Radio Control Helicopters - 2012/02

February 2012 109
electric-powered helicopters. The top
professional pilots are always there showing
off the latest equipment. Helicopters are
limited to 450 size with a maximum of threecell
batteries.
The flying takes place in the University of
Illinois Track and Field Armory. The indoor
arena is huge with 100-foot-high ceilings,
making it a fantastic, warm, windless haven for
pilots suffering from cabin fever. I hope to see
you there.
Hopefully, many of you added a few nice
items to your toy collection this past holiday
season. Digital cameras remain high on the
wish lists and I thought this might be a great
time to discuss taking pictures of our
helicopters. When you are shooting RC
HI EVERYONE. It is the middle of winter
and many of us are relegated to indoor flying.
It is nice to know that the biggest indoor event
of all is just around the corner. That would be
E-Fest in Champaign, Illinois, February 11-
12, 2012.
If you decide to come, make sure to look
me up and say hello. This event is a great
place to get all the latest information about
Take helicopter photos like a pro
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Also included in this
column:
• E-Fest 2012
Some software programs can enhance the exposure
qualities of an image. This is a faux High Dynamic Range
(HDR) shot made using the Photomatix HDR software.
Getting to know some of these programs can take your
photos to the next level.
Sandy Jaffe flies his beautiful Scale helicopter on a close fly-by for the
author to snap some low-shutter speed shots. Scale helis often have
rotor rpms below 1,000, and the camera needs to be set at 1/80 of a
second or less to show a full blade-disk of blur.
Below: MA assistant editor,
Jennifer Orebaugh, uses her
Nikon camera with a 55-
300mm lens that allows closeup
shots, as well as photos of
distant helis in flight.
Shooting into the sun is usually
something to be avoided, but it
can provide some stunning
silhouette images when done
properly. This was an early
morning shot at the AMA’s
National Flying Site in the
summer of 2011.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:39 PM Page 109helicopters, it becomes obvious that they are
not easy subjects to capture. Their erratic
flight paths make it a challenge. Whenever I
am shooting at an event, people ask questions
about equipment and techniques needed to get
good action shots.
Quite a few good photographers have
helped me throughout the years. I hope you
will find something in this article that can
benefit you. Having good equipment is going
to make producing great images easier, but
you can still get some decent results with
inexpensive cameras.
A mark of a good photographer is one who
can exploit the strengths of his or her
equipment while minimizing any weaknesses.
A digital SLR (single-lens reflex) is a must for
action photography. The main reason for this
is shutter lag. That is the time in between
when the shutter is pressed and when the
camera takes the picture.
On most point-and-shoot pocket-type
cameras, there is such a long lag that the shot
is missed or is out of focus because of the
helicopter’s movement. Digital SLRs have
virtually no lag, and as soon as you press the
shutter, the picture is taken. SLRs also have
many other adjustments and you can change
lenses. A new, entry-level SLR with lens will
cost roughly $1,000. You can find some great
deals on used equipment, too.
Your shots will improve dramatically
when you learn and understand the functions
of the camera you are using. If you only own
a pocket point-and-shoot camera, you can still
use many of the same techniques as the more
expensive digital SLR.
Here are some key points to becoming a
heli photographer:
• Use a Digital SLR with a long lens for best
results.
You will need a lens that is a least 200mm
long; 300mm is even better. Ninety percent of
my action shots are with a 300mm prime lens.
The larger the number, the higher the
magnification, which makes the helicopter appear closer.Zoom lenses are the most versatile. I often
use a 70-200mm zoom lens when I want to
capture more of the scene, rather than just the
heli. Zoom lenses are easier to work with but
prime (fixed, non-zoom) lenses have the best
optics and highest quality images. The 75-
300mm-range lenses are also good to start
with. They sell in the $300-$500 range and
give you just the right focal length.
• Learn to shoot in manual mode for
consistent results.
The automatic camera modes often do not
meter properly when shooting helicopters with
sky backgrounds. You are better off setting
things manually. Take a couple of test shots and
review on the camera display. I shoot at 1/500 or
less shutter speed to get some blade blur and
show motion. If you shoot at more than 1/800, the
blades will appear stopped.
Scale helis with lower rotor rpms require
slower shutter speeds to blur the disk.
Sometimes you cannot get your ISO and
shutter speed low enough because there is too
much light. On bright days, it may be
necessary to use a polarized or neutral density
filter to reduce the light entering the lens.
It would be nice to shoot at even lower
shutter speeds, but with a long lens it is
impossible to hold the camera steady enough,
and your shots will not be crisp. Image
stabilization will help on shots at 1/400 and
lower. So if your camera and/or lens have
ISO, use it at low shutter speeds.
• Use center-point focus and practice
panning with smooth, steady movements—
keep the center focus point locked onto a
point of the heli.
Set your camera’s focus point to center.
The camera can lock onto things in the
background if multiple focus points are
selected. Shoot in the quickest burst mode
using AI-Servo focus setting. When you
follow the heli precisely in AI-Servo, the
camera will constantly change its focus from
frame to frame while tracking the movement.
Start the burst before the peak action.
Anticipate when the heli is going to be in
good shooting positions. Pick angles of the
helicopter that are the most dramatic. Usually
any shot where the helicopter is facing away
from you won’t be good.
• Be aware of the background—change
shooting positions based on backgrounds.
An ugly background can ruin a great shot,
so always look out for that. Sit on the ground
for sky shots and then stand up when you
want to include a background. Tree lines
make nice, dark backgrounds that highlight
the heli. Be careful not to take all sky shots; it
is nice to see some ground reference behind
the helicopter. Sky shots are easier because
the auto focus locks on better, but nice
backgrounds add interest to the shot.
• Fill the frame.
The bigger the subject is in the frame, the
higher the image resolution and quality. It is
also easier on the auto focus to lock onto
something that is closer. This is even more
important with lower-quality cameras and
lenses.
Keeping the entire heli in the frame is
difficult when it is larger, but you will get
better with practice. You will be amazed by
how much better your shots look, too. The
closer you are to the subject, the less depth of
field. That means the background will be
fuzzier, and most likely, more pleasing. A
blurred or out-of-focus background is called
“bokeh.”
Photographers rate expensive lenses on
their ability to produce nice, creamy bokeh.
Better optics means nicer bokeh. It is always
better to shoot tighter than to crop postprocessing.
The rule in sports photography is,
“shoot tight and then crop tighter.”
• Ask other photographers for tips and ideas.
Ask questions when the situation allows.
Most photographers are approachable. They
were helped by others too, so passing on
shooting information is natural. It is the same
as one helicopter pilot helping another.
• Join an online forum to get feedback on your
shots.
Online forums are invaluable for honest
critique of your photos. I have received plenty
of help from other forum members in the last
few years. You can apply the techniques used
in other sports photography to our helis. Some
of the top professional sports photographers
visit the forums. It is a direct line to the most
knowledgeable photographers working today.
• Learn some basic Photoshop techniques.
Knowing the fundamentals of Photoshop
is a great help when processing. There are
good online forums for Photoshop help.
Nearly every photo will require some
adjustments to look its best. Photoshop is
a powerful digital darkroom. You do not
have to purchase the pricy, full-blown
version. I use Photoshop Elements which
sells for less than $100.
• Pay attention to the lighting.
Typically, it is best to shoot with the sun at
your back, but do not be afraid to experiment.
Shooting into the sun early or late in the day
can produce some nice effects. If a nitropowered
heli is flying at sunset, you can get
some awesome shots looking through the
smoke and into the sun.
• What are fast lenses?
You often hear lenses referred to as fast. A
fast lens is one that has a large aperture or
opening that lets in more light. These lenses
also have lower f-stop numbers. Without
getting too technical, the lower the f-stop, the
more light the lens lets in. These lenses are
bigger with more glass. An f2.8 lens is fast
and can be used in low light.
Another benefit of a large aperture is that
the depth of field is less. Being able to isolate
the subject from the background is what pro
sports photographers strive for. Fast telephoto
lenses have fantastic bokeh. The downside is
faster lenses are expensive.
Sometimes it can be intimidating to figure
out the high-tech gear, but if you have a
strong interest in photography, I recommend
giving it a go. It is just like when you started
flying helis; it seemed so impossible and
complicated, but things later started to come
together.
If any of you have other in-depth
questions, I can be reached at mdkja@
aol.com. I hope you can now enjoy taking
helicopter pictures even more. See you again next month.