Pilots and Photography

[Crism]

Grant I'm only starting out.
But after 12 hour duty days and 6 hours of flying 5 days a week the last thing I wanna do is see an airplane. That and maybe I get a little too caught up in the labor issues with airlines. If I'm at an airport and I see the different airlines the first thing I think of its how much they pay and how low their hour requirements are and I start getting depressed...especially here in St. Louis.

*cough*Eagle*cough*

Good to see you around again Mike. You still flying the Barons or are you up on the Lears now? How's cargo treating ya?

[exmanx]

Tanner, your comment "Once your out of school and working, you have plenty of time" is utter rot! Once your out of school and having to fend for yourself, you have even LESS time to do any hobbies! Most jobs are pretty stressful and a Pilots no less.

You dont just switch off when you finish and go do something else. Many pilots, and cabin crew, arre on stand-by on their "off" days which means they are not free to do what they want. They also have wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, children etc. All this takes a lot of juggling around in order to have "time off".

The same goes for most people in the airline industry, Cease work means go do something differrent for most. I'm an exception because I've worked and lived with aircraft all my life and it's a passion. Others cannot wait to get away and relax.

Andy

[Tanner_J]

When did I ever say they wanted to go out and take the photos? I just said they had the time if they wanted. IF THEY WANTED. So before criticizing and putting words in my mouth, read it carefully.

I'm a photographer. When I have my free time I have my free time. That doesn't mean I want to see a camera and it goes in the bag until it's time to work again. So I understand pilots don't want to see anything to do with aviation, which I NEVER said they did in the first place.

[exmanx]

Sorry Tanner, but you stated categorically that they had plenty of time which is a generalisation and complete hooey.

Andy

[mikecweb]

*cough*Eagle*cough*

Good to see you around again Mike. You still flying the Barons or are you up on the Lears now? How's cargo treating ya?

No problem with eagle. The "Gateway" guys kinda get on my nerves though...
I flew the Caravan for 6 months and now I switched back to the Baron to make a little more money. Cargo is the way to go.

[Tanner_J]

They do have plenty of time, it's just that other things get priority over aviation. Don't put words in my mouth.

Everyone has plenty of time, they just don't have aviation photography is a priority.

[thecloudbuster]

Hi.

I am a commercial airline pilot and over the past year or two have been building the foundations of a small photographic business in Canada. I do get the opportunity to combine both flying and photography, however what most people do not appreciate is that pilots are very busy on the ground, especially when taxiing large aeroplanes about and so photography opportunities at work are sadly limited. Also one has to be very sensitive to security now days and that is a problem too.

I have a few images here, some more on my own website www.stevendraperphotography.com but my images often have a slightly artistic twang which prevents them appearing here.

Perhaps a long delay at the holding point may present a photographic opportunity but Safety ALWAYS comes first. Also carrying vast amounts of equipment is often tricky and the glass in flight deck windows is pretty poor for shooting as it contains all sorts of heating elements and coatings that effect colour.

What Does happen is that being a pilot does sometimes produce opportunities, for example when operating the RJ I spent a hours here and then with the LCY airfield operations team during long turn arounds.

Other pilots - well I know one or two others who are active photographers or registration collectors but generally most either participate directly in other aviation activities or have other hobbies. I think many of my colleagues enjoy the fact that many folks are interested in aviation but do worry about those who are a little obsessed with registrations, flight sims etc.

Personally I am a photographer who takes aviation related images, rather that an aviation enthuisiast who takes pictures, but I certainly enjoy many of the images and forum questions here and will always help out when I can.

[cja]

Cloudbuster,
You have some great pictures and I am sure that many of your aviation shots would be accepted here.

If you havent already done so, Go for it.

[Top_Gun]

Hi.
I have a few images here, some more on my own website www.stevendraperphotography.com but my images often have a slightly artistic twang which prevents them appearing here.

Steven, those are some awesome aircraft images, I wish they would allow some of that artistic touch in shots here instead of always dead center.

Nice shooting!