photographer
It's almost a year since the pandemic started and it's starting to look like 2021 will be yet another year without much traveling or events. As an aviation photographer it's quite problematic as we're dependent on airshows to be able to organize big air to air projects. In 2020 I realized I will have to… Continue reading SHOOTING THE GTC FOR MERCEDES-AMG
It's December 2020 and we're in lockdown 2.0. Although it's much more relaxed than the first time, it's still not possible to do basically anything. To top things off our world trip for 2021 is already cancelled. I'm still hoping to be able to do a couple of air to air projects in the summer… Continue reading GOING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES
I've always been an aviation kind of guy. Cars interest me in an aesthetic way, but that's about it. I've done a couple of automotive shoots over the past years and I have really come to enjoy it. So I was happy when I was contacted by Mercedes AMG Belgium if I would be interested… Continue reading SHOOTING FOR MERCEDES AMG
A couple of weeks ago I had an unexpected last minute shoot with a friends Bentley Continental GT3-R. I was very lucky to have a camera with me and a spare battery (Fujifilm batteries do not tend to last very long). GEAR I had the 18-135 and the 35mm with me and ended up using… Continue reading BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT3-R
Compare the two images below and there is no doubt that the second image is better in every way possible. The first one just doesn't have that extra punch that the second one does have. (I do realize I should have worked the shadow behind his head away. I can't stop noticing it.) It happens… Continue reading SHAPING AN IMAGE; SELECTIVE EDITING
With Corona turning 2020 into the year of cancellations, I found it to be a good time to look back at my photo work. I already edit some old photos from travels, but now I also took the time to go through 13 years worth of aviation photos and a decade worth of air to… Continue reading TURNING A DECADE WORTH OF PHOTOS INTO A BOOK – PART I
Although myself and everyone I know are still healthy, Corona still pretty much fucked up my year. Since all airshows are cancelled so are all the photo flying projects in July. So instead of flying in the UK for two weeks, I'll be sitting at home. And also my trip around the world in July-August… Continue reading RE-EDITING OLD PHOTOS DURING CORONA QUARANTINE
Last blogpost I made was about shooting with a Kodak Disposable camera. That post focussed on what I learned and some of the experiences I had shooting with the camera. This one will focus on editing the scanned film. The editing is done in Lightroom and as you can see in the videos below it… Continue reading HOW I EDIT SCANNED FILM IN LIGHTROOM
A couple of months ago I saw an advertisement for a Kodak Funsaver disposable camera. It was priced at 11 euros and because it seemed cheap I ordered one. Except for Polaroid I never photograph with anything else than digital cameras, so I was excited to see how I would like this. Of course these… Continue reading WHAT I LEARNED SHOOTING A DISPOSABLE CAMERA
There are only a handful of jet types I still wish to see flying next to me and the Sukhoi 27 has been on that list for a very long time. But last September, as a member of the Aviation Photocrew, I finally got my opportunity to photograph this big jet! Since the opportunity arose during… Continue reading AIR TO AIR SHOOT WITH THE SU-27
There's nothing so exciting in aviation photography as getting close to the planes. And no matter how much fun it is to stand between jets, it is more fun to have one on your wing. I had the luck to do air to air photo shoots for the last 10 years and even though it's… Continue reading STAYING CREATIVE IN AIR TO AIR PHOTOGRAPHY
In this series I'll post videos that show how I edit my photos. In this first short clip I show some very basic editing. Depending on the interest I'll post more of these that show more of the complex edits (selective editing, retouching, etc). First one is from a recent bike shoot. https://youtu.be/Et7yxOCf2sQ Thoughts,… Continue reading HOW I EDIT #1
Index Disclaimer Museums vs. airports vs. airshows It's not about what you know, but who you know Gear Settings What to shoot Lighting Air to air photography Editing Making money Disclaimer Every now and then I get asked on social media about photography and especially my aviation photography. From the gear I use to what… Continue reading A GUIDE TO AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY
Instagram stories has been around for a few years now and you can't open the app without having new stories to watch. Some people seem to have understood what Instagram stories are all about and made it their own, creating interesting series or using it in an entertaining way. I may not be one of… Continue reading 3 WAYS TO MAKE BETTER INSTAGRAM STORIES
I regularly get asked about the tones and colour grading in my images or how I edit my photos. A big part of the answer lays in my usage of presets. Even today a lot of people still don't know what presets are; what they have to offer; how you can make them or where… Continue reading PRESETS EXPLAINED
Imagine campervanning through Scotland for two weeks and having to carry a Macbook Pro with you, only to be able to post some Instagram stories. Or imagine not being able to provide a photo to a pilot or display team for their social media because you can only send it after editing on your laptop… Continue reading 2 BEST APPS FOR EDITING ON YOUR PHONE
Giel Sweertvaegher 