Spotter Magazine Spotter Magazine Issue 1 June 2016 | Page 18

One of the last ever visits by an Austrian MD to Malta International Airport. This was shot through double-glazed glass from the viewing gallery, with the camera being covered with a thick black jacket to blank out the internal reflections. (Mark Zerafa) Black Cats Lynx, Malta International Airshow 2015. This photo was problematic due to the strong light-source on the nose of the helicopter. Be prepared to compromise. (Mark Zerafa) Another aishow nightshot, this time a NATO E-3. I had to raise the tripod well above the normal height to avoid the objects which would have otherwise covered part of the fuselage. Live view mode is handy in such cases. (Mark Zerafa) White fuselages are particularly challenging as they reflect a lot of light, so expect some over-exposure in some areas (Mark Zerafa) It is perfectly feasible to shoot through a fence, as long as the centre of your lens is looking through a hole in the fence, and there is no light source shining on the fence. (Mark Zerafa) Sometimes, you just get lucky, with the plane in the right spot under some good lighting, like this Armee de l’Air C-130 at Apron 4, Malta International Airport. (Mark Zerafa) When shooting against a light source, it is important that you meter on the aircraft, and nowhere near the light source. This may require some compromise on how well you can actually expose the aircraft. (Mark Zerafa)