I feel so rejected...Nah, just a couple of questions

[maximus92]

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewreject_b.php?id=2422067

My latest (above) photo has been rejected, no complaints, but I have a couple of questions. Let's look at the second reason first, "JPG compression artefacts." I'm supposing that that's referring to the waviness of some lines that are intended to be straight. How do I avoid this using Photoshop Elements 7?

Now the first one, "Heat Distortion" kind of baffels me. The only obvious heat distortion is the heat from the jet blast. I can't see any other heat distortion, and it was a cold day in November. Now if my intention is to capture some wing flex, and to get the maximum wing flex I need to take the picture during takeoff, how do I avoid the heat generated by the engines?

[ChrisYoung]

I think there is indeed some heat distorsion, just look a the fence on the backgroung or even the runway just below the aircraft (not "touched" by the jet blast), they are not quite straight. I think it is the same for the lines on the fuselage, raher than a jpeg artefact.

However if these are really jpeg compression artefacts, change your save options, with Photoshop I always use at least quality 10 out of 12.

Cheers,
Chris

[maximus92]

I always save at 12. How about the options that include "Baseline Optimized." I never change that, would it help if I picked another option?

[ChrisYoung]

I use Baseline Standard but I don't think Optilmized should do any harm so I'd say your problem is mainly with heat blur, and quite difficult to solve in fact. I had one similar a few weeks ago and I didn't manage to get something out of it. Even in winter when the air is cold, a few sunrays can be enough to heat the runway and create this kind of blur, there is no real solution I think.

[maximus92]

I think that would almost be a good case for argument. I mean if there is no way to correct a natural phenomenon, such as heat distortion, then I don't understand how it could be a disqualifying factor. Rain, fog, and weather can be helped, you can plan for it and just not shoot on those days, but it's kind of hard to plan for heat distortion.

This is certainly a learning experience. It has become a personal challenge to get accepted. I'm hoping one day rejection will be the exception. I appreciate all the help I can get.

[NZMXr]

This is certainly a learning experience. It has become a personal challenge to get accepted. I'm hoping one day rejection will be the exception. I appreciate all the help I can get

Been there ... just stick at it and after a while you will look back at your pictures and realise they are not as good as they couldve been, Im a little ashamed of some of my earlier shots but still leave them because they not only show some of the diversity of aircraft I have seen but also tell a story of how I have matured as a photographer.

Your pic does appear to have heat distortion over the wing I notice it alot along the left wing edge and where the blue paint meets the white, these areas are not affected by the jet but rather heat radiated off the ground. Heat can be avoided by either shooting the aircraft when it is higher or doing your photography on a cooler day, I dont get out to the airport much during summer because I know heat is always an issue!

[Mr Chips]

I can't be 100% sure if this is right but I think I remember someone stating that Heat Distortion doesn't necessarily happen on hot days. If I remember correctly, it is caused by the heat difference between the air and the grounds surface thus it can also happen on cold days as the opening poster seems to have experienced in this case. E.g. cold air, but hot runway surface.

[NZMXr]

With what Ive seen it is more of an issue on hot days I dont know the science behind it so you could well be right Im just relating to what I know, when it is hot here I get heat distortion when it isnt I dont

(Now Ive said that I just KNOW all my winter shots are going to be affected )

[brianw999]

Very definite heat distortion on the upper fuselage i.e. above the jet blast. It's seen in the wavy blue fuselage cheat lines.

I can't be 100% sure if this is right but I think I remember someone stating that Heat Distortion doesn't necessarily happen on hot days.

That may have come from a post of mine some time ago.
Heat haze occurs when warmer air rises from the ground and meets a colder layer of air. Cold air is more dense than warm air and therefore transmits light at a slightly different wavelength to the warm air below causing the "wobbly line" effect. It doesn't have to be a hot day for this to happen although the effect becomes more pronounced on hot days with a greater difference of air temperatures. What matters is the difference in temperature, not necessarily how hot or cold it is.

To use some figures for illustration purposes only...

Let's say that we need a 20% difference in temperatures for heat haze to occur.
It's a cold day in November and the air temperature is 10deg C. The sun comes up and starts to warm the ground AND the air above it until the air rising from the ground reaches +20% of the deg C layer of air above it.

BINGO = Heat haze happens. It tends to happen more slowly than in a hot climate as the air temperature also rises fairly quickly.

Transpose that formula to the desert in August where the air temperature is 100 deg C. The ground temperature rises to 120 deg C very quickly and ...
BINGO = Heat haze happens.

Add in variables of humidity and it all starts to get rather complicated and I'm no scientist. I just know that when it gets hot I head for a beer in an air conditioned bar. Please understand that the figures given here are to illustrate the phenomenon, not to quantify how it happens.

(Note. I was on the tarmac outside Riyadh airport fire station once where the ground temperature reached an astonishing 170 deg C with an air temperature of 140 deg C !!,....and you can't get a cold beer in Saudi Arabia )

[Alex - Spot-This !]

Hi,
I was one of the screener who rejected this pic. I really like the angle but as it's been said it's ruined by the heat, and not the one coming from the engine... the left wing particullary is showing a lot of heat.
We all were at that point one day, unfortunatly there's nothing you can do against it but to choose better and closer angle when heat starts to show.
And yes ALWAYS save your pics in the highest setting possible.
Hope it helps
Best regards
Alex

[Alex - Spot-This !]

(Note. I was on the tarmac outside Riyadh airport fire station once where the ground temperature reached an astonishing 170 deg C with an air temperature of 140 deg C !!,....and you can't get a cold beer in Saudi Arabia )

Poor Brian ....
I think i'll have a cold one tonight thinking of you in saudi Arabia hehehe !!

[maximus92]

Hey, thanks for the responses, I really gain more respect for the screeners everyday, especially when they comment in threads about photos they reject. And the heat haze explaination helped a lot, next time you're Saudi Arabia, I'll smuggle a beer from the states to you, ever had Iron City?

Fortunately, I can take this as a decent picture that nature screwed up and not necessarily me.

[brianw999]

Hey, thanks for the responses, I really gain more respect for the screeners everyday, especially when they comment in threads about photos they reject. And the heat haze explaination helped a lot, next time you're Saudi Arabia, I'll smuggle a beer from the states to you, ever had Iron City?

Fortunately, I can take this as a decent picture that nature screwed up and not necessarily me.

Yup, nature can be a bitch at times....and don't worry about smuggling any beer, you'll get arrested...and...shall I say...we didn't go without !!