JFK 01/15/2012

[MSN007]

This day went on my record book as my coldest day ever despite I came prepared with layer and layers of clothing but it was unbearable. The wind was slaughtering us live. I will never forget this day and how I sacrificed to do what I love to do most.

[NickPeterman]

Thank you Kaz and Steve.

Steve: I know exactly what you mean, hence why you don't see an Emirates 777 shot here from me. Even my ANA shot was barely passable for my tastes. I would love to understand why my Bayswater shots were so trashed as well. Granted I wasn't shooting from the park, as we thought it was locked (didn't see the pedestrian gate that exists apparently). The only thing I could figure is that the island or piece of land between me and the aircraft was radiating heat. any landfills in the area across from Bayswater?

Nick

[steve1840]

Not there, nick, no landfills. I think it may have had to do with just how cold it was and the suns radiant heat being strong enough to cause a difference in temps.

[eric8669]

Thank you Kaz and Steve.

Steve: I know exactly what you mean, hence why you don't see an Emirates 777 shot here from me. Even my ANA shot was barely passable for my tastes. I would love to understand why my Bayswater shots were so trashed as well. Granted I wasn't shooting from the park, as we thought it was locked (didn't see the pedestrian gate that exists apparently). The only thing I could figure is that the island or piece of land between me and the aircraft was radiating heat. any landfills in the area across from Bayswater?

Nick

If you guys were not in the park, where were you shooting from?

Manny will explain the heat haze issue way better then me. Lets just say, Plane over water, Cold air temps, warmer water temps and distance from aircraft all are factors.

[NickPeterman]

We were essentially at the corner of Norton Drive and Westbourne Avenue. We'll just chalk it up to everything you said. At least I got the departure shot of KE on Sunday, as ATC changed runways right before it landed on Monday, much to my dismay

[gonzalu]

If you guys were not in the park, where were you shooting from? Manny will explain the heat haze issue way better then me. Lets just say, Plane over water, Cold air temps, warmer water temps and distance from aircraft all are factors.

Eric is too kind ... Heat Haze is ALWAYS present... just in different amounts. The longer your distance from the subject being photographed, the more compression of all those waves.

On a scientific level, what is really happening is that the surface of the water is really easy to heat up, much easier than say a grassy field, and consequently, a hot tarmac. The heated particles in the surface being heated will raise just as any warm gas will rise above a colder one. Since water is actually also evaporating, it will rise much higher than say the gases emanating from a hot tarmac. As these hot gases rise through and meet with the colder gas (air) above it, it creates turbulence. Very small turbulence but significant enough to cause diffraction in the light traversing through it as it twists and turns on its way up through the colder air. This will literally speed up and slow down light and when you multiply it over distance, it exaggerates the effect to the point where your images are unusable. For a much better explanation and understanding of this and many other Quantum Mechanics and Physics related effects, please read or listen to Richard Feynman, the god of Quantum Mechanics!! His book "QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" should be required reading for humans... but I digress...

[moose135]

Air temperatures in the teens or low 20s, water temperature in the low to mid 30s - just like an asphalt runway/ramp on a hot day, the water is radiating heat into the air above it.

[gonzalu]

BTW from my totally amateurish understanding of the science and theory, a WINDY day should be WORSE than a STILL day. At least on a STILL or CALM winds day, the turbulence effect should be minimized. However, my brain also then throws in the fact that WIND can help dissipate the heated air so it should be clearer. However, I believe the SPEED at which the particles of turbulence are being displaced causes a greater potential for diffraction at higher rates which are easily seen ... When I saw the SIA A380 through my viewfinder, I could actually SEE the heat haze wildly, especially at its edges. I have not seen it that bad that high in a very long time ...

[NickPeterman]

Wow! Thank you all for the quick and detailed replies. That explains a lot!

[megatop412]

I love physics! F(net)=MA FTW!!!

Chemistry, however...

[gonzalu]

William!! Gotta love mass and force :-)

Anyway, here is an example of how bad it was.. .the cheat line is NOT over-sharpened. It is the effect of heat haze combined with interpolation from reduction ... the edge of the fuselage is also pretty bad and actually, almost any straight line has problems. What a disaster it was. Thank goodness this is a daily event now.

[JDANDO]

Great stuff. Looks like China Southern could give Air France a run for dirtiest planes in the air

[NickPeterman]

They definitely could! At least China Eastern's livery has more color to distract you from all the grime