Photography by Ian L. Sitren

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Memorial Day Fly-Over

Join the Palm Springs Air Museum to salute all those who serve and have served our country in a momentous air display throughout the Coachella Valley and Southern California.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2020, starting at 10:45am, the Palm Springs Air Museum’s webcam will stream live the staging of pilots and vintage warbirds as they prepare for a Memorial Day ceremony with Pipe Band, burial flag presentations to pilots and take off of five vintage warbirds into the sky.

Uniformed members of Civil Air Patrol Squadron 11 will present one burial flag to each of the five pilots while the Palm Springs Pipe Band plays. The aircraft and honorees:

– P-63 Kingcobra: Cpl. Joseph LaSalle, WWI USMC
– P-51 Mustang: Lt. Col. Robert Friend, WWII USAAF (Tuskegee Airman)
– T-33 Shooting Star: Col. Robert Gilliland, USAF Korean War
– C-47 Skytrain: Maj Gen. Kenneth Miles, USAF Vietnam War
– T-28 Trojan: Col. Ross Miles, USAF Lost Current Service Members

The five aircraft will start-up and depart to fly over the Coachella Valley in honor of those who serve and served our country. The aircraft will then meet up with other warbirds over San Bernardino and fly over parts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

The Coachella Valley route goes from Palm Springs International Airport to Desert Hot Springs City Hall, SunLine Transit Center, Sun City / Shadow Hills, Indio City Hall, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Coachella City Hall, Coachella Valley Water District, Cochran Regional Airport, La Quinta City Hall, Indian Wells City Hall, Palm Desert City Hall, Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage City Hall, Cathedral City’s City Hall, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians’ Tribal Offices, Palm Springs City Hall, Desert Regional Hospital, Desert Memorial Park, and the General Patton Museum.

The aircraft will then join other aircraft from the Inland Empire Wing of the CAF, Flabob Aviation Associates, and the Condor Squadron Threshold Technologies, Inc, over San Bernardino.

All aircraft will then fly over the following locations in Southern California: Loma Linda VA Medical Center, Riverside National Cemetery, CHOC Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital (Orange), John Wayne Airport, Pacific View Memorial Park (Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Bob Friend’s grave), Newport Beach, Long Beach VA Hospital, The Queen Mary, USS Iowa, Green Hills Memorial Park, Torrance Airport, LAX, Santa Monica Airport, LA National Cemetery, UCLA Medical Center, USC Medical Center, City of Hope, and finally Chino Airport.

Please join us along the way for this historic flyover. Thank You!

Map of the additional Southern California route below.

CV memorial Day Flyover

Memorial Day Map

Frontline Fly-Over

Honoring the people on the front lines of the pandemic, the Palm Springs Air Museum is doing “Frontline Friday Flyovers”.

On Friday May 22nd we will be over Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms City Hall, Hi-Desert Medical Center, Yucca Valley Town Hall and Desert Hot Springs City Hall. Departure time from the Palm Springs Air Museum will be approximately 12:45pm.

The aircraft flying will be the World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc”, the iconic “Red Tail” P-51 Mustang “Bunny”, and one of only of the very few flying in the entire world, the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly”.

A map of the route is in the discussion here so many of you can watch from your own backyard. Wave to us, I will be in the C-47. Thanks!

Frontline Banner

Frontline Flyover May 22

Frontline Flyover And 100 Megapixels

“Bunny” the Palm Springs Air Museum P-51 Mustang headed out for a Frontline Friday Flyover. Joining up with the Air Museum’s World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc?” and the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly” saluting the people on the frontlines fighting the pandemic.

Photographed with the Fujifilm GFX100 medium format camera system. A 100 megapixel camera capable of shooting five frames per second with continuous autofocus. I have found it fast handling, extremely versatile and producing incredible image quality.

Frontline Fylover 05-15-2020 P-51 Tower

Peaking Power Plant

Out shooting with the new Fujifilm GFX100 camera and GF45mm lens. A medium format 100 megapixel digital camera system. I am much more impressed with this camera system than I had expected. The image quality is extraordinary!

This is the “Peaking Power Plant” in the North end of Palm Springs California. It was designed and built to provide additional power during peak demand such as occurs in the high heat of the Summer.

Peaking Power Plant

APA Sourcebook 2020

Very pleased to again be in the APA Sourcebook 2020. Published annually by the American Photographic Artists, the print edition is distributed to advertising agencies, editorial publications, design firms and select companies around the USA. Model Randalene Sargent.

APA Soucebook 2020 sm

 

Frontline Flyovers & Fujifilm GFX100

Honoring the people on the front lines of the pandemic, the Palm Springs Air Museum is doing flyovers over different facilities on Fridays through May. This is the three aircraft returning from the flight the other day. The World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc”, the iconic “Red Tail” P-51 Mustang “Bunny”, and one of only of the very few flying in the entire world, the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly”.

Photographed with the new Fujifilm GFX100 medium format camera and the GF110mm lens. I am just now shooting with it for the first time. Faster operating than I had expected, it was able to capture aircraft in flight from the ground. This is a 100 megapixel camera still capable of shooting five frames per second with continuous auto-focusing. I will be shooting with it some more, so keep coming back to see what else I do with it. Thanks!

Returing From Frontline Flight

Returing From Frontline Flight

Returing From Frontline Flight

Fujifilm-GFX100-110_-May 10 2020

On The Beach Today

I have found a great place to “Shelter In Place” with an ocean view and still travel. Well maybe not. A Soviet Navy B-39 Submarine, the largest conventionally powered submarine ever built. Likely this one stalked U.S. Navy vessels out of San Diego.

From a photo excursion from Palm Springs to San Diego. At the Maritime Museum San Diego. Photographed with my Hasselblad H4D-40 and HC80mm lens.

This submarine and our current times reminds me of the 1959 motion picture “On The Beach” directed by Stanley Kramer. It takes place during the aftermath of a nuclear war. A tremendous motion picture with an all-star cast. However the similarities to today are somewhat discomforting.

Soviet B-39 Submarine

International Firefighters’ Day

From a photo shoot I did for a magazine series about fitness in the military. At March Air Reserve Base. Photo shoot note… I shot this with a Phase One medium format camera system.

“International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on 4th May. On this date you are invited to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. At the same time, we can show our support and appreciation to the firefighters world wide who continue to protect us so well throughout the year.”

“The role of a firefighter in today’s society – be it urban, rural, natural environment, volunteer, career, industrial, defence force, aviation, motor sport, or other is one of dedication, commitment and sacrifice – no matter what country we reside and work in. In the fire service we fight together against one common enemy – fire – no matter what country we come from, what uniform we wear or what language we speak.”
– Lt JJ Edmondson, 1999

Firefighting-MARB-sm

Caps and Grammys

This was given to me by the Grammys in 2006. I was there photographing rehearsals with a specially invited group from Special Olympics Southern California. I was documenting their visit.

One of the most fulfilling times for me was shooting for Special Olympics. I did everything from their John Wooden Dinner with thousands of people to every sport during their Fall and Summer Games. Photographs were used for annual reports, displays, media etc.

During “Shelter In Place” I have been cleaning up my office. I have a lot of caps and t-shirts from my travels. Many given to me and others I purchase. I will post more, they are fun. Thanks!

Grammy's Cap

Hasselblad H1 Introduction

I have always been a fan of Hasselblad because of it’s place in history with the exploration of outer space. This is an ad from July/August 2005 in Picture Magazine, but it appeared in many magazines. I remember very well the introduction of the H1D when Hasselblad held a day long special event at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. It was led by none other than the then President of Hasselblad.

I was there, and as I usually would do, spent a couple of days staying at the Loew’s for other business. Holding that camera and looking through that viewfinder was a total revelation. It shamed other cameras with its huge bright view. The camera so very ergonomic and solid. Everyone was just amazed with it and it’s features and future.

Indeed that held with me when finally I bought my own H4D system some years later. Hasselblad always had some great huge events. Other companies have done so along the way too. I hope to see more. I think it is good marketing although sometimes immediate results are not seen.

Hasselblad H1 Ad Picture Magazine July:Aug 2005