I’ll admit I think slightly odd things at times. Like when I first saw this scene:
ISO 500 19mm f/16 1/125
All these beautiful planes looking out the window toward the airfield, like they would like to go out and play. So when I wanted to capture that thought, I went to the back of the hanger and shot out towards the airfield, as if taking a shot from the plane’s point of view.
This is a situation where shooting a bracketed exposure is a good idea. My original photos were like this one:
ISO 500 19mm f/16 1/125
Because of the bracketing some images showed more detail inside the hanger and some more detailed outside. Combining them into an HDR version gave me this:
ISO 500 19mm f/16 1/125
That’s nice if what you wanted to show the details of the scene, but really my original slightly wonky thought, was more about the idea of planes stuck in a hanger. So that first photo is an edited version of the second photo in the post. What I did to it was first to increase the vibrance and saturation, then I sharpened it a bit. From there I applied a few filters. The first filter gave it both a cooler blue tone and more of a film camera feel. Then I added a vignette. That’s a way of darkening the corners of the photo. Usually, I would apply a vignette to the center of the photo and darken the edges uniformly. In this case, it’s set so that your eye is drawn to the outside world, but I’ve left enough detail in the ceiling of the hanger, making it clear the planes are stuck inside. The details of the floor of the hanger are completely obscured, but in this case they were not important to the story of the photograph.
I took these photos at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in their display of American aircraft. The museum is huge and includes a working airstrip. Even if you do not have a particular interest in aircraft, this museum could keep you occupied for a day. What do you think of my interpretation? What about the HDR version? Do you often photograph a scene thinking not just of what is technically in front of you but what story you could tell from the scene? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Cheers!
Photography Journal Blog 
You pulled it off. The final shot makes me feel like I am a plane flying among those planes, heading outwards to another world. Love the illumination at the ceiling.
LikeLike
Thanks Mabel! I had a good time both with the shoot and the editing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great photo, and thanks for sharing the details of the choices you made in editing it!
Also I like your idea of considering what story the picture could tell, as you are taking the picture — a good way to think more creatively that had not occurred to me before.
LikeLike
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I wrote out my thought process here in part to leave a note to myself to consider thinking this way more often.
LikeLike
This is really what impressed me, this impression of airplanes stuck inside. Great pictures, great post!
LikeLike
Thank you very much, I enjoyed creating this image and I’m glad you like it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Windows: Avery Dennison 2 – What's (in) the picture?
Hi Amy! I love the imagination in your mind of “what if the planes wanted to go outside, what would that look like?” And I can see – after your explanation – that the first photo in the post really provides that feeling better, the slightly illuminated roof (not fully illuminated). I also thought the reflection below (water?) provided more of a feeling of aircraft going outside, maybe because it was like they were flying over water (as in movies) or maybe because it provided a bottom border for the framed hanger-shape of the window. Thanks!
LikeLike
Just outside is actually the airstrip which just seems a little bit of a cruel thing to do to all these planes who are so anxious to get outside 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, nicely done. Your post-prod is spot on for what you want to convey, and the planes do look like they want to go out to play.
LikeLike
Thank you very much.
LikeLike
I like the first the best. A hint of the ceiling but not dominant. They are all nice. Amy and I know my grandsons would love to be there.
LikeLike
Yes, if they like planes at all, this would be a fun place to take them.
LikeLike
Love your idea and I think you captured it so well. The planes really do look like they are waiting to go out and play. I’m always thinking about story when shooting, although I generally have to think about how my photos will coalesce to illustrate my written story.
LikeLike
Which completely makes sense when I think about your blog posts and the strong narrative approach you seem to have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your editing worked very well Amy. Really added depth in my opinion to the photo.
LikeLike
Thanks 🙂
LikeLike
well I viewed this post twice – earlier via mobile and now – larger view.
the reflection in the first place was my fav takeaway of the larger view
and the smaller view – well both actually – gave a great sense of scale.
seeing the planes with that window makes one really feel the size of these planes – and I am sure they are not even close to being as big as, say, an airbus.
and I like how you captured them wanting to go out to play…
LikeLike
Yes, the hanger itself dwarfs the individual planes, and those front windows were huge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
what a cool place to photograph
LikeLike
Agreed 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
left a comment – not sure where it went
LikeLike
It’s here, it was just waiting to be “approved” 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
gracias amiga
LikeLike
Just about every pilot and aircraft enthusiast would concur with the thought that the aircraft would rather be outside ‘playing’. Several of the aircraft in your photo will regularly see one of their sisters flying around outside when there is a fly-in or an airshow! So, I think your ‘imagination’ is more of an ‘Understanding’ 🙂
Noise is a bit of an issue in the top shot – which is one of the risks associated with HDR processing. I wonder if a ‘grainy’ black and white version would suit the subject? Turn the noise into a positive! Just an idea 😉
LikeLike
Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I think a black and white version would probably be a good idea. In addition to the noise issue, I think metal planes often turn out nicely in black and white.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice post and great photos… To your question – “Do you often photograph a scene thinking not just of what is technically in front of you but what story you could tell from the scene?”, actually I think that more than just capturing the moment, every photo is meant to tell a story. To my mind, the beauty in a photo is not limited to the captured image, but moreso the beauty is in the story that the photo is trying to convey.
LikeLike
Thank you. I guess part of the issue sometimes is what comes first, the image or the story? In this case, it was the story and then I thought of a way to tell that story.
LikeLiked by 1 person