The Howard 500 is a pretty remarkable corporate sled that has survived for over sixty years. With only a handful built, roughly 22, two flying examples exist that are seen regularly on the airshow circuit. While they were built from the jigs of Lockheed Lodestars and Venturas, the Howard 500 was designed as a new plane not just a modified version of the bombers. With a top speed of over 400mph and a cruise speed of 360mph this big corporate sled can really book it. It’s sleek exterior makes it one pretty plane to admire.
As a photographic challenge when it comes to working a grey and blue plane on a foggy morning at sunrise what do you do for settings? Especially white balance? Do you leave it at auto to bring out more of the blues of the plane and show off the cool air above the ground fog? Do you go to cloudy and really bring out the yellows and oranges? It’s a tough call. It all comes down to the story you are trying to tell and what elements in that story are most important to you. Seeing the dramatic difference in the color temperature I went with cloudy and then brought back the plane in post. Simple to do in ACR.