Beech 18
One of the most difficult subjects to photograph is highly polished aluminium as it reflects the colours of its surroundings. As a result, if you shoot an aircraft over some sandy coloured terrain it can appear quite drab and uninteresting. Shooting the subject above cloud with a blue overcast means that the whites and blues are reflected instead and brings the photograph to life. I was faced with this problem in the area of California where this Beech 18 was photographed. Luckily for me (but not anyone on the beach!) there is a cold ocean current which passes down the Northern Californian coast. This regularly results in ‘uplifted sea fog’ which can extend inland a couple of miles. This is also the reason why parts of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are often shrouded in fog.
Flying out over the fog promised to give the best images.
