Cockpit of a Beech 1900D

[cyber_m0nkey]

http://www.pbase.com/cyber_m0nkey/image/91882732.jpg

[FSTOPMIAMI]

Interesting except for the blown out foreground.

A

[PhotosGuy]

Good one. Did you shoot RAW? You could blend in a darker "exposure".

[RCoulter]

The foreground is blown out a little too much for my liking, but not a bad shot otherwise.

[FlyingPhotog]

I'll take the blown out "outside" over a black hole "inside." Good job exposing for the instrument panel. Most people wouldn't get this shot right. The fisheye perspective works very well. Definate keeper.

[FedExFlyer]

Oh the agony of no autopilot! Nice shot IMHO.

[FlyingPhotog]

MUST..NOT..ATTEMPT..CLEVER..CHAUVINISTIC..CAPTION. .

<g,d,r>

[Karl C]

Oh the agony of no autopilot! Nice shot IMHO.

Real pilots fly airplanes without autopilots. ;)

What the hell is the CA looking at??

:eek: :lol:

[cyber_m0nkey]

I have another where the outside is not blown out, but unfortunately there is no interest in it and the instrument panel is no where near as interesting. Blending is not really an option as the images was not taken from a tripod and the pilots moved so it would be difficult...

It's been a long time since I've been in a plane flown by humans..

[FedExFlyer]

Ah, flown plenty of planes with no autopilot. In fact, flown 1900 quite a bit in my past. Nice plane...but there are better one's out there. LOL

[Standby one]

3000 hours in a 1900D and no autopilot. No GPS, more than way too may times no AC!
Long lines in PHL sweatin pilots and passengers. OH I so miss the flying at 18,000 and below......

[FatAlbert]

Yea, the blown out foreground really kills this shot for me :(

So,
Any tips for taking a decent photograph from the flight deck without overexposing the exterior. (I assume that its a matter of balance) I only ask because I have come across the same problem whilst flying in a C130, and would like to try and get it right the next time I get the opportunity to take photos from the front end.

[GenuineRolla]

not too bad.

[FlyingPhotog]

So,
Any tips for taking a decent photograph from the flight deck without overexposing the exterior. (I assume that its a matter of balance) I only ask because I have come across the same problem whilst flying in a C130, and would like to try and get it right the next time I get the opportunity to take photos from the front end.

You mean like this?

http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/image/58891533.jpg

1 RAW file opened twice in Photoshop with different exposure levels and blended in Photoshop.

The blown out exterior however, is not always a bad thing. Look at the images in this pro's gallery (he's the main photog for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association magazine) and you'll see several interiors where the windows are completely white. Sometimes you have to take what you're given:
http://www.mikefizer.com/Image.asp?ImageID=87750&AKey=343TNQW7

[Ben Daniels]

Upload the RAW (if RAW), file somewher so that someone can use two exposures into one.
I've tried it a few times, and it works well.

[Choderboy]

I like the photo and have no problem with the blown out parts. I don't think the detail that was achieved would be possible even with RAW manipulation.
Looks like just too big a dynamic range for a camera to capture.

I checked the gallery Flying Photog posted.
This pic: http://www.mikefizer.com/Image.asp?ImageID=87756&apid=1&gpid=1&ipid=2&AKey=343TNQW7
has similar dash detail as cyber monkeys pic. Looks like the exterior is way to overexposed for RAW to save the blow out.

[FatAlbert]

You mean like this?

http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/image/58891533.jpg

1 RAW file opened twice in Photoshop with different exposure levels and blended in Photoshop.

The blown out exterior however, is not always a bad thing. Look at the images in this pro's gallery (he's the main photog for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association magazine) and you'll see several interiors where the windows are completely white. Sometimes you have to take what you're given:
http://www.mikefizer.com/Image.asp?ImageID=87750&AKey=343TNQW7

Thanks,
Thats the sort of thing I mean. I don't normally shoot in RAW and I confess to not having enough knowledge of what can be done with RAW files. Looks like I will have to do some more reading. There was me thinking that this photography lark was so easy.........

[FlyingPhotog]

I like the photo and have no problem with the blown out parts. I don't think the detail that was achieved would be possible even with RAW manipulation.
Looks like just too big a dynamic range for a camera to capture.

I checked the gallery Flying Photog posted.
This pic: http://www.mikefizer.com/Image.asp?ImageID=87756&apid=1&gpid=1&ipid=2&AKey=343TNQW7
has similar dash detail as cyber monkeys pic. Looks like the exterior is way to overexposed for RAW to save the blow out.

To be fair though...

The emphasis is ON the interior so for editorial purposes, what's outside really doesn't matter.

[FSTOPMIAMI]

How about exposing for the bright areas and using the fill flash for the cockpit?

Seems simple

A

[FlyingPhotog]

How about exposing for the bright areas and using the fill flash for the cockpit?

Seems simple

A

Doesn't work really well with only one point light source like a pop-up flash or even an on-camera Speedlight. You get some nasty glare and reflections off the instrument faces and (belive it or not) the control yokes. The yokes tend to be very shiny from being held.

In CyMo's shot, your trying to balance the two far extreme ends of the exposure spectrum. Brilliant sunshine outside Vs deep, deep shadows in the area under the instrument panel. One flash head won't fight that enough to yield a balanced exposure.