What Could Have Caused This?
May 2, 2015 16:38:32 #
minniev wrote:
The difference in the temp of camera vs plane? Or in the air between me and the plane? This is very interesting. How can I learn more about it? Since I'm accustomed to shooting in hot climate, I'm amazed I've never run into it before. It does look like heat shimmer though a little more blocky than I'd guess it would be. I've taken photos of crop dusters before, and had them come out sharp. I'm trying to understand the variables. I appreciate the science lessons.
Heat rising from the ground between you and the airplane.
May 2, 2015 16:42:50 #
minniev wrote:
The difference in the temp of camera vs plane? Or in the air between me and the plane? This is very interesting. How can I learn more about it? Since I'm accustomed to shooting in hot climate, I'm amazed I've never run into it before. It does look like heat shimmer though a little more blocky than I'd guess it would be. I've taken photos of crop dusters before, and had them come out sharp. I'm trying to understand the variables. I appreciate the science lessons.
This is the same basic concept as mirages in the desert. That air is heated and as it heats it also rises. When it reaches the altitude where the air is colder the heat is pulled out of the air and forms a vapor that then falls back to earth in the form of mist. As this mist falls it is rewarmed and starts to rise again. this is what causes the shimmer and the effect of seeing water ahead of you.
May 2, 2015 16:58:21 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
minniev wrote:
The difference in the temp of camera vs plane? Or in the air between me and the plane? This is very interesting. How can I learn more about it? Since I'm accustomed to shooting in hot climate, I'm amazed I've never run into it before. It does look like heat shimmer though a little more blocky than I'd guess it would be. I've taken photos of crop dusters before, and had them come out sharp. I'm trying to understand the variables. I appreciate the science lessons.
What you have is a type of Schlieren imaging or photography. "Schlieren photography is a visual process that is used to photograph the flow of fluids of varying density. Invented by the German physicist August Toepler in 1864 to study supersonic motion, it is widely used in in aeronautical engineering to photograph the flow of air around objects." (Quote from Wikipedia - I just could not state it better) Think of the "bubbles" of air coming off that field like they were low density marbles and you are shooting through the marbles. With a strong enough breeze, the "bubbles" get broken up and smoothed out no matter what the "heat". That is why the effect is not always seen.
May 2, 2015 17:29:06 #
minniev wrote:
... I'm trying to understand the variables. I appreciate the science lessons.
The stuff we learn on UHH :thumbup: :thumbup:
May 2, 2015 17:38:36 #
There is a theory that the growing of Rape seed (Yellow Fields of it) reduces rainfall in the area by causing strong thermals of heated air. Para gliders have learned to use the thermals from these fields to soar. Perhaps your yellow plane wings extenuate a localized mirage effect. If it was the field that was the cause the effect may have been more widespread
May 2, 2015 17:39:50 #
wdross wrote:
What you have is a type of Schlieren imaging or ph... (show quote)
So someone has done this kind of thing on purpose instead of by accident? How interesting! thanks... I am still wondering if the dusting had something to do with it - if whatever they were spraying was a temperature different from the air. One I shot about an hour later of a duster flying over an area that had no crops to make a turn (and not spraying) did not turn out all shimmery. I guess it could have been the angle or height too...
May 2, 2015 21:46:45 #
JD750 wrote:
That looks to me like the shimmering caused by heated air rising on a hot summer day. It's a common atmospheric phenomenon.
Hot runway surface, cool air. Does look like heat ripples.
May 3, 2015 06:30:05 #
JD750 wrote:
That looks to me like the shimmering caused by heated air rising on a hot summer day. It's a common atmospheric phenomenon.
Yep
May 3, 2015 06:45:25 #
May 3, 2015 06:56:27 #
It's caused by heat effects in the atmosphere and light refraction. Your camera probably can't compensate for this effect.
May 3, 2015 07:00:18 #
minniev wrote:
Took this yesterday and cannot figure out what cou... (show quote)
Ground heating is causing the shimmer.
May 3, 2015 07:40:56 #
I've now googled heat shimmer in photography and found examples that look a lot like this. I'm still astounded I haven't run into it before, simply by accident. Apparently some people try to get this effect deliberately. I even found a tutorial showing how to counteract it in shooting planes by using panning. Thanks to all who helped me learn something new.
May 3, 2015 07:52:14 #
JD750 wrote:
That looks to me like the shimmering caused by heated air rising on a hot summer day. It's a common atmospheric phenomenon.
I agree heat waves, very common.
May 3, 2015 08:11:37 #
I live in the desert in Tucson. There is really no fix for heat waves unless you shoot early in the morning.
May 3, 2015 08:17:15 #
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