102 - McClellan AF Base

Leica M6, 15mm VC Heliar

Nice shot, Bill. The most successful of your airplane shots I think, although I like #27 also. Your choice of equipment and medium are impeccable. The wide lens isolates the subject from what would otherwise be a distracting background. What I like best about it is appreciation and respect for the form of the airplane -- you worked with the Skyraider's natural shape, rather than against it or with indifference to it. We get to ponder that long engine cowling, the sharp angle of the folded wings, and the big prop blade paddles. All real traits of the plane that you emphasized for our attention, rather than creating out of nothing. Also, the lighting was good and the textures of both sky and grass contribute to the image. Some might criticize you for cropping the prop blade, but I would view it as necessary in this case to get the rest of the composition right.