Airplanes and I go back a long way. I’ve flown them, studied them and admired them. They’re marvels of engineering and works of art, beautiful machines. So, of course, I like to photograph them.
To me, there is always something a little bit sad about an airplane on a stick. Static displays are common sights at airfield, airplanes mounted to the ground, never to fly again. Sometimes they’re well kept, other times they show signs of age, but they will never return to the sky again.
I selected an old C-141 Starlifter as my subject, mainly because the entire fleet is now retired. Most have been sent off to boneyards, stored in pieces in the middle of the desert. This particular plane was spared that fate, and instead sits in a park as a reminder of history.
Because the old 141 was a static display, I choose to give the photo a sepia effect. I tried a few shots in the camera’s standard mode, then adjusted the color and the brightness manually, to get closure to the look I wanted. The photo didn’t have the exact effect I envisioned, but I was still happy with the result. I also took a few photos in black and white, just to see how they would turn out. I plan to include a black and white image on another day.
I shot the 141 from several different angles. Here’s my favorite photo:
Photo #8: Old Bones
Tech Details:
Equipment: Sony NEX-5R, 18-55mm standard lens.
Image: 1/80 sec exposure, f/5.6, ISO-100. Retro effect with manual adjustments to color and brightness.
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