Iron Angel

Set out with friends to spend 2 day photographing Aircraft at the RAF

Leuchars Air show. Most likely the last one as the RAF are leaving the

base in a year or so and it was the Centennial Celebration of Aviation in

North Fife...in the UK for that. Much to our dismay it was a very wet start

to both Friday & Saturday. So dodging heavy showers and battling

against very changeable lighting I'm pleased I got a few good

images...though nothing on what my friends got last year when the

lighting was a lot more favourable. Really pushed the limits of the D40x,

time to get serious about a D5100(?) or similar.

Hi Finlay,

 This is a very good capture.

The camera that you presently own is capable of providing all that you lens can furnish. I know, since I have extensively tested the Sigma 50-500 lens in the optical laboratory and in the field.

The newer Nikon D5100 has many more features and has 60% more pixels, but it is the lens that determines the quality across the sensor.

I cropped the sky a bit and adjusted the levels in your image.

Best Regards,  Mike

Mike, that is brilliant! Yes I know what I was referring to was ability to cope with more challenging lighting...perhaps I'm getting it wrong? With the D40x I've found and this could be my lack of DSLR experience and I'm very rusty from my old Film days. (I fear I may have just pulled a bad workman excuse for not pushing my image enough in PP)

Regards

Finlay 

Remarkable photograph, extremely well titled. It would not matter if it were shot with an instamatic, it is well above average in the world of aviation photography. Sure it was a serendipitous moment that likely could not be planned or foreseen—the phenomena is seeing the image when it did occur and capturing it. It makes an amazing comment about a jet fighter and the men and women who fly them.

I have taken an unorthodox poetic license with your image for two reasons. Placing an object in a position of nearly exiting the frame can be used to comment on the speed the object is traveling. You also mentioned that the RAF was leaving the base where you shot the photograph so the placement also addresses the temporary nature of the situation. I just thought that repositioning the object in the frame added comment. Few will probably like it because we are so ingrained to have room in front of an object and this breaks that rule.