Want To Send Us A Photograph?
If you’re thinking about sending a photograph to Vintage Airplane, we’d appreciate it if you’d follow these pointers.
All photographs must be sharp, with the main subject in clear focus. If it’s not in focus in the photographic print or slide, no amount of production magic on our part can make it usable for magazine reproduction. The same holds true for the exposure of the print. If it’s over- or underexposed, we can’t fix it. If it has problems like this, we simply can’t publish it. Here’s our list of acceptable photograph formats, in order of preference:
A. 35 mm slides on 100 ASA or lower film
B. 4-by-6-inch or larger prints from 35 mm or larger negatives
C. Digital photographs-The digital file directly from the camera should support a file that is 300 dpi at a photo size of 4-by-6 inches. That does not mean that a low-resolution file can simply be re-sized to the larger size-the file must be a high-resolution image for us to use it in a magazine. Since prints from digital printers vary so widely in quality, we prefer not to use them for publication, unless they are printed with at least 300 dpi resolution on a high quality photo inkjet or dye sublimation printer, using photo paper appropriate for the printer. Prints made on regular inkjet paper are not suitable for reproduction.
To help you take a great picture of your airplane, here are some tips to make it look its best:
1. Shoot your photos early in the morning or later in the day. Our favorite times are during the “golden hour” after sunrise or before sunset. Avoid midday, as the harsh shadows of noontime sun can obscure details. Keep the sunlight on the nose and side of the airplane. Facing the sun at about a 45-degree angle seems to work well.
2. Clean the airplane. Even a coating of dust can make it look drab.
3. Put away any accessories such as fueling steps or ladders. Keep the background clean. When you’re shooting the airplane, avoid including other objects or people. Be mindful of background landscape items such as airport antennae or control towers-in a photo, they can appear to grow from your airplane. The same holds true for people standing behind the airplane-your fuselage may sprout feet!
4. Keep the horizon level in the viewfinder.
5. Use a separate shot if you want to highlight people. If a person is next to the airplane, please don’t show them leaning on the prop.
6. Don’t have the engine running and no one in the cockpit!
7. Take a number of photos, and send us a selection of in-focus, properly exposed slides or prints. Send them to:
EAA
Vintage Airplane
P.O. Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
E-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org