Advanced Photography Course

During takeoff and landing, you should occupy a

designated passenger seat. Once airborne and before
you approach an open door, you must have a properly

adjusted, securely anchored crew member's safety
harness around your waist. The crew member's safety
harness should be adjusted BEFORE TAKEOFF.
Attach the snap hook of the harness to a tie-down ring
on the deck of the aircraft. The tie-down ring should be
about 3 to 4 feet from the open door. Never attach the
snap hook to pipes, tubes, cables, or similar items.
Place the harness around your waist and fasten the latch
and link assembly. Pull the adjustment straps of the
waist portion of the harness, so it fits snugly around your
waist. Now adjust the length of the safety strap, so you
can sit in the open doorway and still lean forward about

1 foot.

PREFLIGHT AND POSTFLIGHT

INSPECTIONS

As an aerial photographer shooting hand-held

images, your preflight inspection is concentrated
primarily on your photographic equipment and your
personal protective equipment.

You know what camera and equipment checks to

make before every photo assignment. These equipment
checks are particularly important in aerial work. In
aerial work, more people are directly involved with the
mission. As a minimum, there is the pilot, copilot, plane
captain, and yourself. With the great expense and time

involved in flying Navy aircraft, IT IS ESSENTIAL that

you have your equipment functioning correctly.
Equipment breakdowns may occur during a flight;
however, it is your responsibility to be sure that the
necessary equipment and materials for the mission are
present and working properly.

Your personal protective equipment must be

checked before each flight--your life may depend on
it. Because of the many types and applications of
personal flight safety gear available, you must get a
professional check on the use of your equipment and an
inspection as to size and fit of your equipment from a

knowledgeable Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR).

The aircraft preflight inspection is the

responsibility of the pilot. This is not to say, however,
that you should not check those areas of the aircraft in
which you will be directly involved during the flight.
For example, does the door, window, or hatch open and
close easily? Is the intercom system working? What
about the tie-down ring to which you will hook your
safety harness? Is it safe? Has the ejection seat safety

pin been removed? Is the canopy clean? Is the oxygen
system working?

Your postflight duties after a hand-held aerial

mission include removing all your equipment from the
plane and "housekeeping," such as straightening up seat
belts and securing the intercom and oxygen systems.
You and the pilot should also discuss the mission--how
did it go? What went right? What went wrong? What
could be done better next time to make the flight go
better?

COMMUNICATIONS

The pilot must know your intentions. This means

you must communicate with him before and during the
flight. Remember, the pilot is not looking through the
camera viewfinder. The pilot's view of the target,
providing he can see it, is different from yours. You
must direct the pilot into positioning the aircraft for the
photography.

The noise level during the flight is high and voice

communications are difficult at best, particularly in
helicopters. Establishing a few hand signals with the
pilot beforehand may prove very helpful during the
mission-hand signals that indicate "there is the target,"

"move right," "left," "up," "down," "turn right," "left,"
and "steady, I am shooting" (fig. 4-23). In the air, a pilot

has a better understanding of your needs with
prearranged signals as compared to makeshift signals
which may fail to be communicated correctly.

Communications between you and the pilot are

essential. During the photo part of the flight, you should
be in constant communication with the pilot. To get the
best photographs, you must communicate to the pilot
about positioning of the aircraft. Tell the pilot when the
aircraft is too close or too far from the target and when
the altitude of the aircraft is correct or not correct. If
camera problems develop, let the pilot know. Long
periods of silence cause the pilot to wonder what is
happening in the photography area and whether the
mission is going as planned. This is no time to be
bashful or intimidated. Do not be concerned about
talking too much.

COMPOSITION

Since hand-held verticals are made with the camera

pointed straight down at the ground, photographic
composition for vertical photography is

straightforward. The person requesting the work tells
you what to show in the picture. Then it is primarily a

4-27

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Advanced Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> During takeoff and landing, you should occupy a designated passenger seat. Once airborne and before you approach an open door, you must have a properly adjusted, securely anchored crew member's safety harness around your waist. The crew member's safety harness should be adjusted BEFORE TAKEOFF. Attach the snap hook of the harness to a tie-down ring on the deck of the aircraft. The tie-down ring should be about 3 to 4 feet from the open door. Never attach the snap hook to pipes, tubes, cables, or similar items. Place the harness around your waist and fasten the latch and link assembly. Pull the adjustment straps of the waist portion of the harness, so it fits snugly around your waist. Now adjust the length of the safety strap, so you can sit in the open doorway and still lean forward about 1 foot. PREFLIGHT AND POSTFLIGHT INSPECTIONS As an aerial photographer shooting hand-held images, your preflight inspection is concentrated primarily on your photographic equipment and your personal protective equipment. You know what camera and equipment checks to make before every photo assignment. These equipment checks are particularly important in aerial work. In aerial work, more people are directly involved with the mission. As a minimum, there is the pilot, copilot, plane captain, and yourself. With the great expense and time involved in flying Navy aircraft, IT IS ESSENTIAL that you have your equipment functioning correctly. Equipment breakdowns may occur during a flight; however, it is your responsibility to be sure that the necessary equipment and materials for the mission are present and working properly. Your personal protective equipment must be checked before each flight--your life may depend on it. Because of the many types and applications of personal flight safety gear available, you must get a professional check on the use of your equipment and an inspection as to size and fit of your equipment from a knowledgeable Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR). The aircraft preflight inspection is the responsibility of the pilot. This is not to say, however, that you should not check those areas of the aircraft in which you will be directly involved during the flight. For example, does the door, window, or hatch open and close easily? Is the intercom system working? What about the tie-down ring to which you will hook your safety harness? Is it safe? Has the ejection seat safety pin been removed? Is the canopy clean? Is the oxygen system working? Your postflight duties after a hand-held aerial mission include removing all your equipment from the plane and "housekeeping," such as straightening up seat belts and securing the intercom and oxygen systems. You and the pilot should also discuss the mission--how did it go? What went right? What went wrong? What could be done better next time to make the flight go better? COMMUNICATIONS The pilot must know your intentions. This means you must communicate with him before and during the flight. Remember, the pilot is not looking through the camera viewfinder. The pilot's view of the target, providing he can see it, is different from yours. You must direct the pilot into positioning the aircraft for the photography. The noise level during the flight is high and voice communications are difficult at best, particularly in helicopters. Establishing a few hand signals with the pilot beforehand may prove very helpful during the mission-hand signals that indicate "there is the target," "move right," "left," "up," "down," "turn right," "left," and "steady, I am shooting" (fig. 4-23). In the air, a pilot has a better understanding of your needs with prearranged signals as compared to makeshift signals which may fail to be communicated correctly. Communications between you and the pilot are essential. During the photo part of the flight, you should be in constant communication with the pilot. To get the best photographs, you must communicate to the pilot about positioning of the aircraft. Tell the pilot when the aircraft is too close or too far from the target and when the altitude of the aircraft is correct or not correct. If camera problems develop, let the pilot know. Long periods of silence cause the pilot to wonder what is happening in the photography area and whether the mission is going as planned. This is no time to be bashful or intimidated. Do not be concerned about talking too much. COMPOSITION Since hand-held verticals are made with the camera pointed straight down at the ground, photographic composition for vertical photography is straightforward. The person requesting the work tells you what to show in the picture. Then it is primarily a 4-27 contents Advanced Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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