P3D Aerial Photography

[bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx (Bill C Walton)]

Since I did not receive the original posting on this subject until late
Wednesday night it is a bit late to add anything since Talbot had to make
a decision by Wednesday, but here goes.

I am not an expert on aerial photography, but I do have lots of
experience.  I graduated from Army Helicopter School in Feb 1957 and took
my first aerial picture (of the house we lived in Lawton OK) in May of
that same year.  So I guess I can say I have slightly over 47 years
experience. I have not made aerial photographs all over the world, but  I
have shot pictures in : Denmark, Germany, Holland Belgium, France, Spain,
Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Vietnam (both North and South as a doofless
young Captain navigated me into North Vietnam once) Laos, Thailand and
Cambodia, as well as across the USA.  

Helicopters are a wonderful platform for aerial photographs.  I have made
pictures from everything from a 2 passenger O.A.S. (with the plastic
bubble) to a CH54A Skycrane, which could pick up either 10 tons or 45
soldiers.  All of them vibrate (the only time a helicopter doesn't
vibrate is when it is tied down inside a closed hangar) but all of them
also have a certain airspeed where the vibration is at a minimum and that
is the airspeed that one should try use when photographing.  Hovering is
probably the worst possible choice to use when taking pictures.

Ideally the photographer should have the intrepid aviator fly a "dry run"
by or around the subject so that both of you are on the same sheet of
music.  But sometimes that is impractical.

As for shutter speed and lens opening, I suggest the fastest shutter
speed and the smallest lens opening possible, based on the film speed.  I
shoot mostly BW negative film (what else?) and I always overexpose to be
sure I get all the details available.  I print my own so I know I can get
a usable print from an overexposed negative so I have found it is better
to err on the side of overexposure.  This of course won't work for
slides.

On night photography, you have to decide what you want-Just the
illuminated areas or some of the details on the ground and use the proper
film and exposure to attain these results.

I consider a motor driven camera as the best method for shooting aerial
stereoscopic photographs.  You go thru a lot of film, but as always, film
is the cheapest thing about the whole project.   I usually shoot at 3
frames a second, with the SLR in a vertical position,and use frames 1 & 3
for my stereo cards.  This depends also on the speed of the helicopter. 
The last flight I was on was aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk and  the "smooth
speed" was a bit faster than some of my previous flights   I tried
printing frames 1&3 to use on stereocards and found them to be a bit
hyper for my taste, so I used frames 1& 2. and this proved to be
satisfactory  As for using a medium format camera, I think this would be
a great improvement, providing it has a motor drive.

One big no no which is very basic.  Isolate your camera from the
helicopter making sure it doesn't touch any part of the aircraft. while
you are photographing.

This is my "two cents worth"

Bill C Walton, ISC
(Who is Bill?)
bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx



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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 3120
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