FlyingPhotog suggested an intro thread where we can say hello to other members and introduce ourselves. I think it's an awesome idea, so here it is.
Allow me to introduce myself!
Jay Beckman
aka FlyingPhotog (My POTN and FenceCheck handles as well)
Chandler Resident
Private Pilot (I've been inactive for a couple of years but at 730am tomorrow at Chandler Air Service, I'll begin correcting that little issue!)
Canon Shooter
ISAP Member recruited off PBase by Larry Grace
For over 20 years, I've been a freelance sports broadcasting technician working for all the major players: FOX, ESPN, NBC, CBS, etc... You can get a sense of my working world here (http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/scenes_from_the_road). Many years of NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, NCAA, NHL experience with seven Emmy Awards to my credit. FWIW, they make excellent paper weights and door stops. ;)
Aviation and Photography have always been secondary passions because my "day job" had me traveling 35 to 45 weekends a year but that's going to change in the very near future. I'm hoping to increase my flying time as well as my photography efforts with an eye toward trying to find a way to meld the two. Exactly how that will pan out is still a little hazy but it is a dream I have! ;D
I have galleries on both PBase (http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog) and Zenfolio (http://www.jcbeckman.zenfolio.com). PBase is more or less my catch all while Zen is where I present what I consider to be my very best work.
I invite everyone to stop by and have a look at my efforts. I hope to meet as many of you face to face as possible in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Glad to Be Here!
Hi folks!
My name's James and I've just re-located to Arizona after spending 3 years in England courtesy of my wife's employer the USAF. Before that we were in a spotter's paradise for 2 years at Lajes Field, Azores. Once we get settled into our new home I look forward to enjoying the many aviation offerings the area has to offer. You can peruse some of my images on my Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/james_orear/collections/72157608652444706) page.
Hope to meet some of you soon, drop me an e-mail if you're down in the Tucson area!
Cheers,
James O'Rear aka JSlugman
Sahuarita, AZ
While most of you know me, there are some that don't.
I am born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and have loved aviation my entire life. As a kid I would spend many afternoons on the roof of the Left Seat Cafe at Sky Harbor watching airplanes come and go (I watched the Concorde arrive from here back in the '80s). I have also loved watching the Arizona Wing of the CAF fly their B-17G "Sentimental Journey" at airshows, and as a kid I loved climbing in and walking through her. I have always loved the B-17, and I would have to say that "Sentimental Journey" is probably my most favorite airplane out there!
I learned to fly with Arizona State University and Mesa Airlines Pilot Development out at Williams Gateway Airport (Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport), and most of my flight time has been in their Piper Warriors. I am an active member of the Arizona Wing of the CAF, and love spending time out at Falcon Field, or on tour, working mainly as a photographer. I am a member of their B-17G Flight Crew and perform the duties of Loadmaster. I have had the opportunity to fly the B-17G, and flying "Sentimental Journey" from the left seat is one of my greatest aviation accomplishments!
I have always had a passion for photography, and now combine my love for aviation and photography into one hobby.
Greetings, Like others here, I am also a native of AZ. I recieved my BFA (Photography) from ASU in 1994. In 1987 I photographed a house fire in San Diego that was published in the San Diego Union. The next day I was offered a job by the Encinitas Fire Dept. I spent a few years working for the department and flying in any helo that I could get on. I used my press pass to jump rides with the Air National Guard, Coast Guard, media, law and many air ambo companies. I was at the right place at the right time with many of my images relating to aviation and the fire/ems service. I have been lucky enough to have been published in Life (2), Time, Aviation Week, Emergency, Sports Illustrated and many major papers. Those were the good old days. In 1999 I changed careers and put my trusty Nikon F3 in the closet. Now I am dusting of my portfolio and looking to get back into photography as a hobby. I will take any advice, and need to make the jump from an old media called film, remember film? I prefer to work on the ground, and my "specialty" is long exposure images of helos on the ground at night. I love to barbeque, drink beer and NASCAR!
QuoteI will take any advice, and need to make the jump from an old media called film, remember film?
Did Colin just use the "F" word????? ;D
What a great career, hope to meet up with you someday soon!
Figured I should probably put something up here.
I spent the first 8 years of my life in a neighborhood at the north end of the runway at Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Illinois and woke up every morning to the sound of Learjets and Cessnas buzzing by outside my window. A few miles away was NAS Glenview, where the USMCR KC-130s and USNR P-3s were my first exposure to military aviation. What fascinated me the most as a kid was the F-104 that used to be suspended from the ceiling of the Museum of Science and Industry. (It's now hanging from the ceiling of an aviation museum in Kansas).
While I've been a lifelong aviation enthusiast, I am new to aviation photography, picking it up in May of 2008. I've learned A LOT since then and am looking forward to learning more. Prior to photography, I did quite a bit of work as a historian, lecturing on the history of OV-10 Bronco backseat personnel at the OV-10 Bronco Museum in Fort Worth, contributing an aircraft history on OV-10D BuNo 155494 to the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, donating some flight test footage I had in my personal archive to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, working on a continuing audio history project in which I digitize and restore cockpit audio recordings submitted to me by veteran combat pilots, and having a case study I wrote on the acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet published as an appendix to Col. Walt Boyne's Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why back in late 2003. While photography has taken the front seat in terms of my passion, I look forward to continued projects in aerospace history when and where time allows.
As far as photography goes, I'll shoot anything that flies. My preference, however, is for military aircraft under their own power, whether they are starting up, taxiing, taking off, landing, or just flying by. I feel blessed to live in a state that offers such a diverse richness of opportunities to photograph aircraft in these various states and I look forward to taking advantage of it as much as I can.
Chris Voyles
aka Phantomf4 (Fencecheck), Photozz (Dgrin), Nukegm (POTN)
My wife & I moved to AZ 2 years ago from Rolling Meadows IL. Been into photography since my early teens. Loving being in AZ with the amount of things to shoot out here. I shoot everything from landscapes to macro but my absolute fav is aviation especially military aviation.
I have met a few of you out at Gateway over the time I have been here. I shoot Canon gear. Some of my stuff can be seen here.
http://cv-photozz.smugmug.com/ (http://cv-photozz.smugmug.com/)
Welcome Chris, good to have you on board!
Hi,
Another new member here... Even though I am a resident of San Diego, I was invited to join by Jay Beckman (FlyingPhotog). My wife's parents just moved to the Florence area and we have long-time friends that live in Glendale. We are in the area several times a year and I try to get over to shoot the shows at Luke and Davis-Monthan. I'm also a big fan of the Pima Museum.
I've been a photographer for over 40 years, but it's only in the last couple of years I have been concentrating on aviation. That started when attended the 2007 Luke show and was asked to shoot by a reporter for the Airport Journals newspaper. I've been shooting for them for a couple of years now. My interest in aviation has been present since I was a youngster, but really came to the fore when I was hired by Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego in 1984. I worked for them building Apache fuselages and UAVs until 1998 when Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas merged and Boeing took the Apache work from Ryan and moved it to Vertol in Philadelphia.
I'm retired now, so I have the opportunity to shoot more than when I was working. You can my work (and some of my wife Heather's stuff too) at http://johnwright.smugmug.com
John
Hiya John! Welcome!!
Welcome John!
What part of San Diego?
Quote from: David Loera on December 28, 2009, 08:51:59 PM
What part of San Diego?
North Park... Two miles east of Balboa Park.
awesome, I lived in northpark for about a year, lived most of my life in La Mesa-Springvalley Area
Hello everyone! My name is Chris from Tucson and as you can tell from my screen name I work on F-16's. I work out of the Air National Guard base at TIA. I was referred here from the Canon Forums by Jay "flyingphotog" I'm really looking forward to meeting some of you and learning a little about aviation photography. I shoot with a Canon and have really been learning a lot lately about photography. So I figured I would combine my new found love of photography with my life long passion of aviation.
-Chris
Chris, Welcome.
Yes you have, more then you will every know ;D
Hi Chris: Welcome to AzAP. There are a few of us in Tucson and we look forward to meeting you soon.
Welcome aboard Chris. Tucson is really an aviation photography Mecca, you'll have no shortage of subjects to practice on down there. Looking forward to meeting you as well.
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Joe I got your email and replied to it.
Welcome Chris, hopefully we'll cross paths soon.
Well hello there!
I was introduced to the forum by FlyingPhotog over on POTN after his Coolidge fly-in photos.
So a little about myself? Don't mind if I do!
I was born in Mass. but moved to Tucson when I was 7. I've been really interested in photography for about 4 years now and got my first DSLR about 2 years ago. Since then I've graduated High School and moved on to Arizona State University studying Air Traffic Control. I live on the Poly campus about 1/2 mile from KIWA 12R's centerline.
I look forward to getting to know you all and sharing any photos I may gather!
-Stephen
Welcome Stephen!
Welcome Stephen!
Several of us are Willie regulars, so we'll probably see you out there.
Also - congrats on the POTM nomination! Three posts and already making an impact. Looking forward to more.
I got nominated? :o Wow... didn't see that one coming! Quite exciting!
Thanks for the welcome! Will have to let me know when your out here next, would like to meet some of the members.
Hope I am doing this right. I do not post things on fourums very often. Just throwing some information out there about my self. I am from Virginia and in the USAF nine years now. I am an A-10 crew chief for most of my career(one year on the U-2). I did some time in Kuwait, Afghanistan and South Korea. I was hired to the A-10 West Demo Team in 2007 and have been a member since. I was drawn to aviation photography through this exposure to so many aircraft. I have been blessed with being able to go to many airshows: Reno, Oshkosh, Midland, Chino etc... and got to see some very cool and rare things. I shoot with a Canon Rebel XSI and 70-300MM IS for two years now so I would like to think I have atleast some basics down, but I have not had any formal classes and little "on the job training". I am not really a book learner I am a tactile learner so I have to be shown and do hands on work. I also need to be spun up in the post picture process of editing and also want to try my hand at some HDR work. You can find me on Fencecheck and ASB as hammsterdam1943 but I have not posted any of my work. Maybe if I get confident enough I can have my own website one day. Just for gee whiz I am also looking for some new or used canon lenses so I can broaden my range and experiment with other lenses if anyone is interested. Thanks for making me feel welcome with the e-mails fellas I feel very welcome here.
Welcome Joel! I was an A-10 crew chief for 6 years out at DM. I was in the 358th for two then went to Osan for a year and came back and I was in the 357th. Now I'm over at the guard base as an F-16 crew chief. Nice to have you on board! Looking forward to meeting you. And if you need help with post processing just let me know and I'll teach you whatever I've learned so far.
Welcome Joel, You come in at a great time as March is HELL month as there is something big each weekend. Just keep checking the forms and see who going to be where, we'll all here to help each other.
I just discovered this thread and I figured I should post something because I lurk frequently and post every once in a while.... Plus, I have met a few of you and I will likely meet more of you either down here or up north in Casa Grande, Phoenix, etc.
I am the Collections Registrar at Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. Essentially, I work mostly with cataloguing small artifacts like photographs, uniforms, flight gear, patches, etc. Occasionally I drift over towards archival materials (personal records and documents) but that is a little bit out of my area of responsibility. I occasionally work with the really large artifacts that we have, but I am not usually out hammering sheet metal or anything like that. I tend to deal with the paperwork issues or trying to figure out where an airframe has been or what it did.
My photography is purely amateur and I actually enjoy looking at what others have taken as much as looking at my own. I like seeing what other people have seen and where they saw it, etc. (Although, I am not a spotter--I just like the pretty pictures ;D)
So, hopefully I'll bump in to some of you--perhaps at the "guardrail" or at one of the many upcoming events in the hectic month of March!
Cheers.
Small world I grew up in Glenview and went to GBN for a few years. I miss that base.
Quote from: Joe Copalman on August 31, 2009, 02:49:53 PM
Figured I should probably put something up here.
I spent the first 8 years of my life in a neighborhood at the north end of the runway at Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Illinois and woke up every morning to the sound of Learjets and Cessnas buzzing by outside my window. A few miles away was NAS Glenview, where the USMCR KC-130s and USNR P-3s were my first exposure to military aviation. What fascinated me the most as a kid was the F-104 that used to be suspended from the ceiling of the Museum of Science and Industry. (It's now hanging from the ceiling of an aviation museum in Kansas).
While I've been a lifelong aviation enthusiast, I am new to aviation photography, picking it up in May of 2008. I've learned A LOT since then and am looking forward to learning more. Prior to photography, I did quite a bit of work as a historian, lecturing on the history of OV-10 Bronco backseat personnel at the OV-10 Bronco Museum in Fort Worth, contributing an aircraft history on OV-10D BuNo 155494 to the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, donating some flight test footage I had in my personal archive to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, working on a continuing audio history project in which I digitize and restore cockpit audio recordings submitted to me by veteran combat pilots, and having a case study I wrote on the acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet published as an appendix to Col. Walt Boyne's Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why back in late 2003. While photography has taken the front seat in terms of my passion, I look forward to continued projects in aerospace history when and where time allows.
As far as photography goes, I'll shoot anything that flies. My preference, however, is for military aircraft under their own power, whether they are starting up, taxiing, taking off, landing, or just flying by. I feel blessed to live in a state that offers such a diverse richness of opportunities to photograph aircraft in these various states and I look forward to taking advantage of it as much as I can.
A little about me. I have been living in the Valley for over 20 years. I did my undergrad at ASU main, and I'm still working on my Masters at ASU poly in Emergency Management. I started up a communication company providing radios to Aviation, Public Safety,and the Military back in 97. I provide radios to several big events. I started working with air shows about 6 years ago and my first ride was in a single was a T-6, at the Reno Air Races. I fell in love right then and there. I got my PPL back in 07' and fly my Diamond DA20-C1 to air shows in the S.W. I have a couple of air shows in the midwest as well as the Southwest, and I would love to pick up some skills shooting stills. I do enjoy shooting video as well. I am a total amateur but I want to learn more.
Guess I should toss up a little something.
Originally from Massachusetts, I've been in Az. for almost 20 years. The first time I saw the Thunderbirds was at Hanscom AFB. I was probably ten years old. I've had a lasting fascination/curiosity with aviation ever since. I used to bring my son out to Sky Harbor a lot when he was young, and also I used to live right over by Scottsdale's airport, so I spent a good deal of time out there. There were several times when F-18s would come in to Scottsdale to refuel or stop over. You always new when they were coming or going. ;D I can't count the times I've stopped and/or turned around the car to catch a look at an aircraft taking off or landing. It never gets old.
I also had the good fortune to spend an entire day once, on the John C Stennis carrier. That was amazing. You would not believe how close we were allowed to get to the active catapults. It was a day to remember for sure. I'll have to scan those pictures and post them up.
Currently, I'm shooting with a Canon 30D and a couple of decent lenses. I plan on upgrading to a 7D or 1D soon, depending on finances.
I hope to meet you guys soon.
S.C.
Welcome guys. Sounds like you both will fit in just great.
Hello everyone, another newby here. I was initially referred to this stie while at the Heritage Flight Conference this year. It was great to meet Joe and some other members of this board and FC this past week while photographing arrivals for the DM airshow - what a great time! I have also been on FC for a few months. I have been photographing aircraft at airshows for some years on my own, and have been using Canon DSLRs since 2006. Anyway, I look forward to posting with and meeting more of you and improving my skills while contributing images that you will enjoy.
Edward
Good to meet your Ed, looking forward to your images.
Here we go, post #1!
My name is Ben and after a little bit of legwork I've successfully joined the AzAP community (Thank you Matt and Dave for the help!).
I've lived in the Valley of the Sun since 1997 and have been an aviation nut since I was old enough to say the word 'airplane'. I work on the ramp at Sky Harbor for US Airways, and while it isn't a bad job (it pays the bills), it is really more just a job to keep me around airplanes while I get my ducks in a row for my career ambitions. Oh, and flying for free is a plus!
I graduated this past December from ASU's aviation management program. I possess a private pilot cert with instrument rating and am a newly accepted pilot for the Civil Air Patrol Sq. 305 at Falcon Field.
As for photography, I didn't pick up my first dslr until about a year and half ago (February of 09, to be precise), so I've only been at this photo thing a little while compared to probably most or all of everyone else here. However, I absolutely love photography, and aviation photography is my biggest passion outside of actually flying airplanes. (If I could get paid to fly an airplane and take pictures of them at the same time, I'd be in heaven).
Thanks!
Welcome aboard, Ben!
I too just found this thread. My name is Damon and I am married and live in the South Bay about 15 miles south of Downtown LA. My Dad got me in to aviation by taking me to the Chino show back when I was like 3-4 (1977-78) and also to Miramar and Pt. Mugu. I think I started taking pictures in mid gradeschool with a kit built 110 camera. I used my Dad Canon AE-1 when I got older and up until 2001 when I could afford my "own" camera, Elan 7. (think this is why I am an Canon guy) I shot film and then met Joe Cupido and he got me into slides and help me to hone my photography and be an answer guy for me. Sidenote, he got some great air-to-air stuff out there and also wrote the book "Chino" of you can find it. My wife has help my passion by providing me with some of my equipment over the years. I also love classic muscle cars and have one myself.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/3679383062_32e2a0efbd_m.jpg)
I have pretty much taught myself the photography and also benefitied from getting to know photographers such as yourself and we all help eachother out. I have shot all over So Cal and frequent LAX sometimes as well and VNY and try to make the local airshow or visit local warbirds.
Josh Nyhus and myself started www.apsocal.com (http://www.apsocal.com) a few years back as Aviaiton Photographer of Torrance, then changed it to AP of Southern California and we have grown to over 150 members. I was invited to join you guys after meeting Joe, Matt, Dave and other AZ photogs at photocalls and also on trips to DM for Phancons. Its nice that we can all help eachother out whe traveling to each others state and that our websites complement each other as do our members that have signed up on our website and vice versa.
Damon, it's great to have you here, and we really appreciate all the help you gave us when we decided to launch AzAP (almost a year ago)! Thanks again, and I look forward to shooting with you sometime soon.
Welcome Ben!
Nice ride Damon!
Hi all.
My name is Chris Kennedy and I have just joined the group. I have only lived in Arizona since last November (2009). Previously, I spent 19 years in San Diego. I am a retired computer database analyst.
I've been taking pictures of airplanes on and off since the mid-60's, but still consider myself a rank amateur. I'm hoping to learn a lot from this forum and the expert members. I met some of you yesterday (Saturday 8/28) at Gateway, but wasn't sure then which of the photographers there were members here.
Since, I'm a retired guy with a limited budget, I can't afford fancy photo gear like I saw yesterday. My camera is a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.
Mostly, I have been shooting at Deer Valley Airport, since it is the closest to me. I used to hang out at Montgomery Field in San Diego a lot when I lived near there and took many photos there.
I have mostly been posting on Airport-Data.com, with a few photos on Picasaweb, and a handful on Flickr.
I'm looking forward to meeting others of the group at aviation venues around the area. I'm currently planning to attend the Coolidge fly-in in October.
My two online photo URLs are:
http://www.airport-data.com/photographers/Chris+Kennedy;3318/
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChrisKennedy92
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52882109@N07/
There are quite a few of my old shots on the A-D site that I scanned from slides, so sometimes the quality is not the best.
Welcome to the group Chris, I am from SD also.
Welcome Chris, glad to have you on-board.
Thanks, guys. Hope to meet you in person somewhere down the road.
Chris,
Good to meet you out at Willy the other day and welcome!
- Jay
I have never seen this thread before and even though I have been a member for several months now I thought I would write a little background on myself
My name is Chris (which seems real popular on here) I am 34 ,single and have been into aircraft or aviation since I was 10 (wanna guess what popular movie came out that year) but the movie came out after I discovered aviation ,I promise ,it actually started when I picked up a book on the air war in Vietnam and ever since then I could not learn enough ,attended my first airshow in '86' at El Toro then in 1990 my family moved to Arizona and from the early 90's Luke was like my second home and I usually had my video camera with me ,graduated from Independence in 1994 and worked for my dad fixing TV's in a shop we owned in Peoria ,that closed in 2001 then sold computers for 4 years at Fry's Electronics ,then Best Buy after that I worked for Cox and now a company called Cable One doing Internet tech support and thats what made it possible to buy my first DSLR ,a Canon XS and a 300mm lens ,started taking Pics and met Joe who invited me to join the group ,so here I am ...............,I have since met some great people especially ,JASON BONG ,Matt Ottosen and Chris Palmer who allowed me to acompany them to Valle for the fly-in and cant wait to do it again ,hint hint ,lol
Flickr account - http://www.flickr.com/photos/25090567@N07/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000130243943 (add me)
HI
Not sure if I sent in an introduction since joining this group last year, but if not here goes.
I am originally from the UK or Scotland to be more precise, but have lived in England for 95% of my life, I sort of moved to Tucson AZ Oct 2009 but with divorce, immigration problems etc etc I have had no time to do what I like doing best photographing aeroplanes. But now I have married again October 17th to my loverly wife Jacqueline who is also an ex pat but the difference is she is now an American citizen, we dated way back in 1979 in Leeds, England yes goofy I know 30 years later, so my immigration meeting is later this month to stay permanantly, so hopefully get out more and hopefully meet up with some of you guys.
Before I left the UK i had started up in business as a photographer (a long time ambition) but this was put on hold over here as I was not allowed to work until the correct paper work was in order, but now we have just launched over here at www.harrymorrowphotography.com and hopefully the good people of Tucson are going fulrish me with lots of bookings lol.
I have only met one person from this list that I know of, he was called Bill, think it was last March, would love to meet with any guys down at Tucson or DM just to get out of the house now and then, so drop me a line.
I managed to get some resonable shots at the DM airshow last year from outside, so looking forward to doing a few airshows this year.
Thanks for reading this far and say hello if you ever see me, I drive a purple mazda 626 with the license plate morrow9
Harry
Thank you for accepting me as a member. We moved to Parker Dam in 1951 when I was 5. I grew up there and Parker, moved to Yuma in 1964, and except for 4 years in Socal have been here since. I recall my parents taking us to the Phoenix airport when I was a kid just to watch the planes take off and land. Yes we are country! I worked for a crop duster as a teen. We flew Piper Pawnees and a N3N. The owner also had a couple of Cherokees and an Apache. I got to fly quite a bit with this job. No flying since though.
I am retired, owned an insurance agency for 38 years. Still in Yuma for the winters, and then travel in the summer.
Harry, it was me bill word that you met at TIA last March. There are several of AzAP members here in Tucson. The next time I know ahead of time when I go to TIA or D-M I will post in the Meet-Up area of this forum.
Welcome aboard,
bill word
Nice to "meet" both of you, hope to do it in-person soon.
Quote from: bilwor on January 04, 2011, 07:56:16 PM
Harry, it was me bill word that you met at TIA last March. There are several of AzAP members here in Tucson. The next time I know ahead of time when I go to TIA or D-M I will post in the Meet-Up area of this forum.
Welcome aboard,
bill word
HI Bill
Thanks for the response that will be great to meet up some time just let me know most days execpt Tuesdays, I am child sitting duty from 1pm lol.
Regards
Harry
Quote from: jslugman on January 04, 2011, 08:10:38 PM
Nice to "meet" both of you, hope to do it in-person soon.
HI James
That would be really cool, it was great to meet Bill last year since then I have never been around at the same time as anyone else, just usually see my european friends doing the usual quick dash around the airfield, also not seen a Dutch F-16 for a year and half so looking forward to getting down there, does anyone know how many Dutch F-16's have arrived at Tucson.
Regards
Harry
Welcome aboard Harry. I look forward to shooting with you around Tucson.
Quote from: Ned Harris on January 05, 2011, 06:26:26 AM
Welcome aboard Harry. I look forward to shooting with you around Tucson.
HI Ned
Some great stuff on your flickr site, would be great to meet some time.
Regards
Harry
Even though I have been a member for a month or so, I wasn't aware of this thread and figured it would be a good idea to introduce myself.
My name is Jeff and I recently achieved the double-nickel (55). I am born-n-raised in Mesa. I've been married to my high school sweetheart for 35 years. We've got two sons and two grandsons - with a third on the way. My father is a retired professional photographer and did 20-years in the USAF/ANG. Accordingly, I have both photography and aviation in my genetic code. My dad was initially stationed at Luke AFB and finished his time as a member of the ANG at Sky Harbor. I've got photos of myself sitting on the wings of RF-51's, F-80's, F-86A's, and F-104's (my dad's all-time favorite jet). In my 20's and 30's I shot weddings and family portraits part-time for my dad. He was part owner in a Cessna 206 that allowed him to do aerial photography out the back door - I logged a lot of time riding co-pilot in that plane. I worked for the City of Mesa for 32-years. As my career with Mesa grew, I put away my camera gear and pursued raising a family. We've been empty nested for the past couple of years and my passion for photography and aviation has resurfaced.
I'm getting ready to take the plunge, get some serious DSLR gear and go chase planes. I was very excited to find this site and the great information/images that are posted on the various threads. I hope to contribute in the future and learn a bunch from all the fine folks on AzAP. I have some great historic photos from my father's time in the military that I hope to post in the near future. I look forward to meeting members of AzAP and learning from your expertise/experience. While I've got some serious time with film cameras, the digital world is somewhat new and I am excited to get acclimated.
PS - I learned to swim at the old RAF officers pool at Falcon Field. I've been hanging out at Falcon for one reason or another since I was a very little kid.
Jeff,
Welcome aboard.
With your background in film photography, picking up digital will be no problem.
I started shooting film with a SLR back in 1978. Shot with the same camera until 2005. Then bought a DSLR, and personally I don't feel there is any difference in shooting. The real difference is the instant gratification (or disappointment) in seeing the results right there. This allows you to adjust exposure, and try again, unless your shooting some jet taking off. Another big difference, which goes along with exposure is you can change the ISO setting between every shot if you choose. One very critical benefit is the cost of each shot is virtually nothing, not considering the camera and lens cost, which aren't any more expensive than good film cameras back 30 years ago.
Then of course is the ease with which you can modify/adjust your photo in the computer after the shot, to improve it for presentation.
Again, Welcome.
Bill O.
Thanks for the kind welcome.
I've been using a Canon G11 recently to help me get used to digital. The vast majority of my prior "film" work was either with strobe (i.e. weddings) or landscape work from a tripod. The new AF systems and high ISO options will be my greatest learning challenge. No matter - it will be a bunch of fun getting myself up to speed.
Welcome Jeff. My fave part of digital is not getting that sick feeling in your stomach when the counter went to 38 frames. ;D
Hi Jeff and Welcome!
Old film shooter here as well. Digital is totally a breath of fresh air and I'm sure you'll rock the shutter in no time!
Welcome aboard Jeff!
I'm local to Falcon and have really been growing to love it out there, especially early in the morning or right around sunset. This is a great time of year to shoot out there with the CAF birds being at home and lots of seasonal warbird visitors. Shoot me a PM if you're ever headed out there.
Thanks James, Jay & Joe:
James: It is nice not to worry about changing film - CF cards are waaaaay more convenient.
Jay: I'll bet you've burned your share of Velvia or Kodachrome.
Joe: I office less than 1/4 mile from Falcon and live less than 2 miles away. We will definately get together in the near future.
Welcome Jeff!
Hi guys,
I guess it's kindda nice to let people know who they are dealing with on this site.
My name is Henk, born and raised Dutch ,I am invited by Matt and it's my pleasure to join you guys.
I spend most of my younger days taking pics at Soesterberg AB,The Netherlands where the 32TFS " Wolfhounds" where active with F-15's .
I joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1994 and spend alot of time on the flightline working F-16's and participated in alot of excersices like
Red flag, Maple flag, FWIT ( Leeuwarden airbase,NL) and TLP( Florennes AB, Belguim), PFP(Partner ship for peace excercises) Slovakia.etc
In 2001-2002 I spend time with the F-16 solo display team as public relations and saw alot of cool airshows.
Nowadays I live in Utah I am a full time aircraft mechanic for the USAF and volunteer at the Hill Aerospace museum and on T-33's out of Wendover, Utah.
I am also a long time fencechecker under the same screen name.
I used to use praktica and pentax equipment but after buying the allmighty digital camera it became a Canon and it's still my first one so nothing fancy for me. I think that it's funny to see people with low end camera's making almost the same or better pics than people with high end camera's.
so it tells me that it's still all about the person behind the camera.!
Anyway ,I hope to meet some or all of you guys at airshows and if you see a T-33 from wendover a nice shiny one or a blue angels colored one, you might see me there too and don't be affraid to talk to me I don't bite.
Henkster
Welcome Henkster! Glad to have you aboard, looking forward to seeing your images.
Welcome Henkster!
March 2010 at DMAFB. A-10 West Demo bird sporting serial no. 80-0238 and c/n A10-0588.
Hi All,
I'm Chuck from Tucson, new guy. I work with James O'Rear at the Pima Air Museum and learned of AzAP from him. Glad to be a member.
Fighter Pilot USAF/Tucson ANG and retired with 20+ years. Instructor pilot C-26, A-7, F-4, and F-16. My wife and I manage a small business that we started 28 years ago in Tucson selling specialized auto parts; wheels, wheel covers, etc....
We are currently working on a new home and studio in NW Tucson, career #3. We are renovating a 1937 ranch house for my wife who does graphic design and web design. I am getting more and more serious with videography and aviation photography as time allows.
I have met a few of you in Coolidge and hope to meet more of you in the future. If you are coming to Tucson our door is always open and we are easy to find.
Chuck
Nice to hear from you Chuck. Too bad that photo looks just like you... ;D
Don't mind James Chuck...
He's just taking his shots before he runs off!
Welcome! Thank you for your long and distinguished service and I hope we get a chance to meet sooner rather than later.
(And if we already have, I apologize for being really bad with names / faces...)
My name is Jim Davidson and I just joined yesterday April 7 2011. So I would like to introduce myself. I live in Benson, AZ. (J-six area) and work in Tucson, at Bombardier. Been there 30 plus years. I have a private pilot license and an A&P. Currently working on my IA. I haven't flown in long time but I'm looking for a puddle jumper to start flying again. I've been in photography for about 20 plus years. I shot pro rodeo for about 15 years. I currently shoot for the SID department at the U of A. (All their sports) I also do a lot of photography for Bomabardier. I shoot interior and exterior photos for new and used aircraft sales. I have a few clients on the outside of Bombardier as well. I been shooting a few airshows close-by lately and want to expand on that type of photography. I tried looking aournd this website for a way of finding people who live in Tuscon or close-by but could not find where members live. Looking foward to meeting people in the club. Please feel free to contact me. Thanks Jim
Welcome aboard Jim! There's a sizable (and growing!) Tucson contingent, you should have no problem finding guys to shoot with down there, and a bunch of us Phoenix-area guys travel down there quite often to shoot photos at TIA and D-M.
Welcome to the board guys. ;D
Welcome Jim, PM sent your way.
Welcome Chuck & Jim. Our Tucson contingent is growing. I also live in Tucson, hope to see you around one of the airports.
bill word
Welcome Eric, it may have been me you met in Yuma. I met an Eric in the fairgrounds parking lot who was a member of APSOCAL.
Yes it was in the static display area on base and his name is Bill Word and you said it right. I am an older feller with a gray beard and hair. :) Welcome to AzAP Eric. Enjoyed your postings from Yuma.
bill word
Hi everyone.
My Name is Tom Morris and I just joined the group today. I live in Scottsdale near the airport and I have lived in Arizona for over 20 years. Photography and watching airplanes has always been a hobby of mine (my wife says it's more of an addiction).
I use Canon equipment and my favorite things to shoot are Warbirds. I have gone to airshows throughout Arizona over the years, including some shows in other states all over the southwest like Chino, Nellis, Midland, etc.
I'm looking forward to making some posts and meeting others in the group.
Welcome aboard Tom.
Being near Scottsdale, you likely have plenty of Bizjet photos you're welcome to share. There is a thread for most of the various types.
Have you been fortunate to catch the military traffic that used to go there?
I haven't seen that much is still going in there.
If you make it out to some of the other local airports, you're quite likely to meet-up with other AZAP members.
Once again, Welcome.
Bill
Welcome to the group Tom! ;D
Welcome aboard, Tom!
If you like shooting warbirds, you should come out to Falcon Field some time. It's calming down a bit now with some of the snowbird warbird-owners heading home and the CAF bombers leaving for tour in a few weeks, but there's usually something warbirdy flying on the weekends out there. Shoot me an email if you ever make it out this way and I can meet you out there.
Welcome Tom - I look forward to your warbird images.
Glad to see you here Tom.
Welcome, Tom. I think we've spoken out at Deer Valley a couple of times.
Welcome Tom, I'll be looking for your contributions here.
Welcome aboard Tom! Great to have you here.
Thank you all. Chris, yes we did meet out at Deer Valley a couple of times. Thanks for telling me about AzAP. Joe, I'll definitely have to take you up on that offer. I always enjoy going out to Falcon Field. And Bill, you're right about being close to the airpark, I do have some good Bizjet shots to post. Some of them have pretty cool paint schemes.
Hello Everyone!
Like Tom, I live near Scottsdale Airport. I am out there almost every weekend taking shots of business jets. I have lived here almost all of my life, but was born in Minnesota and moved here when I was 5. I also spent six years in the USAF as a crew chief on F-15s while stationed at Langley AFB, Virginia.
I run an aviation related blog, mostly to document my sightings at KSDL. You can find the link in my profile if you're interested. I provide a feed to KSDL tower on LiveATC.net. I am also the developer of the Plane Spotter app for the iPhone/iPad.
Aviation photography is a relatively new hobby of mine, but I am having so much fun doing it. I've managed to get a couple on Airliners.net and post most of the rest to FlightAware.com. Thanks for letting my be part of your online community. There are truly some beautiful photos on here!
Hello everyone! I'm Tom McKinnon and have just joined this group as "twm1340", my Flickr username. I'm familiar with several of you thru Flickr and Facebook and realize that I can't hold a candle to any of you in photo skills but this seemed like the best place to start improving. I may not comment a lot but I sure enjoy reading what the more experienced members have to say and I appreciate being allowed to join. Thanks in advance!
Welcome and enjoy yourself! ;D
(look for a contact request from me (bloo_96)
Aloha all! New here, not new to photography. Been shooting professionally since 2002, starting out with Fuji S-2s and then Nikons and finally switched to Canon; not that it matter since the black box that goes click is only a means to the end -- megapixels and make don't matter.
My own business is weddings and portraits, mostly, and commercial photography, and aerial portraiture when the occasion arises. And pretty girls. Can't forget pretty girls :)
I don't get a lot of time for spotting, but my day job is at the Glendale Airport so I get to watch planes come in and out all day. What could possibly be better than that? I usually know when something cool is coming in, so when I get word that something cool is on its way I can post here.
Jim
Welcome, Jim.
It would be good to have intel on interesting aircraft at Glendale. I go by there every once in a while, but there usually isn't much happening.
Welcome Jim! I understand the Left Seat restaurant is going to be opening there soon. Sky Harbor failed to renew their lease or some such thing.
Thanks, Chris, no there's not a lot going on but when things do go on, there's cool stuff. There's a Royal Canadian T-6 Texan II sitting on the ramp right now, leaving tomorrow morning, and tomorrow's going to be a zoo with the Dallas Cowboys game. So all you GA jet spotters may want to sit at the end of the runway and get the jets coming and going.
And yes, the Left Seat is coming in. They've been moving in furniture this week, and Karen says she hopes to be up and running by the first of the year. Fingers crossed; they're good people, good food, good service, and we're looking forward to it.
Jim
Howdy Jim, for a second there I was gonna ask ask if your the same Jim Baker that took al my grandma's money but I guess that was another Jim Baker with 2 k's, lol I was looking over your website, great work, good to see some new blood come through, welcome
Haha and there's never been a Tammy. Except for the hot little Vietnamese girl whose pics I'm working on now... :)
Welcome Jim! ;D
Hello-
I am new to the site and to aero photography but not to photography itself. I primarily shoot landscapes but have also shot portraits, weddings, automotive, and products. I heard about this site from my friend Chris Voyles and look forward to shooting...er...photographing aircraft.
My work can be found on my website: www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com (http://www.capturinglightandemotion.com) and on 500px.com http://500px.com/CapturingLightandEmotion (http://500px.com/CapturingLightandEmotion)
Quote from: anwmn1 on January 31, 2012, 08:35:31 PM
Hello-
I am new to the site and to aero photography but not to photography itself. I primarily shoot landscapes but have also shot portraits, weddings, automotive, and products. I heard about this site from my friend Chris Voyles and look forward to shooting...er...photographing aircraft.
My work can be found on my website: www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com (http://www.capturinglightandemotion.com) and on 500px.com http://500px.com/CapturingLightandEmotion (http://500px.com/CapturingLightandEmotion)
Welcome Aaron!
Aaron you are very talented, im interested to see what you can do shooting planes, welcome!
We seem to have added some new members over the last few weeks.
Bumping this in the hope that they'll introduce themselves. ;D
Hello,
I've met quite a few of the folks around here but not everyone so I thought I should introduce myself. I've been taking photos of aircraft pretty much as long as I've known how to use a camera, though there have been a few who think I still haven't figured it out. :) Anyway, after grad school I managed to land the perfect job at the Pima Air & Space Museum where I have the pleasure to work with two fellow AzAPers Andy Boehly and John Bezosky. I hope to be able to make some small contribution to the group. For those who are interested to look some of my better photos are up on flicker at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/planecurator/
James
Welcome Jim, Aaron, and James!
Welcome aboard James!
Actually, I guess it's a re-welcome since we have met face to face. ;D
Quote from: James Stemm on February 23, 2012, 08:34:53 PM
Hello,
I've met quite a few of the folks around here but not everyone so I thought I should introduce myself. I've been taking photos of aircraft pretty much as long as I've known how to use a camera, though there have been a few who think I still haven't figured it out. :) Anyway, after grad school I managed to land the perfect job at the Pima Air & Space Museum where I have the pleasure to work with two fellow AzAPers Andy Boehly and John Bezosky. I hope to be able to make some small contribution to the group. For those who are interested to look some of my better photos are up on flicker at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/planecurator/
James
Hi James I remember getting the oppotunity to meet you at the last Barry Goldwater shoot it was an honor and hope to see out at more events too
Hi everyone, my name is Rob and I am a aviation-holic. I was born in Carmel Ca. and got into flying when my dad would take me up in his 1958 beechcraft bonanza and cherokee out of a small little airport, Monterey municipal. Now it is a major strip! How times have changed. I moved to AZ 27 years ago and used to watch all the "heavies" land at Sky Harbor. I now work at the airport and have the great opportunity to get up close and personal with all the aircraft, hence my username ;)
I am not a very gifted person behind the lens and have never owned a "real" camera. I will, however, take care of that very soon.
I have tons of cool photos but they were taken with a driod phone and I have recently learned that they just won't work on places like this. I cannot get them to clean up enough so I will have to start over! :-[
I do some rather shaky video that I will post ;D
I look forward to seeing all of you on the roof of the T4 garage!
Best Regards
Rob
Welcome aboard Rob, I look forward to your future posts.
Hello Rob,
I believe we met on the 40th St. berm a day or so before Christmas when we were out there photographing the heavies..
Welcome aboard.
Welcome Rob!
Thanks for taking the time to say Hello!
- Jay
Welcome Rob. Iam looking forward to seeing your work.
Welcome rob to our happy, crazy group. 8)
Thanks for the welcome! I met a few of you on the 40st berm at Christmas, it was good talking to you. It may be awhile before I post my work, I need to aquire a "worthy" camera. The stuff I have now won't pass here ;D
I do look forward to seeing everyone next time on the berm or the garage.
Rob
Welcome to AzAP, Rob!
Lots of brains to pick in the group, so don't hesitate to ask any questions, either openly in the forum or through PMs. Gear-wise, members run the gamut from entry-level to flagship-model pro gear, both Canon and Nikon, so if you need help nailing down a new rig, ask away.
Hello everyone! My name is Bill Todd and I am retired and living north of Tucson. I have a long standing interest in aviation and one of my principal hobbies is photography. However, for some strange reason, I never got interested in aviation photography until recently when I attended one of the monthly fly-ins at Coolidge and had a ball. My big challenge now is to find good locations for shooting around Tucson International and Davis-Monthan so I can get more shots. I have a Canon 60D and a Canon 100-400mm lens so my equipment is adequate. What I need to find are opportunities to practice. I've posted a couple of shots in the F2G thread and I'll get some more on the board soon.
Regards to everyone,
Bill
Hey, Bill - if you contact me on my Email I would be happy to give you some great Tucson locations.
Barry
Welcome to AzAP Bill. We have a strong contingent in southern Arizona that will be ready to help expand this addiction. If you ever get up Mesa way, shoot me a PM and I'll help you get reconnoitered.
Welcome Bill. I am in Yuma, if you get down this way, get in touch.
Thanks Jeff and Lynn. Barry has already sent me some excellent location information which I hope to try next week.
Bill
Hi Bill: Welcome to the group. I live on the east side of Tucson and would be happy to share photo locations with you. Just send me an e-mail at nedharris@cox.net.
Welcome Bill...
Glad to see we've bolstered the Tucson branch!
I should probably do this since I've been a member for a few weeks now.
My name is Mike and I live in Fountain Hills with my wife and six year old daughter. Originally from NYC, we've been in AZ for 12 years now.
Photography came slowly to me until about 4-5 years ago. Since then it has progressed into a serious hobby. I've always admired the art, however, it wasn't until I bought my first "non" point and shoot camera that I realized how great and expansive it can be.
I lean towards shooting moving objects because it captures a nanosecond of a moment that can never be recreated. It also like to see the individual elements that made the capture special (slide into home, the grimace, the dirt flying, etc.). I've seen some great Images on this site that include the heat off the tarmac, the pilot's intense glare, the after burner glow, etc...
I also love beautiful landscapes because they capture moments in time that have affected me emotionally.
The aviation thing started when I was about 7 or 8. My dads friend owned a bunch of land. He also had a small plane. He took my friend and I on a short flight that included buzzing his house, vertical stalling and downward spirals. I'll never forget when he told us not to worry if the door flew open during the flight. We both lost our lunch soon after the flight, but it was well worth it.
My family also worked for Eastern airlines back in the 70s. My dad and I made many trips to LaGuardia airport and rode the "tugs" between airplanes. That was the first time in the cockpit of a big jet.
I prefer warbirds. My grandfather ( ironically) was a photographer and waist gunner on a B-17 during WWII. I love sharing his story so I'm sure you'll hear it if we meet somewhere in the field.
Jeez, I'm writing a book. I'll stop here. I look forward to shooting with you folks.
Ps - I shoot with Canon EOS gear.
Welcome aboard Mike. I look forward to your images and posts.
Welcome Mike! Will look forward to meeting you and seeing your work.
Welcome to the group Mike!
Hello all. My name is Billy AKA Wild Bill. I am 22 and work at amazon.com.I live in the west valley. I have loved Aviation since the day I was born. I am a huge F-16 fan. I hope on day to be a pilot I have 22 hours under my belt. I got into Aviation photography about 7 years ago. I am using a Nikon D3000 with the kit lens and the 55-200mm lens. I am still learning how to use the camera so I'm still a (ROOKIE) and I do not have a photo edit program yet. I look forward to getting to know the group and its members. I am also a part of the other group that we have in Arizona and look to split my time between both groups. 8)
Welcome Bill, You'll find that we'll all helpful with question and such. :D
Quote from: wildbill5441 on April 08, 2012, 05:38:58 PM
I am also a part of the other group that we have in Arizona and look to split my time between both groups. 8)
Welcome to AzAP, Wild Bill!
There's another aviation photography group in Arizona?! :o
Hi Bill, seems like I know you from somewhere ;)
Welcome aboard Bill!
You'll find that this is a great place to develop skills - we've got a lot of solid shooters who are always happy to help out.
With regard to an editing program, you can pick up the current version of Photoshop Elements for around $85 these days, cheaper if you shop around. Older versions can still be found on Amazon for much cheaper. I'm still using 6 or 7 and hardly ever feel like my flexibility is limited.
Flickr is also rolling out a new editing program to replace Picnik (which was never really all that good to begin with). Haven't played with it yet, but it's called Aviary: http://blog.flickr.net/en/2012/04/04/announcing-a-new-and-faster-photo-editor-from-aviary/. (EDIT: I checked it out. Much more simple than Picnik, and I don't mean that in a good way).
Lots of brains to pick here, so pick away.
Welcome aboard!
Hey-lo!
I am Remington from Colorado, i my past life I was one of those fancy graphic designers ;D so if any of you need some help getting around photoshop...I might be able to help.
I am going to school at ATP at Willie, actually at this point I should say I went to school... I digress. I have my commercial ratings and I will have my CFI rating in 2-3 weeks.
I honestly have never taken a decent photo of an airplane, :) I have only had a point and pray shoot, but I got a Nikon D1 from my old boss, actually I have two of them. I would like to get some new glass for them and see what kind of damage I can do.
I am going to be instructing either here or in San Diego after I get my CFI ratings so I hope to be able to spend some time with all of you gents learning the ins and outs of photographing aircraft.
If anything cool comes along to Willie, I will keep you all informed. Although all of you will probably know before I do since I am technically there to learn, not watch airplanes all day. ;)
Next time I am over on the hill, I will look for the dudes standing on a ladder and introduce my self :)
Remington
Welcome Bill, Mike and Remington. Remington...what a great name. I look forward to meeting you all.
Welcome New Members! ;D
Welcome to all. I look forward to your images.
I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I am Glenn Bloore and I do not live in Arizona. That felt good getting it off my chest.
I have had the good fortune of shooting with many of you over the years and have been on and off the site lurking as a guest for a while now. I have been around aviation photography for several years now and part of many aviation online communities. I can tell you that the this group is not only the best group of photographers on any public forum, but unquestionably the nicest and most welcoming as well. I am quite sure that I will not be able to shoot at the frequency that you some of you guys do and will likely not be in Arizona often, but am thrilled to be able to call myself a member of this community. Unfortunately I may to dig deep in the archives to attempt to keep up.
Thanks for having me.
Glenn
Welcome Glenn...
Glad to have you in the group.
(Just an aside: Glenn's work is some of the finest you'll see and early lurking on his PBase galleries was very inspirational to me and a solid indication of how high the quality bar goes.)
Welcome aboard Glenn. ;D
Welcome Glenn. I look forward to your images.
Hey Glenn,
Welcome to Arizona (Aviation Photographers).
It's always been a pleasure to see your work, since I first saw it on Fencecheck many years ago. Certainly some of the best out there. Always among the sharpest.
Hope to see you at the next event, wherever that may be.
I am also a new member like Glenn, and thanks to Joe for putting in a good word for me.
I look forward to sharing my images with the group, and my only hope is to put up some quality images like so many that are place here on a daily basis. Unfortunately, between work and three kids, my free time to shoot always seems to be dwindling. I meet a handful of you at Hawgsmoke and look forward to seeing you around the area.
Thanks for having me!
I'll share some recent stuff in the correct threads.
Gary
Welcome to the group Gary.
Welcome Gary!
Hi
My name is Chris Muir, I am from the UK but living in Phoenix for the next 5 months so I guess that would qualify for temporary Arizona status! I am here to learn to fly at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy (try saying that in a hurry!) at Goodyear airport. So far managed to visit Buckeye, Mobile and Phoenix Regional in the mighty PA28, and am hoping to visit many more airfields in the course of the training, with my camera tucked away in my flightbag! Was impressed to see the collection of large propliners at Buckeye.....maybe next time
Looking at the number of interesting airfields in the region, can't wait to spend some of my free time exploring. Am interested in most types of aviation, though my preference is towards the loud, pointy jets! With the shows at Luke and Yuma coming up, hope to see some types that rarely visit Europe, but also would be interested in any advice about seeing some of the airliners, museums and storage facilities in Arizona.
Hope to meet some of you whilst I am here.....
Chris
Oh, no not another Chris. :D
Welcome!
Welcome aboard, new Chris. Ping me if you ever plan on getting out to Wickenburg airport.'
S.C.
Scott, thanks for the offer. Not sure if they let us take the Warriors there, probably not I would guess as I haven't heard it mentioned so far, maybe one of my road trips.
I may have a rental car Sun/Mon so was thinking of heading down to Pima. Is it possible to look around Pinal or Marana at all? I have also heard good things about Gateway on a weekend, where is best to go there?
Sorry for all the questions, there is too much to do over here and I don't know where to start....!
My name is Steven Valinski. I am originally from Long Island, NY. I have lived in AZ several times and have been back in AZ since 2004. I currently reside on the Mesa-Gilbert border very close to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (although I still catch myself referring it as "Williams").
I currently work as a Technical Support Supervisor. I have a M.S. in Project Management from Boston University. I have 5 children ages: 23, 21, 18, 15, and 9.
I have been fascinated with photography since I received a Minolta XGA 35mm for my 16th birthday. I have loved aviation since I was a child. I prefer the military side of aviation, but I do appreciate commercial aviation as well. I am a member of the Pima Air & Space Museum and go there several times per year.
I have a site for my photos...mostly snapshots..here: http://azspyder.smugmug.com/Airplanes
I have heard a lot of great things about this group from a former co-worker. I am looking forward to meeting you all!
Steven Valinski
"azspyder"
Hmmm Steve Valinski, why do I know that name?
Welcome Steven and thanks for taking the time to tell us a little about yourself.
Steve is a great guy, he was the best part of working for Cable one, he is very knowledgeable and making him part of AzAP was a solid choice! Good to see you again Mr Valinski
Welcome aboard Gary, Chris M. and Steven. I apologize for the tardiness of my welcome. I look forward to your contributions to AzAP/
Hello!
I'm totally new to this online message-board-world so I hope that I'm doing this correctly.
My name is Andrew Stemple and I've been in the Phoenix Valley (Mesa, Gold Canyon & now Tempe) areas since late 2007. I have been actively pursuing my passion in photography since 2010 after having some, let's say "disagreements" with the corporate banking world that was my life of 13 years. I was lucky to get a few shots published on ESPN's Page 2 Blog thanks to a few freelance writer friends of mine doing stories on wild and wacky sporting events and I've won a few local (Hamilton Publishing Co. - now dissolved) cover contests within "The View". I also volunteer at the Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona at KFFZ and I'm a life member of the 91st Bomber Group which holds a personal connection with me since my great uncle was KIA as a ball turret gunner aboard a B-17G, "Sleepy Time Gal" #42-102527.
I shoot with Canon equipment though admittedly, I could use some new gear and post image processing is generally performed in CS6 & Camera Raw.
I'm honored to be a part of the group and look forward to meeting you all during events or in the field!
Now, let me see if I can figure out how to post a few photos ;D
Welcome Andrew. I look forward to seeing your images posted on AzAP and shooting with you someday.
Welcome aboard Andrew!
Welcome aboard Andrew! I am looking forward to meeting you!
Welcome aboard, Andrew!
Welcome!
Welcome Andrew!
Welcome Andrew, I think you'll find everyone to be friendly and helpful and we have some very good people in this group.
Welcome to AzAP Andrew... ;D
Hi everybody!
~ Forgive me if the following intro is too long. I sort of got in an over-sharing mood. Please feel free to skim it super fast. I wouldn't want to put anyone to sleep. ~
I accidentally stumbled upon this group while trying to find the dates for the next WTI here in Yuma. Let me just say that it feels like I found not only a home, but a whole bunch of long lost siblings!!
I do not profess to know anything about anything, but I have had an amazing life to date, mostly draped in aviation with a good touch of photography and travel thrown in for good measure.
I've always lived within a couple miles of a major airport or on or very near a military base. My dad flew numerous variants of the A-4 out of El Toro for 17 years and retired from the Marine Corps in '79. He also flew numerous different types of airliners for three different airlines and retired in '01. So, I pretty much grew up around aviation and have attended numerous airshows all over the country.
Having known since I was 13 that I wanted to fly, I got my private ticket in '84 in Santa Barbara the same week I graduated from UCSB. I had worked very hard to secure a pilot slot in the Marine Corps and was well on my way to make that happen. However, those plans were interrupted after nearly dying with less than a week left of training at USMC Officer Candidate School. After recovering fully a year later, I switched over to the "kinder and gentler" USAF. I attended UPT at Willie in the mid 80's and then stayed on as a T-38 IP in the 97th and 99th FTS. I wrapped up my AF flying after a tour as a T-38 PIT IP in the 560th FTS at Randolph AFB and got out at the end of '91 - pretty much the worst time in a decade or two to find airline, Air Guard or AF Reserve work. In order to keep my hand in aviation I picked up my CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP, SE ATP, ground instructor ratings, Comm Seaplane, Masters in Aeronautical Science degree, and a B-737 type rating as well. To pay the steep SoCal bills (2 kids and a wife to support) I did some recruiting for the AF, sold cars and airplanes, did some aerial photography, put together an air taxi operation, built and sold an aviation ground training business, wrote and got published a dozen aviation related articles, worked as a flight and ground instructor teaching everything from day one private, to CFI, to advanced aerobatics and ATP and FE - at five different schools from San Diego to Orange County all at once. When that started getting way too busy and not much fun, I left it all and worked for a few years doing what I loved - teaching AF and international UPT student pilots at Laughlin AFB as a contract T-38 simulator and academic instructor.
When the airlines started to hire again in the mid 90's, I took a job flying ATR-42's and -72's out of Newark and Houston just to get back in the cockpit and get current for the majors. Then in '97 I landed my dream job at Delta! My first choice of airline - just delayed a few years. Things were going great there for quite a while - even with the large cuts in pay and benefits. I got to fly as a flight engineer on the 727 - something that's pretty tough to find anymore. And I've flown as a first officer on the B-737-200, B-727-200, B-757-200 and -300, B-767-200, -300 and -300ER with numerous other variants in there as well.
I've been very lucky to have achieved many of my goals, one of those was to set foot (or touch down) in all 50 states. I've had the very good fortune of having flown all over Europe, Canada, numerous destinations in Central and South America and most recently all over the Pacific and Asia.
My flying however came to a screeching halt in the summer of '09 when the cardiologist informed me that the debilitating chest pain that brought me to the ER via an ambulance, was not the "minor thing" that I was trying to convince them it was, but actually, it was as serious as a heart attack. Ok, bad play on words. After my quintuple bypass (prior to that I did not know they even made them that big) I had a few months of pretty tough recovery. Little things like walking across the room without stopping to rest was a major accomplishment and exhausting. I eventually got back to normal activities and was able to run 5k's in pretty good time on the treadmill.
The required hoops to jump through in order to return to commercial flying after open heart surgery are pretty extensive. Of course that was better than the rules not so long ago when a pilot was grounded forever after any serious cardiac issue. Skipping the long story and initial denial of my medical, I got back to the cockpit and back to international flying. However, that only lasted about six months. Several other medical issues popped up all at once that I have been dealing with for a couple years now. I'm hoping to get back to work again soon. Most of these issues would be minor if I were a banker or in sales, but the FAA is kinda strict about class I medicals, as they should be. That covers the aviation angle.
I've been "taking pictures" since the early 70's. I took a few photography classes in high school and college and have spent a good deal of time in darkrooms. I started shooting airshows and airplanes in '79 when my folks bought me a Pentax Me with a very cheap 135mm lens. I got a few decent shots back in the day of F-14's, an SR-71 in full burner, the Blues, and numerous other now parked airframes with a borrowed 500mm lens. But sadly, the prints and negatives have not withstood the test of time very well. I recently found a box of my old slides and I hope they have held up better. Over the years, hundreds of point-and-shoot pictures were snapped of the kids growing up, vacations, family reunions and the dog, but nothing really good in any sort of an aesthetic sense.
Four years ago, my then girlfriend/now wife handed me her Canon 50d along with some gear and said "I'm done, you take the pictures now." And I was once again hooked. We have had the good fortune to travel quite a bit and I have captured many thousands of images with my new arsenal of cameras and lenses. Until last year, my longest lens was a fairly slow 300mm that was pretty good for airplanes if the light was right and they were not moving very much. When last year's El Centro airshow got close, I discovered that I could rent a 50-500mm for not much money - so I did. I was hooked even more! I rented the same lens for the Chino airshow and realized that I "needed" a Canon 100-400mm and it has been wonderful attached to my Canon 6d.
In addition to all types of airplanes, I enjoy shooting the Milky Way, light painting, time lapse, meteor showers, the Sun and the Moon, nebulae soon - now that I got a tracker, auroras, landscapes, and wildlife - with a focus on birds because they're a challenge. I'm very much looking forward to focusing on aviation, the up coming airshows and exercises and sharing and learning with you folks in the future!
BTW, I have a small shop, much like a remote garage right across the street (just south of the tower) from the YUM airport. It's sort of like cheating to have a location like that, a scanner or two running, and the ability to drop everything and wander to the fence to shoot something interesting like a 787 test airframe, a Hind, F-16's from Europe, tankers from RIV or PHX, C-17's and of course all the random USMC, Customs, transient, GA, NASA, Boeing, commercial and other activities.
If there are AzAP folks who are Yuma local, passing through town on I-8, or are visiting for something like WTI, please let me know. If I'm available, I will offer up some shade, a restroom and a cold beverage or two. If it's hot out, I'll even fire up the air conditioning. It's basically a wood, rock and auto shop/garage and not a man cave - but it works very well to escape the desert elements for a bit. For the Yuma airshow the cops like to kick us out since we're right in the box. I managed to stay (with permission) one year and it was pretty awesome.
A little aside... The last (last because I learned my lesson) afternoon that I did not have a real camera with me at "the shop" was on 1 April 2011. Southwest 812, with the large hole in their roof, landed right there in front of me as I shot through the fence with my early iPhone... I heard them coming in on the scanner, reached for my DSLR and cringed when I realized it was at home. I would have had the only (public) image and/or video of that landing.
Anyway, the shots here in this group are amazing! Thanks for letting me join!! I hope to meet many of you in the future as we get out and shoot something wicked cool!
Welcome Mike! I look forward to meeting you!
Welcome Mike. I also look forward to meeting and photographing with you.
Welcome to the group Mike. Sounds like you definitely qualify for the "Been There .. Done That" club!
Mike,
Echoing the sentiments expressed by the others, welcome aboard!
Great to have another Yuma shooter on board, Mike.
Mike, welcome to our little band of merry misfits, I'm looking forward to meeting you the next time I'm down that way!
Thanks all y'all! I can't believe all the world class shots posted here! Where's the "Like" button?!?
Welcome aboard Mike.
S.C.
Welcome Mike!
I travel statewide for work, occasionally getting down to Yuma. Look forward to meeting you!
Bill
Welcome Mike!
Thanks for the kind offer of shade when in Yuma...it's certainly needed there. Looking forward to meeting you.
Andrew
Good afternoon,
Although I am not an Arizona resident, I love your state and I try to visit it atleast once every two years.
I am living in the Netherlands, and have visited El Centro, Mesa-Gateway, Tucson, Davis-Monthan and
Luke AFB a couple of times in the last twenty years or so. Although my main interest is monitoring radio traffic,
I also love to take pictures, but that's nothing compared to the excellent work I see here.
If anyone is interested in exchanging radio frequencies or callsigns I am happy to comply.
I monitor Luke and Davis-Monthan traffic almost daily via several online radio's and from my
previous trips to Arizona, I have compiled a large database of frequencies in Arizona and Nevada.
If you are looking for any specific frequencies please don't hesitate to ask. I am a bit reluctant to
post my database on the Internet, but feel free to ask if you are looking for anything.
Hopefully I will be able to contribute to this forum in the future, best wishes from the Netherlands.
René Hugtenburg.
Welcome Rene. Please don't hesitate to post your images. We all continue to learn and improve. ;D
Howdy folks, long time listener, first time caller.
My name's Andy and I'm a photoholic. My dad stuck a camera in my hands when I was six or so, and in those intervening 30-some-odd years I've managed to stagger my way to a semi-decent career taking photographs and writing about photography after a stop to get my photo degree -- and with a lot of detours along the way.
I've also always been totally fascinated by planes and flight, though I've never really done much with it apart from learn about planes and flying. No courses, no pilot's license, nothing official. But when I was a kid living in the shadow of the C-5 Galaxies flying out of Stewart in Newburgh, NY I've gotten a kick out of the fact that these huge things can really go soaring through the air and I've tried to learn all about them.
I never really put these two things together until fairly recently, when I realized I was pretty lucky to live in an area where I have a couple of pretty awesome airports to choose from to go take photos, and so I started wandering out to try and get some images. When looking for some ideas on shooting tips and locations, I ran across this group and was highly impressed with what I read and saw. I hung around for a bit, reading the forum here and there for a while, before deciding you probably didn't bite (much) and I figured I'd sign up and say hi.
Apart from that stuff, I enjoy ham radio, I still play with cars (they've just gotten bigger), long walks in air conditioned places (five years in AZ and I'm finally sort of adapting to the heat), and of course photography of just about every discernible subject. I'm a Canon shooter, but I won't hold that against you Nikon fans -- I swore by Nikon film gear for years. ;D
Anyway, if you'd like to check out my work, feel free to pop on over to my SmugMug gallery, http://slidewaysmedia.smugmug.com/ (http://slidewaysmedia.smugmug.com/), and have a look around. I'm looking forward to sharing with and learning from everyone here, and just generally having a good time while I'm at it. After all, that's what it's all about, right? :)
Welcome aboard Andy. Good to have you part of the group. ;D
Welcome Andy! Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your photography. I lived up near Saratoga Springs for a while during the early to mid 1990s although I'm an Arizona native. I remember the C-5s at Stewart and Westover AFB in Mass. For part of the time in that area I lived across the street from the Schenectady County Airport where the ski equipped LC-130s are based. That whole Hudson Valley region is quite beautiful.
Welcome Andy, glad to have you on-board!
Welcome Andy, it's good to have you aboard! BTW, watch out for Brother Welker, he does bite.
Welcome Andy, I used to pass through your old neck of the woods on the way to Lake George every summer growing up. I look forward to seeing your work.
Steve
Welcome aboard Andy.... Looking forward to seeing your contributions to the group.
Quote from: Matt Ottosen on September 03, 2014, 08:33:07 PM
Welcome Andy, it's good to have you aboard! BTW, watch out for Brother Welker, he does bite.
Don't worry Andy, I've had my shots ;)
Thanks for the welcome, all. Fortunately I'm up to date on my shots too. ;D
Adding a late "Welcome" to Andy...
Welcome Andy. Nice to have a fellow Smugmugger here.
BTW, who is driving that BRE Datsun in your "HSR West @ PIR October 2010" gallery?
S.C.
Quote from: scottcolbath on September 05, 2014, 06:43:24 PM
Welcome Andy. Nice to have a fellow Smugmugger here.
BTW, who is driving that BRE Datsun in your "HSR West @ PIR October 2010" gallery?
S.C.
I'm afraid I don't know, actually. Spent a little too much time admiring the cars on track and not enough chatting up the drivers and mechanics.
Hello All,
I am a long-time lurker and admirer who finally manned-up enough to join. Although I was born and raised in the Valley, I have subsequently moved away, and did so before I got big into aviation photography. That being said, I will soon be back in Phoenix for two weeks (first time in AZ in 2 years) and may be poking around asking about spotting locations for Sky Harbor, Scottsdale, etc.
I'm pleased to finally be a member here, and look forward to maybe meeting a few of you out there :)
Hi All,
I was born in Tucson, AZ and have lived here ever since. I've been obsessed with aviation since I was 7 years old. I am new to aviation photography and have only been at it for a year. I've been shooting with a Nikon D3100 and Sigma 70-300mm lens, and have been using Photoshop to process my photos. I came across this group when I was looking for locations in Arizona, and was amazed at how many great aviation photographers there are here! I am excited to be part of this group, and hope to learn a lot.
Chris
Welcome Chris! Will look forward to meeting you at some point. I live in Phoenix but make my way to Tucson frequently.
Hello Chris, welcome to AzAP, this group has great people and as you mentioned, lots for great photographers. I think you'll find everyone friendly and helpful and welcome to the group.
Welcome aboard Chris.... Looking forward to meeting you. :)
Welcome Chris. I look forward to shooting with you someday.
Welcome aboard, Chris! Lots of opportunities down in Tucson, and a great bunch of shooters down there as well.
Hey look!! Another Chris... welcome aboard!. There are some great folks here and very helpful I might add.Hope to see you around DM or TUS.
Welcome aboard Chris. I look forward to shooting with you around Tucson.
Welcome aboard, Chris! Hope to meet you in person soon. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Welcome to the group Chris! ;D
Thanks for the warm welcome guys! :)
Hi Chris, my name is bill word and I live in Tucson also. I shoot primarily at TUS & D-M. Send me an e-mail if you would like to meet up sometime at either airport. I will be happy to give the location of spots to shoot from.
bill word
"bilwor@comcast.net"
I'd make that contact Chris. BillW is a terrific shooter and has DM/TIA dialed in big time.
Hi Guys,
I think this is my first post, I've been stalking the page for years, but never posted any images. My name is Matthew Strauss, I've always enjoyed aviation and aviation photography, hopefully I'll be able to post a few shots here and there once I figure out how.
For the record, I think you guys have tremendous talent, I'm literally impressed every time I log in. I look forward to interacting a little more than I stalk from now on!
Welcome Matthew, I'm looking forward to your offerings.
Howdy Matthew! :)
Welcome Matthew, I think you'll enjoy meeting many of the members, a great group of people.
Howdy Matthew. Welcome and enjoy young man.
Welcome Matthew... Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your contributions. :)
Matthew,
Echoing the sentiments the others have expressed, looking forward to meeting you and hope you enjoy the group.
Might as well re-introduce myself since I have been away for so long.
Long hours and the distance from work unfortunately put a choke hold on my availability to get out and actually shoot, however, all those photos I have backlogged into my computer I have no excuse for... I need to start working on them again and get them posted up here. I have also enlisted in the Air Force Reserve in December 2014, and am currently serving as a trainee with the 944 FW out of Luke Air Force Base. Thanks to the budget, I am still waiting for my basic training and technical school dates.
My name is Daniel DeSart, I live in Tucson and have been in the hobby since 2010 thanks to the help of Bill Word and Ned Harris. My interests are primarily military aircraft (helicopters) and law Enforcement / Emergency vehicles.
Welcome back, Daniel, great to hear from you! Thanks for stepping up to serve as well. Interesting time to be joining the 944th, they've already got some pilots going through the F-35 instructor course at Luke.
Welcome Back, Daniel and thank you for service. i hope very much that we can get together and photograph more in the future.
bill word
Welcome back Daniel. I look forward to shooting with you again.
Quote from: Joe Copalman on June 15, 2015, 10:27:38 PM
Welcome back, Daniel, great to hear from you! Thanks for stepping up to serve as well. Interesting time to be joining the 944th, they've already got some pilots going through the F-35 instructor course at Luke.
Yep! Rumor is we'll be receiving our first F-35 in November, of course that is just something floating around with the rest of the DTF'ers (Development Training Flight) so anything can still happen.
Thanks for the warm welcome Joe, it's a pleasure to be back.
Quote from: bilwor on June 16, 2015, 06:02:38 AM
Welcome Back, Daniel and thank you for service. i hope very much that we can get together and photograph more in the future.
bill word
Quote from: Ned Harris on June 16, 2015, 06:05:33 AM
Welcome back Daniel. I look forward to shooting with you again.
Thanks guys! I actually was able to swing some days off this week (Mon and Wed) if you were looking to get together for some morning shooting. Also I have noticed they posted a SF in a tower on the perimeter fence near the guardrail, has there been any problems since the base gone to a higher alert?
Hello all! My name is Nick, currently residing in the mountainous interior of AZ (Prescott) and new to AZAP! Just thought I'd come in and introduce myself. I was sporadically active on APSoCal and Fence Check before coming here. I've only recently got into photography, I was a film guy for many years. I moved to AZ permanently last summer ('14), before that I was going back and forth between CA and AZ for school. Hoping to gain some experience and post a lot of pictures hopefully.
Quote from: Scorch00 on November 21, 2015, 11:30:47 AM
Hello all! My name is Nick, currently residing in the mountainous interior of AZ (Prescott) and new to AZAP! Just thought I'd come in and introduce myself. I was sporadically active on APSoCal and Fence Check before coming here. I've only recently got into photography, I was a film guy for many years. I moved to AZ permanently last summer ('14), before that I was going back and forth between CA and AZ for school. Hoping to gain some experience and post a lot of pictures hopefully.
Welcome aboard Nick... Looking forward to meeting you. :)
Welcome, Nick! I heard Prescott gets some interesting miltary transient traffic every now and then, and I've seen some phenomenal tanker shots from up there as well. Glad to have you onboard!
Welcome to the group Nick!
Greetings!
I'm Larry Bunch, Phoenician & in Arizona since '89, and '79-'84 before that. I've always had an interest in aircraft, photography, and the wonderful Southwest. I ran across this group a few times before, but finally got prodded to sign up by fellow shooter and now co-worker Scott Colbath. I'd generally call myself a landscape photographer, but I've recently made efforts to improve my aircraft shooting skills and there certainly are quite a few folks here that I'd love to be at their level. I was able to attend the November 2015 El Centro photocall as a guest with Scott, so I met a few folks there and at Burgers and Beer. I look forward to meeting more members and getting more involved!
The only aircraft pics I've ever posted online anywhere are at http://larrybunch.zenfolio.com/aircraft, and my other non-aircraft pictures are at http://larrybunch.zenfolio.com.
Thanks!
Larry
Welcome to the group Larry!
Welcome aboard Larry.... :)
Hiya Larry! ;D
Hola everyone.
I put the Hobby on hold about 5 years ago due to personal reasons, but I'm happy to be getting back in the saddle again and start meeting up with everyone.
I got into Photography about 10 years ago after I meet Bill Osmun out at Phoenix Mesa Gateway.
Lets do this
Welcome Mr. Loera,
Glad to have you in the group.
Looking forward to what you bring to the group.
Good to meet you. Wow, has it been 10 years? I guess pretty close.
Good to see you out at Luke for the Airshow.
I myself also need to get back to more active participation.
. . .
Hello from the otherside. I have been seeing people photographing from the perimeter fence of Luke everyday on the way to work. (my shop is on the other side if the runway.) figured I'd stop being a stranger and say hi to the group again.
Sorry for the lack of activity, I've been busier than I wanted in the last few months, but now that I'm home and finally out of "training status" I'll hopefully have More time to actually do something again.
I'll be stationed at Luke until mid January, so if you happen to either see my silver honda drive by or would like to meet up, don't be afraid to say hi or wave.
-Daniel
Hi everyone,
I just realized that I've been posting on here and I still haven't formally introduced myself. I'm Thomas. I just moved to Glendale in July with my girlfriend. I've been into photography since high school, and had always been extremely jealous of people who were able to go out and planespot, as it combines the three things that I love: history, photography and aviation.
However, it didn't take long until I realized two things: one, that the place that I had dreamed about planespotting at for years (Luke AFB) was only about 20 minutes away from our house, and two, that the 42mm lens on my Olympus E-420 was not going to be nearly enough to get the pictures I want!
Just this past black Friday, I finally got my hands on a Canon Rebel T2i and a 75-300mm lens and am finally able to start to get the shots that I really, really want. Im excited to really improve my photography and hopefully shoot at other places, too.
If anyone ever wants to meet up, I'm out at Luke pretty frequently. My bright red Ford Focus can't be missed :)
Welcome to the monkey house Thomas. Hope to see you out shooting sometime.
S.C.
Hi Thomas, welcome to the group, we have good people and they are very friendly also. You can always find someone willing to help with your photography questions. I work at Luke so I can help you out with shooting around there. It just recently got pretty tight to shoot on base but there are good locations outside the fence. Looking forward to meeting you. Harvey Brugger
Welcome aboard Thomas....
Welcome to the group Thomas! I also like to go out to Luke and take photos so I'm sure I'll see you out there someday. :)
Welcome Thomas!
That Canon Rebel/75-300mm combo was my gateway drug nine years ago, and will serve you well.
Welcome Thomas! ;D
Welcome Thomas. I'm no longer living in Arizona, but follow the exploits of the AZAP and contribute whenever and wherever I can. Maybe we'll get to meet in person the next time I'm back in Arizona. I'm to be back in the area during the month of August.
Wasn't sure where to put this, but here goes.
I know that you guys haven't seen me in a while, and I wanted to at least give an explanation to my absence.
After much prayer and thought I have decided to retire from photography. I want to personally thank Matt, Joe, Bill, for all of the photographic help over the last 15 years (it's been an awesome ride).
There were definitely a lot of places that photography took me in the last 15 years that I never dreamed I would be and I will for always cherish those memories .
I'm sure I will still see you guys around, and on Facebook, but I have officially put down the camera, and in fact no longer own one.
I will focus on family, and starting a church of my own in the near future.
God bless and keep shooting.
Best wishes for your new endeavor David.
Of course, you'll be missed David. But your journey takes you elsewhere and I wish you well. All the best young man.