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!
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.
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!
A Scene From WWII
Makes you think that you are looking at a scene from World War II. One of the very few remaining flying P-38 Lightning fighters taking off for flybys at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Photographed just yesterday against the scenic backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains. Something to see all the time at the Air Museum and special programs and flight demonstrations on Saturdays. Be there!
P-38 Flying On Saturday
There might be only six or fewer P-38’s left flying in the world and you can see one of them tomorrow, Saturday Feb 11th. At the Palm Springs Air Museum following the 1:00 PM program. Do not miss this rare opportunity. I will be there and bringing my cameras like I did here in 2015. So if you are the pilot, remember to smile as you go by. See you there!
This one is a Lockheed P-38J Lightning of World War II built in 1943. Two 12 cylinder 1,425 hp turbo charged Allison engines will take this plane to 402 mph and it has a service ceiling of 44,000 ft. It was armed with four .50 caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon. Some versions could carry two 1,000 pound bombs. The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft that saw service from the beginning of the war at Pearl Harbor to V.J. Day.
Safety Crew
So I came up with this new idea for staffing and uniforms for the Safety Crew at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Professional model Gabriella Muttone was kind enough to volunteer for a few photographs and show us what I had in mind. It is my understanding that the concept is under full consideration and everybody would like to see Gabriella return as soon as possible for further demonstrations.
Photo shoot notes… Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting. Only the best. And speaking of the best, Gabriella is one extraordinary photographer herself. Check her out at https://gabriella-muttone.squarespace.com
That Palm Springs Sun
Modernism Week Palm Springs is coming up. What will you be wearing? The feel of that Palm Springs sun is like no other. Ask Séverine as she stood in front of my camera out by the pool.
Makeup and styling by the ever “Mod” Blanche LeBeau. Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting. So Good!
The Colonel’s 97th Birthday
Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Bob Friend. Celebrating the Colonel’s 97th birthday at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The P-51 Mustang “Bunny” flown by pilot Tom Nightingale doing flybys, restored as a replica of the famed Tuskegee Airmen “Red-Tail” P-51’s.
In Person Living History
Today, Saturday you will have an opportunity like none other. A celebration of the 97th birthday of Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Bob Friend. Another true guest of honor and Tuskegee Airman, Capt. Rusty Burns will be there too. Do not miss the chance to greet and meet these two American heroes. There will also be an honoring of World War II “Buffalo Soldier” George Edwards who recently passed away at the age of 96. At the Palm Springs Air Museum beginning at 1:00 PM. You will not only share in birthday cake but also see “Bunny” fly. The P-51 Mustang of Tuskegee Airmen fame!
Ever Ever
One of my all time favorite photographs I have ever shot ever. The incredible wonderful Tina Chandler during her Olympia bodybuilding competition.
T-34 Fly In
Eight T-34’s flew in yesterday and there will be more this morning, as many as sixteen total. A weekend fly in at the Palm Springs Air Museum. You can come out and see formation flying at around 10 AM and also around 2 PM following the 1 PM history program about Germany’s first Ace fighter pilot of World War I and considered the father of air combat, Oswald Boelcke. There will also be some flying on Sunday!
The T-34 was the trainer for the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corp. They flew at Edwards Air Force Base, for NASA, and even for Argentina during the Falklands War. And the planes you will see here at the Air Museum are incredibly restored great looking airplanes. Be there! I will!
“Playing With Life”
From my friend JoAnne Windsand…. she said to me… this is “my version of your work, called “Playing With Life”; “the feeling of sensuality along with my own passion for Life”.
I must say that I think this is so very sexy beyond words! Now my goal is to have my photography live up to her kindness. Thank You JoAnne!
I had met JoAnne at the Palm Springs Photo Festival. Please visit her and her art and photography at www.joannewindsand.com Please do and Thanks!
Value Added Bonus
Hang out at the Palm Springs Air Museum and you often get the added fun of military aircraft flying at the airport. Saturday saw T-45 jet trainers taking off and landing. Out of Naval Air Facility El Centro, these trainers are fully aircraft carrier capable and will do 645 mph. When I am there, I always have a camera at the ready. Wow!
One Of Only One
Saturdays at the Palm Springs Air Museum brings us great programs and flight demonstrations. This last Saturday brought us the only still flying World War II P-51A Mustang. There are other still flying Mustangs but this is the early A version powered by 1200 hp Allison engine. It had a maximum speed of 409 mph and carried four .50 caliber machine guns. The plane was designed to be strictly an air to air combat aircraft. Now owned by Planes Of Fame in Chino CA. I had the pilot stop mid-air right in front of me so I could shoot this photograph. Ok maybe not.
SAM 44
That is Special Air Mission 44 carrying President Obama. Until a few hours before the designation would have been Air Force One. On Friday, I waited in the rain just South of the runway for the arrival. I have been there before photographing Air Force One but always in bright sunny weather. Visibility was very limited but I knew it was coming in from listening to the control tower.
I heard it first, but coming from the wrong direction, behind me and not where I would have usually seen it. Just appearing as a ghost out of the clouds, that giant 747 had added power and was turning East away from lining up on runway 31 left. I fired away with my camera as it again disappeared into the dark clouds.
SAM 44 headed back up to higher altitude to await possible better weather, I lost track of how much time elapsed, maybe an hour. From the conversation with the control tower I knew it was coming back on final approach. From my vantage point the weather conditions looked even worse. Then I saw that ghostly apparition, slightly visible in the dark clouds and rain, go around again as I fired away with my camera.
Did 20 minutes go by or maybe 30 when I heard the pilot advise the tower that they were deciding on diverting to another airport. Another 10 minutes and the pilot advised that they were diverting to March Air Reserve Base and requesting clearance to 10,000 ft. Not long after that, requesting clearance to 17,000 ft and then on the way to March.
I must say I find the photographs I shot really interesting, and as one person said, very historical. Within 90 minutes I had them online with Zuma Press, one of the largest photo press agencies in the world. All in all, I am going to remember this for a long time to come. Thanks!
Looking At Her Looking At You
Look away, no you just can’t. Even when you do, you still see her looking at you. This gorgeous woman, Amber Flowers in our photo shoot. She also created her makeup, hair and wardrobe styling. One incredibly talented and beautiful individual.
Photo shoot notes… Hasselblad digital camera system and Broncolor lighting. Only the best!
Mutual
Wandered Photo L.A. yesterday with my buddy Gabriella Muttone. Not only do we have the commonality of me loving her in front of my cameras; she is an extraordinary photographer herself who loves much of the same photography that I do. It was also fun thinking that people were staring at me, when of course they were gaze locked on her! Me too lol
P-40 Warhawk
Yes this is the plane that you would recognize as having been flown by the famed Flying Tigers. Two P-40’s shot down attacking Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor.
If you were at the Palm Springs Air Museum yesterday, you saw this P-40 chase a Japanese VAL Dive Bomber just barely over ground level. Wow!
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