# Goldfinger.  P-51 Mustang. page 2 more added



## zulu42 (Mar 17, 2020)

Thanks for looking. critique valued

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## Jeff15 (Mar 18, 2020)

Good set.......


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## photoflyer (Mar 18, 2020)

How can one critique a photo of a P-51?  She's like a supermodel: she makes every photo look good!


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## zulu42 (Mar 18, 2020)

Jeff15 said:


> Good set.......



Thanks Jeff



photoflyer said:


> How can one critique a photo of a P-51?  She's like a supermodel: she makes every photo look good!



Very true, although I nearly blew my opportunity. I was shooting my 150-600mm lens at 1/200 with no VC(forgot which mode is for panning at the critical moment) and only one pass to get it right. Fired a burst, and only this one was in almost acceptable focus.


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## tirediron (Mar 18, 2020)

Anyone that would paint up a P51 like that would wear feathers to his mother’s funeral.  Great images of an amazing aircraft, but that finish.... ugh!


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## zulu42 (Mar 18, 2020)

tirediron said:


> Anyone that would paint up a P51 like that would wear feathers to his mother’s funeral.  Great images of an amazing aircraft, but that finish.... ugh!



Hmmm, eye of the beholder I guess. It is a race plane, so appropriately flashy IMO. Maybe it isn't apparent that the only paint on the airplane is the gold, and a little black, and the lettering. The bulk of the fuselage is highly polished aluminum with a mirror finish.


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## photoflyer (Mar 18, 2020)

zulu42 said:


> Very true, although I nearly blew my opportunity. I was shooting my 150-600mm lens at 1/200 with no VC(forgot which mode is for panning at the critical moment) and only one pass to get it right. Fired a burst, and only this one was in almost acceptable focus.



Ironic. Same thing happened to me last evening.  Out shooting the local Osprey (bird) when some ducks took flight.  I was lucky to get the shot and my wife says it is the best bird shot yet.   Still, no P-51.


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## Derrel (Mar 18, 2020)

Shot number two may not be in "really sharp" Focus, but it is a panning shot and the feeling of movement is quite palpable. I think you got enough Focus to make the shot work.


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## jcdeboever (Mar 18, 2020)

Very kool...


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## jcdeboever (Mar 18, 2020)

tirediron said:


> Anyone that would paint up a P51 like that would wear feathers to his mother’s funeral.  Great images of an amazing aircraft, but that finish.... ugh!



I just painted a brand new Charger with the mirror chrome finish. I hate painting it but I know how to do it well and get paid pretty good to do it. Its a PITA...


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## Derrel (Mar 18, 2020)

So, back to the finish on this P-51. I don't think it's actually paint, but it's polished aluminum. Right? About 15 years ago there was a B-17 (???) fly over here and I got a few photos of a beautiful vintage aircraft with this same basic finish, which looked to me like highly polished aluminum which had been buffed to a fare-thee-well. Isn't that what this P-51 is finished in? I know about chrome paint, as a lot of Pacific Northwest fishing tackle is painted in Chrome paint and it looks quite good and is highly reflective and is mirror-like but this plane is polished aluminum, correct?


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## jcdeboever (Mar 18, 2020)

Derrel said:


> So, back to the finish on this P-51. I don't think it's actually paint come but it's polished aluminum. Right? About 15 years ago there was a B-17 (???) fly over here and I got a few photos of a beautiful vintage aircraft with this same basic finish, which looked to me like highly polished aluminum which had been buffed to a fare-thee-well isn't that what this P-51 is finished in? I know about chrome paint, as a lot of Pacific Northwest fishing tackle is painted in Chrome paint and it looks quite good and is highly reflective and is mirror-like but this plane is polished aluminum, correct?



It probably is, like they used on those Air streams.  Done that as well, we would polish the crap out of them, metal prep, invisible alodine, then put a polyurethane enamel clearcoat on them. Stupid money...


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## K9Kirk (Mar 19, 2020)

Nice set. To me, the lack of focus sort of blends in with the blur produced by the panning so it doesn't have quite as much a negative affect. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that all P51 Mustangs are made of aluminum and most are polished, the paint jobs on them are what vary. I think the paint job on this one is done well but I'm not crazy about gold schemes on certain things and this is one of them, it looks a little too, "Pimp My Ride-ish". I like blue on silver better and I know how everyone cares so much about 'my opinion' so I'll stop right there.


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## zulu42 (Mar 19, 2020)

Thanks all! I feel lucky I got the shot. 1/200 at 400mm isn't exactly a recipe for sharpness! I was planning to get shots with higher shutter speed on his next pass, but he never made another pass.

Anyway,


Derrel said:


> this plane is polished aluminum, correct?



Yes


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## K9Kirk (Mar 19, 2020)

zulu42 said:


> Thanks all! I feel lucky I got the shot. 1/200 at 400mm isn't exactly a recipe for sharpness! I was planning to get shots with higher shutter speed on his next pass, but he never made another pass.
> 
> Anyway,
> 
> ...



Yep, 1/200th is maybe good enough to freeze syrup on a pancake.


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## zulu42 (Mar 19, 2020)

Adding some other shots and edits and such

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## zulu42 (Mar 24, 2020)

Just to toot my own horn a little: I posted shot #2 on Flightaware which has an extremely active aviation photos section. Among hundreds of photos, my shot reached second place ranking by votes for the week with 2400 views and 50 votes with a 4.72 average vote.


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