pali Coast are the best argument I can offer to give aerial photography a tryBefore you Fly. Watch Shrink Online Etonline. The most critical determinant of taking high quality aerial photos is to avoid photographing through a window. Typical small plane with removable doors. Once you fly like this once, you wont want to ever do it any other way Windows cast reflections, magnify glare and tend to reduce color saturation and contrast. You can avoid all these issues simply by choosing an aircraft that has windows that open or, better yet, flying in one that has removable doors. Not only will you get better photographs, but it is a lot more fun Sowhen you call to book a flight, your first question should be  Does your aircraft have removable doors or windows that open  If they say no, then tell them Thanks but no thanks and call the next company on your list. Some tour operators will tell you that you can take fine photos thru their big expansive windows which were designed with photographers in mind. Dont believe it. Its not impossible to get a good shot thru a window, but a significant percentage of your shots will be flawed. Okay, so what if you dont listen to my wonderful advice and try to photograph thru a window anyway  Then here are four things you need to know Clean the windows, inside and out before taking off ask for the pilots permission first,Wear dark colored clothing this will reduce reflectionsKeep your lens close to the window when taking photos. Cut a 3 inch wide strip of black foam rubber and tape it around the end of your lens with painters tape to visualize this, it will look like a donut attached to the end of your lens where the lens cap would be. This will allow you to put the foam up against the canopy and eliminate any reflections. Thanks to my friend Wes Gibson for this Navy Combat photographer tip. Helicopters vs Small planes, which is best Helicopters. If you have a choice, a helicopter should be your preference for aerial photography because of their superb visibility and their ability to hover, which means you can stay in a particular sweet spot rather than have to circle around. Unfortunately, this comes as a cost, you will likely have to pay bit more but it is worth itFour seat helicopters are often your best option since they usually have easily removable doors and you always have a window seat. Dont fly in a helicopter that has more than 4 seats UNLESS the operator will guarantee you a window seat and that the window opens. Many tour operators fly 6 or 8 seat choppers which means you might end up with another customer between you and a windowthis will dramaticallyreduce your opportunities for good photos. Since seats are assigned based upon weight to ensure the chopper is balanced, most pilots will NOT guarantee you a window seat. Small Airplanes. Many small airplanes can also be great photography platformsbut only if it has wings mounted to the top of the aircraft high wing aircraft. Dont waste your time with bi planes or low wing aircraft, since a wing will be in your way much of the time. Watch A Birder`S Guide To Everything Online Free HD' title='Watch A Birder`S Guide To Everything Online Free HD' />Buy When Calls The Heart, Season 3 Read 1745 Movies TV Reviews Amazon. Like choppers, the two other things you need to verify is that you will get a window seat and a window that opens or they will remove the door. If you are in a tourist area Grand Canyon, New York, Hawaii, etc. In more isolated locales or if you want to save some money, do a web search for Flight Instruction. Many of those businesses will take you up for 1. Just tell them you want to fly around and take photos dont tell them you want to charter a plane, that term has a  specific legal meaning that can result in you paying more for the exact same service. Do some research before the flight. Like most types of photography, the more you plan the luckier you get. If you are going on a tour, check out You Tube and Trip Advisor to see photos taken by previous clients. I often review Google Earth and Flickr to see what is in the area that we might be able to overfly. And certainly ask for your pilots inputsome of these guys have flown a lot of photographers and have great insight to share. What time of day should I schedule my flight  Sunsets can be even more beautiful at 3,0. Like most photography, early mornings and late afternoons feature the best light and color. Additionally, the long shadows seen at those times make for more dramatic shots. Also keep in mind that some locations look best at one time of day or another. If everything else is equal, fly in the morning since the air tends to be clearer and the ride a bit less bumpy. A few thoughts about safety. Always use a secure camera strap so your camera doesnt decide to give skydiving a try. Dont bring anything that could be pulled off by the wind whipping by your window lens hoods and hats are examples. Helicopter pilots get down right ornery when something flies out of the cabin and hits the tail rotor Keep your camera and attachments inside the aircraft and out of the wind stream. Wear warm, tight fitting clothing. It will be a lot chillier in the air than at the airport and loose fitting clothing hats, collars, hoods, etc will flap around and irritate the heck out of you. Ive seen some folks get queasy after looking through a viewfinder on a bumpy flight for over an hour. If you are so inclined, you might want to take preventive medication ahead of time. Denali Range. A DSLR is ideal, since you can take multiple shots in quick succession without filling up your buffer. Dont get me wrong, a good quality point n shoot PNS can do fine work, but youre paying serious money for the flight, so why not take a serious cameraIf you have a second camera, then by all means bring it along. If your primary camera craps out while you are in the air, you can forget about getting a refund from the pilot. This also allows you to shoot with a second lens without trying to change glass in the air. Lenses. On a full frame camera, I find that nearly all of my aerial shots are taken between 2. APS C sensor camera, then the equivalent would be 1. The longer your zoom, the more issues you will likely have with vibration. Rather than use a long lens, just ask the pilot to get closer. Really wide angle lenses 1. Fast Glass.   If you have a f. If not, even a f. Memory Card. Ft. Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. Bring the largest, fastest memory card you can afford. You will take a lot of photos and changing memory cards during your flight is something to be avoided. Besides, you certainly dont want to use your precious time in the air reviewing and deleting bad photos Battery. Put a fresh and FULLY changed battery in your camera before you take off. Camera Settings. The camera settings for aerial photography are probably much different than from those you typically use. Coupled with the fact that it is easy to get excited and forgetful when you are in the air, its a good idea to take care of the tasks listed below BEFORE you get to the airport. A Shutter Speed.    This is the single most important camera setting for good aerial photography. Depth of field isnt an issue, so set your camera on Shutter priority. Select between 15. B Image Stabilization Vibration Reduction. If your cameralenses have this option, make sure they are enabled. C ISOThis waterfall is on private land in Kauai, so you can only photograph it from the air. Biggest Week In American Birding 2. Press Publications. Biggest Week In American Birding 2. Published on Apr 1. Biggest Week In American Birding 2.