Red Arrows

[Julian de'Courcy]

Another day, nothing planned and I received a call. ''Would you like to see the Red Arrows''. The Fowey Regatta each year has a visit by the Red arrows. Although most of my life living near Fowey I had never experienced this show. A lot of people in the nearby fishing villages take the journey in a fishing boat, cross the bay and get to the river via the open sea. I was invited to join a small fishing boat and had a great time. I suffer seriously with a very severe spinal injury and find looking up and around if not impossible at times painful and difficult at best. But I tried and to some extent got the odd image or two that worked. Images were from a perspective of how the watchers saw the show rather than just the planes themselves. Others are far better at isolated plane shots than me. The setting is the beautiful river Fowey. With low cloud the planes flew very low, it was noisy, with the occasional adrenaline rush as they flew past several times.
I hope the thread isn't too long, apologies if this is so.

P8230042 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
Entering the mouth of the River Fowey you pass the day marker on the Gribbon Head.

P8230106 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
There were plenty of scooners and yachts waiting for the event.

P8230147 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
The first fly by.

IMG_7907 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
Places to watch from.

IMG_7901 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

IMG_7889 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

Red Arrows Fowey 2012 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

Red Arrows 2012 Fowey by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

IMG_7845 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

IMG_7847 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

IMG_7870 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

P8230148 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

P8230210 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

P8230170 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

P8230266 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
They came for the last time.

P8230272 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
That was the end.

IMG_7781 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
Some of the fishermen passed round pasties.

IMG_7690 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
On our way home we caught fish for super.

Fowey Gribon by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
Boats from Falmouth returning.

Mevagissey Bay by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr
Chapel point on our way home.

 

[Dave Green]

Some really nice shots there - with No6 being my favourite. Love that "Hole in the sky" look!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Now that is one classy set of images - you really get a great feel for the location and the spectacle

Very nice - and the moody weather just made it all the better IMHO

The Olympus is really delivering lovely images, and I'm thinking there's some nice PP in there as well - makes the skies lovely and dimensional

Glad to see the Arrows are still flying

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Thanks Dave, Chris I used the 5D and the OM-D. The OM-D out shone the 5D in focusing by a huge margin.The 5D I ended up using in manual focus. I am gobsmacked by this little OM-D camera and its abilities, it focused in this situation as if it was built for action photography . Yes I did use the burn and dodge tool on the skies in PP.

 

[Lesley Jones]

What a stunning set Julian. I'm sorry you have some problems and I can understand the one looking up. I have two crushed vertebrae in my neck and anything over a few seconds is difficult. You did well and the results speak for themselves. The red arrows are just superb, but I'm glad you stuck around afterwards - passing the pastie is fantastic. Of course, your processing is spot on as always.

Don't apologise for the length of the post - I'd be in terrible trouble if it was a problem in here!

 

[Hamish Gill]

Great set Julian, really captured the feeling of the day!
I really like the shot of the arrows behind the masts with the chap looking in the opposite direction
completely different to what you expect from a red arrows set ... And that's what makes it!

 

[Dave Cawley]

Some of these are very, very good! Do you have a local weekly paper? If so email 7907, 7870, right crop 266, at 300dpi jpeg compressed and see what happens ?

Regards

Dave

 

[Pete Askew]

Superb series Julian. A great piece of story telling as well as some wonderful set-pieces. I especially like the shot of them streaking down the river and the isolated plane with its pink train is a super shot in its own right.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Thanks all. That was the idea Hamish as there are many more competent photographers than myself for plane events. I do have a 400mm canon L lens but it would be dangerous for anyone around, having me swinging it in the air trying to get a shot.

 

[Paul Lange]

Some really nice images there Julian. I must admit when I saw the title I did think "Yawn, some photos of the Red Arrows with smoke trials again" However, when I saw them and the way you included the guys in the masts and other scenes I was surprised.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Thanks Paul.