Pipes And Sea Fury
The Palm Springs Pipe Band for the Annual Canadian Military Tribute at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The aircraft is a Hawker Sea Fury. Outstanding! Turn your sound on!
Mustang And Zero
Not something you see everyday for sure! The P-51 Mustang “Bunny” and a Japanese Zero starting up and headed out for the El Centro Air Show. Leaving the Palm Springs Air Museum where “Bunny” calls home, dedicated to Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Bob Friend.
Good Company!
Outstanding to be in such great company… On the Hasselblad Facebook page with my good friend and wonderful photographer Manuello Paganelli.
Peaceful Poolside
A moment of peace and harmony poolside with the ever so heavenly Catherine Kwong here in Palm Springs. Makes everything so much better!
Makeup and hair styling by the so very talented Natalie Lyle. Photographed with my Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting. Only the best!
Waiting
Waiting… Is she waiting for someone? Is someone waiting for her? What is on the other side of that door? Is she hiding something? Somewhere at the Salton Sea.
That incredible body built and owned by Regina Piazza. A fitness professional for sure and opening her new all around fitness facility in Dana Point, California as we speak!
Makeup and Hair styling by an also incredible body and talent, Natalie Lyle. Photographed with my Hasselblad digital camera system. Only the best!
EVF At JTNP
No that is not some term used when astronauts maneuver in outer space. I am talking about the electronic viewfinder on the Fujifilm X-T2 camera I used yesterday in Joshua Tree National Park. However through the viewfinder on this camera, outer space would look incredible!
As a photographer, viewfinders have always been one of my very big important factors I consider in cameras. I really do not like looking on the back of screens, you can’t see them in bright sun anyway. I do not like sub-frame tiny viewfinders. And I have not been enthusiastic about electronic viewfinders. Although I have two Fujifilm X-T1’s and an X30.
Well the viewfinder on this X-T2 just blows me away every time I look through it. Big and bright, color and contrast are breathtaking. There is no blackout or lag at all when you are shooting even in high speed at 11 frames per second. So for that alone, I am very sold on this Fujifilm X Series camera. Most important however is the image quality which is also just incredible. Thank You Fujifilm! In my personal “viewfinder” this is a really important camera.
MiG Trainer Starting Up
MIG L-29 Flug – Warsaw Pack Soviet era trainer starting up to head out and do a flight demonstration at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday. Turn your sound up!
MiG Invades Palm Springs
Yesterday, Friday, a day unlike any other! Because an airplane arrived that you really do not get to see, let alone see it fly. It is a MiG Flug L29, a Soviet era jet trainer that will be very spectacular to see fly today, Saturday, right after the 1:00 PM program. And the program is not to be missed…
The guys who flew the missions in the F-100 Super Sabre, the supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971. Pilots Al Dempsey and Bob Lilac at 1:00 PM today. These men made history and have the tales to tell! Be there!
Fujifilm Flying A+
Testing out a Fujifilm X-T2 camera this week. I own Fujifilm X-T1’s along with my Hasselblad and Canon cameras. Each with their own purpose for my shooting. More often than not on a daily basis, you will see me with one of my Fujifilm cameras on hand for most uses.
The X-T2 is the latest version and with only a couple of days with it so far, I am truly impressed with the improvements. The camera loaned to me has the power booster which makes for three of the camera batteries for all day power and boosts the speed up to 11 frames per second. A much bigger viewfinder that keeps up with fast shooting for those fast movers and much faster focus tracking. I won’t go into it too much but I am seriously impressed. There are numerous other technical refinements from the prior version that someone like me who uses a camera all the time under all kinds of circumstances really appreciates.
The final results however are the photographs. This is a tight crop of a Gulfstream jet landing in Palm Springs on a flight from Portland Oregon. For you photographers, this is actually from a jpg shot in Velvia film emulation mode. No retouching etc. My opinion… WOW! Thanks Fujifilm!
Skin Tones
Skin tones, white balance, color correct… part of what you look for when you are doing it right; photographs that is. Best verified and adjusted if needed with a known color source comparison like an X-Rite ColorChecker. However I must say that since shooting with my Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting, getting skin tones and colors and white balance right have become what I have always wanted it to be… Perfect! And one of my most favorite models ever, Aristodeme deserves nothing less. For comparison, the full photograph and a closeup crop. Check out the details on the closeup!
MiG Lift
Perfect timing to lift a MiG-15 to it’s display location at the new hangar at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Well maybe not perfect timing because it turned into one of the very few days it rains here in Palm Springs. But neither crane nor rain stood in the way of progress! Certainly not the thing you see everyday. By the way, if you are asking, a MiG-15 without fuel weighs 8,000 pounds.
Resplendent
Radiant, Dazzling, Gorgeous, Magnificent… Model Severine in front of my camera. Should I say captivating and sublime as well.
Makeup and Hair Styling by the ever so very talented Blanche LeBeau. The dress from Hot Miami Styles. Photographed with a Hasselblad digital camera system. Lighting by Broncolor. Only the best!
Oscars Arrival
Tom Cruise arriving behind the Dolby Theatre for the 89th Annual Oscars. Parking in a little known self park lot up the street and in disguise. He was heard to be muttering something about being taller than Emma Stone and that he had been taking singing lessons.
Lt. “Animal” Newman
No this is not one of those photos where Lt. “Animal” Newman got caught going through a red light. That is the name right under the canopy. A McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk trainer used by the United States Navy and you can see that it is an aircraft carrier capable jet because of the tail hook. It will do 645 MPH, well into the wow category! Another day of more fun at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday. By the way, I bet you were thinking that Lt. “Animal” Newman is a guy. Might be, might not be.
Take To The Air
I always love seeing this plane take to the air. You can too today at the Palm Springs Air Museum throughout the day. AND NOT TO BE MISSED! The guys who flew the missions in the F-100 Super Sabre, the supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971. Pilots Al Dempsey and Bob Lilac at 1:00 PM today. Yes I will be there!
Black & White Photography
Of course I love black and white photography. Here is an example of one of my favorites. There is black, which I must say fits her very well. And there is some white there in that bottle. Perfect! And my favorite cookie model, Maria Bertrand. Wonderful Makeup and Hair Styling by the equally wonderful Natalie Lyle. Photographed with a Hasselblad digital camera system. Only the best!
Harrier Jump Jet
Sunday and Monday around Palm Springs you could hear a distinctly different jet aircraft sound. United States Marines Harrier “Jump Jets” were in and out a number of times. On Sunday, from a few miles away, I could see a couple of them in the pattern using the more vertical abilities they have as they used minimal amounts of runway length. Monday morning they left in the more traditional take off mode. It can be very exciting to hang around the Palm Springs Air Museum, always something going on!
Taking Off In Bunny
Taking off in the P-51 Mustang “Bunny” from the Palm Springs Air Museum. On the way to do flyovers in honor of Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Bob Friend, special guest in the President’s Day Parade at the Riverside County Fair in Indio California. Pilot Tom Nightingale. Always something going on at the Palm Springs Air Museum! More photos and video coming this way shortly!
Kiki The Cossack
Coming to a town near you! A giant movie lobby card for Billy Wilder’s “Irma La Douce” in 1963. At the Modernism Show Palm Springs 2017 yesterday in the display of Early California Antiques Gallery.
From the gallery website… Kiki was actress Grace Lee Whitney. She started out as a singer with Billie Holiday, Buddy Rich, Spike Jones and Fred Waring. However “Kiki” later became Yeoman Janice Rand in the original “Star Trek” television series and four of the “Star Trek” motion pictures. I sure remember her very well from all of those Star Treks. But “Kiki The Cossack” has it beat by a long way for me!
Big Print
A big print rolling off my Canon Pro-2000 printer. From one of my photographs of a T-28 Trojan airplane at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Do Stripes Make Me Look Fat?
So what do you think he would be saying here…
“Do stripes makes me look fat?”
“Do you always have to be doing that?
“Is this art?”
Last night at the opening of Art Palm Springs 2017 for Modernism Week. Pablo Picasso by Jamie Salmon. The Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts Booth at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
Hasselblad At High Speed
I was asked if the Hasselblad camera, my H4D-40 would keep up shooting flying at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The answer is yes as you can see in these photographs. I will say that my experience has shown me that any camera system is challenged when you are shooting objects coming at you, flying by close and leaving in the 300 mph range. I have shot with most and still the leader has been my Canon cameras. However for pure image quality, especially when shooting more general photographs, the Hasselblad is just amazing. I am now looking forward to getting more in the air for some shooting with it.
The Beautiful Wicked Fairy
When you closed your eyes did you see her in your dreams? You probably will tonight as you lay your head down on your pillow. Model Severine in our photo shoot. Styling by master Makeup and Hair Stylist Blanche LeBeau. Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting.
More P-38 Fun
Starting up and rolling out, a P-38 Lightning fighter plane from World War II. One of perhaps fewer than six still flying in the entire world. You can see from my video that the Palm Springs Air Museum visitors get an up close experience like none other. Not as close as I am, but right there to get their hats blown off their heads and get a good whiff of the spray of motor oil. How fun is that!
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