Something Different, Session 3

U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter (Canon XSi).

Today, Tuesday May 19, I shot with both the G9 and the XSi.  I realized how quickly I'd adapted to the XSi.  I love a viewfinder that I can use.  While I was a bit anxious over returning to a viewfinder after having used an LCD monitor for a few years, today I found the LCD wanting.  Regardless, the 7 photos I took with the G9 are just fine.  The 800 I took in an hour and a half with my XSi make me shake my head.  I love my little XSi.

The photo for this entry is of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.  I took this from Daingerfield Island, home of the Washington Sailing Marina.  It was a lucky shot.  They had flown over the marina building five minutes earlier and I'd gotten a few good shots.  On their second pass, they came right overhead.  Thank you guys!!!!!!

There are tendrils of a story that are evolving for my project, and the dominant one is that this is a busy airport.  Today I spoke with a former air traffic controller who used to work in Washington Center (ZDC) in Leesburg.  He confirmed that indeed DCA is a very busy airport, though a bit less chaotic post 9-11 as general aviation aircraft are no longer allowed entry.

Two shooting sessions are planned for tomorrow, one before work and one after.  Next week I'll take one final session inside the airport itself.  It's part of the story.  There may be other sessions, but time will tell.  The TAF, terminal area forecast, for DCA is for winds from the south.  Visibility is 6+ miles, and no significant weather is forecast.  This means I'll have arrivals from the north and departures to the south.  It's perfect.