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mlav
8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:11
After 6.5 months, I finally got my first day photos completed in time for Veteran's Day! Thank you to all of the people that have protected the USA.

All but one were shot on tripod, ISO100, very long exposures with remote release, 20D and 40D, and several lenses; mainly 70-200 2.8 and 17-40.

Check out a few shots from April 17, 2009 - Gallery - http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/

1)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/3.jpg

2)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/12.jpg

3)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/17.jpg

4)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/16.jpg

5)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/23.jpg

6)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/26.jpg

7)
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/33.jpg

8]
http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/50.jpg
FlyingPhotog
8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:14
Excellent Work!

The DEFCON ---> B36 image is outstanding.
mlav
8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:19
Excellent Work!

The DEFCON ---> B36 image is outstanding.


Thanks. I strolled through that place super slow looking for the next shot. It got dark and then the DEFCON lights came on. Pretty cool!

I just wish it was easier to get a clean B-36 shot.
FlyingPhotog
8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:21
Thanks. I strolled through that place super slow looking for the next shot. It got dark and then the DEFCON lights came on. Pretty cool!

I just wish it was easier to get a clean B-36 shot.

If you backed up a bit .. perhaps to Wapekaneta, you might get the whole thing in the frame. ;)

Come out to AZ and see the one that's just been put on display down at the Pima Museum in Tucson!
mlav
8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:29
If you backed up a bit .. perhaps to Wapekaneta, you might get the whole thing in the frame. ;)


The first time I saw a B-36 was at the Meijer store looking at model cars and planes. It was a 1/72 scale model with a 39" wingspan??!?! Holy $@%&!
asysin2leads
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 09:44
Very nice series. I have yet to use a tripod there. Looks as though I'm going to have to break it out one day. Great series!
PhotosGuy
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 10:31
Good work on it.
dizzye36m3
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 10:39
Nice series. That Phantom is showing its age.
A2EVOMR
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 11:43
Last shot = Awesome
dashotgun
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 11:49
they have a whole b-36 in there wow how big is that place?
mlav
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 11:53
they have a whole b-36 in there wow how big is that place?

It is HUGE!

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
adamsti
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 12:31
Nice shots. That is a very hard place to shoot in. It's real dark.
ty wonon
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 16:20
Great shots thanks for sharing. It's a great place to visit.
Desertrat
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 17:58
Nice Shots. I really like museum shots. If I can do two bucket trips I would like to go to as many aircraft Museums as I can. First bucket trip is going to the National parks in the west. I would really like to do both but health and money may slow Me down some. Keep up the good works,Thanks for posting.
MulesAFpilot
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 18:35
No B-2? I'm hurt.


Great photos of the museum
FlyingPhotog
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 19:50
No B-2? I'm hurt.

SHADDUP and go get your own...

(Because we all know you can!) :p ;)
DC Fan
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 20:18
they have a whole b-36 in there wow how big is that place?

The museum has three large main buildings, and a portion of the collection is housed in two hangars about a half-mile away. The building that holds the B-36 also has enough room for a B-47, a B-2, a B-1 and a B-58, with plenty of room to spare. They still need more space, so there are plans to construct another building.
MulesAFpilot
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 20:46
SHADDUP and go get your own...

(Because we all know you can!) :p ;)

HAHAHA Ok, I'll get my own. :D
Eagle
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 20:50
mlav - great job, maybe the best shots I've seen from there.

Next time I go I think it will be by myself with my tripod.
JFusion
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 21:03
Great, great shots. I haven't made it over there in years. I'm definitely going to have to get make a visit real soon.
Radders
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 21:03
I need to see a B-36, Awesome pictures.
johnaengus
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 21:11
beautiful sharp and well exposed shots!
Oz Boggy
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 21:19
Very Lovely series. Well Done..

Cheers

Boggy
mlav
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 22:39
No B-2? I'm hurt.


Great photos of the museum


Thanks.

I think day two has my best shots of the museum, including the B-2 and lots of close up detail shots. Working on tons of photo and video projects and hoping to have day two done by the end of November.
mlav
9th of November 2009 (Mon), 22:53
mlav - great job, maybe the best shots I've seen from there.



Thanks. A lot. I spend many nights a week to 4am photo editing for unpaid stuff (I'm an unemployed car engineer...); it is nice to have this feedback.

My strong advice for this museum (and most like it) - tripod, remote shutter release (or "self" timer), long exposure noise reduction, mirror lock, ISO100 and a very slow walk. I shot with my 17-40 typically at f/8 since the DOF going wide open does not provide any significant isolation of the subject and f/8 is more sharp (not much) on that lense. Two days helps as well. I closely studied the first day shots at the hotel on my laptop to get an idea of what to go after for day two.

My visit to the museum was to include my wife and daughter, but I had serious doubts about their interest in the place over a dozen hours. My trip back to Detroit took a detour to Auburn, Indiana for the Auburn, Cord, Duesy Museum and the Auburn Car & Truck Museum. Just a travel idea for other southern Michiganders. Two more great museums.
ScottsGT
10th of November 2009 (Tue), 15:27
How did you get these shots without people in them? After hours? When I was there, it was PACKED with people. I shot about 15 rolls of film, don't have any idea as to where they are now.
mlav
10th of November 2009 (Tue), 17:26
How did you get these shots without people in them? After hours? When I was there, it was PACKED with people. I shot about 15 rolls of film, don't have any idea as to where they are now.

These are from a Friday afternoon up until closing time. The shots from Saturday are just as clean. Walk slow, and time the people. The F-4 Phantom shot in these photos and the F-22 on the second day were probably the most difficult. Get the camera ready, lock the mirror and then judge the speed of the people coming towards you. Ten second exposures create some problems...;)
asysin2leads
10th of November 2009 (Tue), 18:22
How did you get these shots without people in them? After hours? When I was there, it was PACKED with people. I shot about 15 rolls of film, don't have any idea as to where they are now.

The best time to go is Monday mornings during the school year. I went up there twice during that time and there wasn't enough people to start a fight. Make sure you go on the Presidential Hangar. It has Tail Number 26000 that brought Kennedy home from Dallas.
scot079
10th of November 2009 (Tue), 18:32
Nice shot of Bock's Car. I was able to see Enola Gay here in the Udvar museum.

Interesting story about the tail markings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bockscar

For those that don't know, the aircraft in the OP's first photo is the one that dropped "Fat Man" on Nagasaki.
Aviation Junkie
10th of November 2009 (Tue), 20:33
Awesome shots! Did you get a chance to tour the Presidential hanger on base?
mlav
10th of November 2009 (Tue), 23:06
Awesome shots! Did you get a chance to tour the Presidential hanger on base?


Thanks. No, but I might plan a future trip around seeing it.
Eagle
11th of November 2009 (Wed), 19:00
You have to go back and get to the Presidential Hanger. There is a lot more in there than the presidential birds. They have planes packed in there tighter than the other hangers. Unless the moved it they have a Blackbird in there as well as others.
Eagle
11th of November 2009 (Wed), 19:05
Actually on base it's the Presidential Gallery and the R&D Gallery.
mlav
11th of November 2009 (Wed), 19:16
You have to go back and get to the Presidential Hanger. There is a lot more in there than the presidential birds. They have planes packed in there tighter than the other hangers. Unless the moved it they have a Blackbird in there as well as others.


The Blackbird is in the main area of the museum.

http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/47.jpg

http://mlav.com/car/airforcemuseum041709/48.jpg
Aviation Junkie
12th of November 2009 (Thu), 22:36
I've got to go back and visit the museum again someday. I didn't own a camera when I visited last; just a high 8 tape recorder that captured 5 second stills to the tape.

You have to go back and get to the Presidential Hanger. There is a lot more in there than the presidential birds. They have planes packed in there tighter than the other hangers. Unless the moved it they have a Blackbird in there as well as others.

There's all kinds of goodies in there. It's totally worth the trip.
mlav
12th of November 2009 (Thu), 23:02
I've got to go back and visit the museum again someday.

There's all kinds of goodies in there. It's totally worth the trip.


The best part... IT IS FREE!!! ;)



Working on my shots from the second day right now.
4g63
13th of November 2009 (Fri), 04:05
very nice pictures! i like #7.
Stargazerfrank
13th of November 2009 (Fri), 10:52
great pics.. I've been there 2 times last time early 90s need to go back I love planes.
ty wonon
17th of November 2009 (Tue), 21:01
Blackbird pics are great. From your pictures it does not look like there were many other visitors, when I was there two years ago it was packed.
ScottsGT
24th of November 2009 (Tue), 08:00
Did you see the MIG the Korean flew over and defected during the Korean war? When I was there it was parked next to the B-36. My Dad Crated it up and delivered it from Okinawa (sp?) to Dayton right after he landed it across the border, so Chuck Yeager could start the reverse engineering of it. Dad was a Loadmaster in the USAF for 30 years. He put MANY hours in the C-124 that is in the museum there. I got to hear a lot of his war stories when we took him there many years ago. Funny how he never opened up to us until we took him there. He was one of the pioneering Loadmasters since he got his start in the US Army Aircorps in the Berlin Airlift. FWIW, he was the first Loadmaster to load a C-130 during the demo Lockheed in front of all the Air Force Brass.
D.C.
24th of November 2009 (Tue), 11:30
Nice pictures!! Was there a few times years ago. Would like to go back again.
FlyingPhotog
24th of November 2009 (Tue), 12:13
Did you see the MIG the Korean flew over and defected during the Korean war?

<SNIP>

Great Story! Thanks for sharing the historical footnote with us! :D
Eagle
24th of November 2009 (Tue), 12:27
<SNIP>

Great Story! Thanks for sharing the historical footnote with us! :D
x2

Thanks
DC Fan
25th of November 2009 (Wed), 12:58
Did you see the MIG the Korean flew over and defected during the Korean war?

While this is another user's thread, hopefully it won't hurt to post an image of that MiG-15:

http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/2009-11-11a-0783.jpg

The museum's web site also tells the story of this aircraft. (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=275)
mlav
25th of November 2009 (Wed), 18:43
While this is another user's thread, hopefully it won't hurt to post an image of that MiG-15:



The museum's web site also tells the story of this aircraft. (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=275)


I think that plane might be in my second day shots. Thanks for posting this.