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The Big Shoot By Patrick Nugent
The Air Force News Service (AFNEWS) recently held it's first Photojournalism symposium to review current policies, procedures, Iraq lessons learned, receive technology updates, while improving current products and explore their future projects.
While examining the latest in photographic equipment and to enhance photographic skills and techniques it was decided to multiple light a subject.
Assignment, to photograph an historical cargo aircraft currently stored at Lackland AFB, Texas. The XC-99 cargo and troop transport built by Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation for the Army Air Forces; was the world's largest land-based aircraft, the six-engine cargo aircraft.
A transport version of the Convair's B-36 bomber, the double-decked XC-99 designed gross weight is 265,000 pounds. Its wingspan is 230 feet and its length,182.5 feet; a crew of 5 plus a relief crew of 5. It could carry a maximum of 400 troops or a litter of 305 maximum plus 35 attendants, or a maximum cargo of 100,000 pounds.
The cameras used to record the image were a combination of 35mm Digital and a traditional film camera. The Nikon D1X "high-resolution" digital camera and Nikon's new digital camera the D2H recorded the digital imagery. Since this project was an historical first a 35mm film camera was also used and the Nikon F-5 was the camera selected with Fuji Astia 400 film pulled 1/3rd stop.The lighting equipment used: 24 Nikon Speedlights (a combination of SB-24's, 25's, 26's, 28's & 80's) on light stands and with team members; the primary triggering device was the Pocket Wizards, supplemented with built-in or hot shoe optical slave units and individuals manually painting with light during the long exposures.
This photograph demonstrates the historical lineage between the past and present cargo aircraft in the Air Force inventory.
Organizational support was graciously provided by the 37th Training Wing and background C-5 aircraft and flightline was of the 433rd (Reserve) Airlift Wing at Lackland AFB.
Attendees: Mr. Ken Hackman, Master Sgts. Lance Cheung, Val Gempis, Keith Reed, Greg "Bosh" Koboshigawa, John Lasky, Jim Varhegyi, Lono Kollars, Tech. Sgts. Mark Borosch, Jack Braden, Gary Coppage, Derrick Goode, Ken Wright, and from the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, SSgt Cherie Thurlby.
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