Luke Air Force Base – 11/25/2013 & 11/26/2013
Story and Photos by Steven Valinski
For the past few afternoons I decided to photograph at Luke Air Force Base. The F-15SG’s from the 428th out of Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho were still visiting so I wanted to get more shots of their amazing aircraft. On both days, runway 03 was in use so shooting from the guardrail location was ideal with the afternoon sun behind me. This location can be great from arrivals and departures on 03L/21R, but requires lenses with a 300mm+ focal length on arrivals and departures on 03R/21L. The key with this location is the position of the sun, which makes this an ideal location in the afternoon, especially, the late afternoon.
In addition to the guardrail location, I moved around outside the base a little in an attempt to get different angles on some departures. For the most part, it worked out well. Both days the weather was cooperative and the activity was steady. Both the 428th’s F-15’s and F-16’s from various squadrons stationed at Luke were flying. The challenging part of shooting in the afternoon is maintaining that perfect balance of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. In the fall/winter months the sunlight is not as bright as the spring/summer months. This typically results in having to use a higher ISO shots during the “golden hour” before sunset. I typically like to shoot +0.7/1.0 on my exposure, so maintaining that balance can be more challenging for me. When shooting with a full-frame DSLR, the effects of increasing the ISO can be minimal, but, on crop-sensor DSLRs, it is important to understand the impact of increasing the ISO. Relying on post-processing software to remove noise can have an impact on the fine details needed for a great photograph.
With the location and light in my favor, I was able to capture some decent shots. The highlight of the two afternoons was when the 428th’s F-15’s taxied to depart on runway 03L. This provided an opportunity for photographing some great taxiing angles as well as the visual, aural, and the olfactory experience of these amazing aircraft departing close-by.
Steven is from Long Island, New York and now resides in sunny Mesa, Arizona. Steven’s love for aviation began when he was a child with a fascination for WWII aircraft. This love of aviation was further fostered by his uncle, a long-time Trans World Airlines (TWA) employee who had a passion for all forms of aviation.
Steven’s interest in photography began when he was 16 years old when he received his first SLR camera, a Minolta XGA. It makes sense that eventually his passion for aviation and photography would merge into a love for aviation photography.
In addition to being the web designer, webmaster and chief editor of Aviation Photography Digest, Steven has been published in numerous magazines worldwide.
Steven has an M.S. from Boston University and uses Nikon photographic equipment.
Steven is a Nikon NPS member.
Steven can be reached at: [email protected]