Perplexing Propeller Question
Oct 18, 2013 16:34:55 #
Hi Folks,
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
Take-off
Oct 18, 2013 16:37:01 #
Humidity is very high and the fast moving propeller is creating a vapor trail from its tips.
Oct 18, 2013 16:37:10 #
It has to be because the propellor was spinning so much faster than the plane was moving forward. Your shutter speed froze the action on the plane, but it was not fast enough to freeze the propellor.
Oct 18, 2013 16:38:16 #
Yaro wrote:
Hi Folks,
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
I think it's caused by water vapor...the prop is creating vortices much like the wingtips of a jet fighter do......
Oct 18, 2013 16:40:14 #
norvik1943
Loc: Jenks, OK and Domazan, France
Yaro wrote:
Hi Folks,
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
Cool effect regardless of reason. Not often one sees a prop wash like this.
Oct 18, 2013 16:42:11 #
Vapor trail makes sense. But I don't remember the vapor trail being visible to the eye. Is that possible?
Oct 18, 2013 16:47:32 #
Yaro wrote:
Vapor trail makes sense. But I don't remember the vapor trail being visible to the eye. Is that possible?
Its visible, but because it dissipates in a fraction of a second it is seldom noticed by the naked eye and your eye cannot resolve the scene fast enough to see more than just a misty wash with no swirls. You shutter speed was quite fast and froze the prop as well as the vapor trails. I have seen this before with seaplanes in Alaska and Washington, but it takes almost 100% humidity and a very fast shutter to capture it, very hard to do intentionally.
Oct 18, 2013 16:53:16 #
bogeyeliot wrote:
I think it's caused by water vapor...the prop is creating vortices much like the wingtips of a jet fighter do......
You nailed it.
Oct 18, 2013 17:00:30 #
Yaro wrote:
Vapor trail makes sense. But I don't remember the vapor trail being visible to the eye. Is that possible?
Looked at this at 400% and it does look to me that the spinning image is the propeller, not water vapor. I'm no aeronaut, but that's how it looks to me. The edges are hard and distinct and light is reflecting off whatever it is at the top of the spin.
Oct 18, 2013 17:03:20 #
Oct 18, 2013 17:15:17 #
I have to agree that it is water vapor. If the propeller caused it, I would have expected the plane to show a blur as well. Thanks to all of you for your explanations.
Oct 18, 2013 17:18:06 #
By the way, the humidity was very high. It drizzled for half of our trip but we caught our salmon limit and got to see bears feeding on salmon so it was great.
Oct 18, 2013 17:25:53 #
MT Shooter wrote:
Humidity is very high and the fast moving propeller is creating a vapor trail from its tips.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Oct 18, 2013 17:39:01 #
propeller is creating a vacuum around it. get to close in front of it while working on it will blow hat of your head.
Oct 18, 2013 17:45:48 #
Yaro wrote:
Hi Folks,
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
I was fishing in Alaska two months ago and took this picture of one of the fly-in planes taking off. I am puzzled why the propeller shows a trail of about 15 feet while the plane does not. Does anyone know what caused this? The shot was taken at 1/250 of a second. I like the way it looks but want to understand what caused this effect.
Was this strictly a camera thing, or was that visible to the naked eye?
If you want to see something weird, look at what happens when you take a picture of a spinning propeller with an iPhone.
http://www.google.com/search?q=propellers+photographed+with+an+iphone&espv=210&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=HaxhUv3KCvLA4AOSioHQBA&ved=0CC4QsAQ&biw=1680&bih=892
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