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 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.
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.
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!

Photo Excursion Success
Congratulations to my friend Dennis Johnson. From our photo excursion to Yermo a few months ago…
“Thank you to American Society of Railway Artists and The Railroad Tourist for posting my recent painting, “Yermo”. The painting of several box cars, inspired by a photo excursion to the Union Pacific Rail Yard in Yermo, CA in February. Painting specifications: Acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 48″.”
What’s Up Doc?
The World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc?” from the Palm Springs Air Museum. Likely I have flown in this aircraft somewhere around a couple of hundred times or more. This when we were doing ride flights with Hangar 24 Brewery & Taproom at the Redlands Airport. Great fun! Thanks!
Palms In The Wind
While it was still raining all around Southern California, here in Palm Springs it was clear and windy. Fujifilm X-H1 camera and XF100-400mm lens. Sheltering in place.
Snow And Palms
The other day after the rains. The view of the mountains through the Palm Trees here in Palm Springs. Fujifilm X-H1 camera and XF100-400mm lens. Sheltering in place.
At 38,000 ft
Airliner overhead at 38,000 ft. Fujifilm X-H1 camera and XF100-400mm lens. Sheltering in place.
The Sculpture Of The Windmill
I do find the windmills fascinating. This is here in Palm Springs. Photographed with a Fujifilm X-Series camera.
Take A Break And Fly
Let’s take a break for some flying. The Palm Springs Air Museum P-51 Mustang “Bunny” from start up to shut down around the pylons at the Reno Air Races 2019. I mounted a GoPro inside and there was some really great light making it seem like you are right in the cockpit.
That is me in the black t-shirt doing the start-up and sending it out. I was doing more than just photography at the Air Races and at Air Shows. Although you can see my camera hanging on my back. It is a Fujifilm X-T3 and 100-400mm lens. One of the reasons I avoid carrying a lot of gear, too much going on.
Polaroid
Would love to get back to shooting some “Polaroids”. I still have a camera for it and some packs of Fujifilm. Discontinued, the film sells for a premium. But it makes for a look I really like.
Film Was Is Good
I was still shooting film for my gym features long after everyone else went to digital. Here my buddy Jake Sawyer was the subject for me shooting a Leica M7 with Kodak Tri-X film. I love the look of film shot with a Leica and still do.
I did have to go digital to accommodate the need for fast turnaround when I was shooting bodybuilding and fitness competitions. Most of the time the photos were uploaded and online for my client, Bodybuilding.com, by the next morning. More of the photos would then go to the magazines and be in the next print issues. I was shooting 25 – 30 competitions per year all around the country.
Curls and Pivotal
Among the things I do best, bodybuilding and fitness photography. And that is where I have been published many thousands of times over around the world. This photo of my friend Travis Ely doing curls from one of our shoots a few years ago.
However this photograph has another point to it that was pivotal for me. This photo was done with what was at the time, the latest Hasselblad digital camera. Although I had been shooting other digital cameras at the time, for shoots like this I was still shooting medium format film. The Hasselblad gave me the colors, skin tone and look that I preferred in film.
For you photographer out there; this was shot with the Hasselblad H4D-40 with the HC80mm lens. No additional lighting, just the overhead gym lighting and natural light coming in from the large front windows. ISO 800, f2.8 and 1/60th second, processed in Hasselblad Phocus. Hasselblad files processed in Phocus create an almost magical perfect result. Thanks!
NAF El Centro Not This Year
Last year headed to the airshow at NAF El Centro with the Palm Springs Air Museum. I was flying alongside in either a T-28 Trojan or P-51 Mustang, I don’t recall which. I have flown in this C-47 hundreds of times. Anyway the airshow this year of course was cancelled. Sheltering at home.
More Than 6 ft
This is more than 6 ft but still a no-no. Miss doing these photo shoots. Sheltering at home.
Enough Of March
I moved on to April and turned the page. This is April in one of the Pirelli Calendars hanging in my office. About as close as I can get right now to photographing Pirelli style. Sheltering in place.
Victor With Nova
When I was getting ready to do a photo shoot with Nova, I was excited to find that she had been featured in one of my favorite publications, “Victor” by Hasselblad. A beautiful publication that began as a very large format magazine and progressed to a book format. It is partially responsible for my having selected Hasselblad as my camera system.
So I was excited to have Nova sign her photograph in my copy of Hasselblad Victor Photography Book One during our photo shoot. And I am in great admiration of the original photograph and the series “Personal Visitation” by photographer Damon Loble. Applause!
By the way, it was the first time she had seen the publication and only had heard it was published.
This photograph with my Hasselblad digital camera and Broncolor lighting. Thanks!
“To Ian Thank you for a wonderful shoot!!”
Wrong Face Mask
Thinking I got this face mask thing wrong. OK, sheltering in place.
Photo shoot, Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting.
With My Hasselblad
A photograph that has almost become iconic and used endlessly for the Palm Springs Air Museum. I do not think it would have happened had I not shot it with my Hasselblad.





















