6.
Lenses.
a. In most cases, you will be using a normal lens. On occasion it may be
required that you use a long focal length lens. If this is necessary, you must
take certain precautions.
As you know, it is more difficult to hold a long
lens steady. Add this to the fact that an aerial platform is very unstable and
you have the makings of the most unsteady and shaky footage you will ever see.
b. If it becomes necessary to use a long focal length lens, then the
following steps should be taken to keep the footage as steady as possible.
(1) Use a fast shutter speed (64 fps or faster).
(2) Ask
the
pilot
to
try
and
maintain
a
slow
and
vibrationless
attitude.
(3) Hold the camera as steady as possible and touch the aircraft with
as few points of your body as possible.
Focus should always be set on
infinity. To maintain this focus, tape the lens setting so it does not move.
7.
Filters for black and white film.
a. One of the biggest problems the aerial cameraman has to contend with
is haze. Aerial haze is the blue of the sky resulting from light reflected off
the moisture in the air. At short distances, the amount of haze is too small
to have any effect on film; at long distances (which most aerial filming is),
the haze may be too heavy to photograph through.
b. Whenever shooting aerials, always use a filter. The heavier the haze
or the higher the altitude, the darker the filter must be.
Up to 1000 feet
(304.7m) use a No. 8 filter (K-2, yellow). From 1000 feet (304.7m) up to 5000
feet (1523m) use a No. 15 filter (G, deep yellow). Above 5000 feet (1523m) use
a No. 25 filter (A, red).
In some cases, it may be necessary to use deeper
filters than those recommended here. For the highest penetration of haze, the
use of the infrared film and an infrared filter is recommended.
c. An important point to remember is that not all haze can be penetrated.
Haze caused by fog, dust, smoke, or other solid (opaque) particles, cannot be
penetrated by any combination of film and filter.
8.
Filters for color film. When filming in color, it is not possible to use
the same filters to cut through haze as recommended for black and white film.
We can, however, use ultraviolet and polarized filters.
a. Aerial haze affects color film to an even greater degree than it does
black and white film. In addition to fuzzy images, the film takes on a blue
cast.
Aerial filters, such as the 1A or UV 15, are used when daylight
conditions cause an excess of blue to register in color film. Scenes filmed on
hazy or cloudy days require the use of a haze filter. It is best to use this
type of filter for all aerial shooting in color.
17
Previous Page
