SS - Bit of advice. Whenever shooting helos try and keep as close as possible, without meshing blades of course as this will allow you to use less focal length, hence a sharper image as it has less glass to travel through to get exposed on the film.
I NEVER shoot more than 160th of a second when shooting helicopters as you then start to get the blades stopped on the helo and that is one of my pet hates. Bit of advice there for people who do this with their images - If blades look stopped while the helicopter is in flight then no point in even entering them in a competition as they get passed over from that point on. Best image shows slight movement blur in the blades.
If you get a lot of movement blur in the blades even better. A couple of your previous ones did have some good blur and looked great. If you can ever afford a gyro stabiliser for your SLR camera then thats the way to you. I had one, broke it and am awaiting a new one. They are worth their weight in gold and allow you to shoot down to 1 sec exposures.
I myself dont shoot digital, only shoot slide film and then scan them in on a Nikon Coolscan slide scanner. The best way to get good images even sharper, including your digital ones, is to use a program such as Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop. Use the Unsharp Mask feature and this will sharpen that image more. I always scan in at 8in x 10 inch and then unsharp mask and resize. Gives you a nice sharp and crisp image.
When shooting helicopters always remember to try and capture the dynamic role of the helicopter. Shooting a helicopter sitting on a ramp somewhere will not win you any competitions, unless its an amazing sunset or sunrise background. However showing the helicopter working in its natural environment is always a winner. (I will try and scan a few in to show you what I am referring to).
When shooting helicopters try and look for unusual angles. For example SS when shooting the Explorer think about shooting it from behind while slightly above, and then get them to do a bank but you stay following them. I did this type of shot with Huntington Beach PD and their MD520N and looked awesome. Maybe a direct overhead shot looking down on the Explorer with a police car slightly offset to one side with suspects in cuffs etc. Think outside the square. Some of the best shots I ever got of ag helicopters were laying down in the paddock shooting up at them as they came over the top of me, great angle and unique pics.
The slide film I use is Fujichrome Velvia (50) and Velvia 100. Where weather is a factor will use Provia 100 or 400 but thats not very often. The best times of day for shooting is either before 10am or after 2pm as the sun angle is about equal to the side of the subject. The colour saturation of the Velvia slide film is awesome and is the best for any type of aviation and outdoor photography. If you have to use print film then choose something that has high colour saturation and make sure you tell whoever prints the film to increase the colours a bit. Unfortunately with print film you have no control over the final end product, you have to rely on the minilab operator that is processing your film, whereas with slide film, what I shoot is what I get.
Hope that this info helps.
Regards
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