Living where I do, generally involves an early start and journey with Spotify playlists or podcasts keeping me awake enough to get to where I am heading.
Last week as I pulled in to some services to grab a snack, I checked ADSB and various social media pages and found myself immediately calculating the rest of my journey time against an incoming flight of a C5 galaxy which was off the east coast of the UK.
Like a scene from wacky racers, nothing else mattered but getting back in the car, making haste (lawfully) along back country roads and through towns, by now the scanner was chirping along with the planes progress, my efforts increased to get to the fence line, just as the flying giant began its approach.
The adrenaline rush of the chase for blue hour shots led me to the conclusion as a species, collective, whatever you want to call plane spotters, we can at times also become a little fanatical bordering on mad.
Am I the only one that puts everything else on hold to get to the spot they want to be at when they see or hear of something imminent on the way?, Im quite sure Im not !
Its normal for me to be at the fence line early doors, I leave with plenty of time in hand in case of traffic, I don’t like to think ill miss out on shots or planes leaving, and this in turn means I’m fortunate to be one of a few at that hour, presented with the unique photo opportunities I come away with, yes the early bird gets the shots.
The winter and to an extent spring months always seem to pave the way for stunning early morning light, the blue hour, and I fully admit this is my favourite time to get shots of planes. Even more so if it is for something a bit different to the norm that I see at the local bases.
That being said though Golden hour always pulls at the photographic heart strings, planes flying at dusk and the setting sun just has that romantic allure in a way of wanting to capture just what’s being seen, And although it turned out to be quite a long day, hanging around till dusk meant I was able for once to come away with those shots I have desired for months.
Seemingly the base were on night flight training and the spectacle was absolutely epic to see.
Hopefully the opportunity to catch the dawn and sunset shots continues and as spring gives way to summer the opportunity starts to reduce and the dreaded heat haze returns…. yuk .