Riveting Photos by Thomas J Bunce

Riveting Photos by Thomas J Bunce

Extremely High Resolution Aircraft Images

Space Shuttle on Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 747 in Mate-Demate Device

I've been overtaken by the need to see more detail!

What does that mean?

It means I'm not satisfied with simple 10 Megapixel jpeg snapshots.

So... I have refined my panoramic photography technique to create ultra high definition photos that are 50, 100, 200, 400 Megapixels or more!

How does one satisfy this need without spending $40,000+ on a medium format camera, lenses and digital back? By stitching anywhere from eight to 300 10 Megapixel images together just like a panorama, but zooming in with a telephoto lens. The details are what I'm after, and it's what I've been practicing the past couple years to get as close to perfect as possible.

I painstakingly capture the individual pictures so that stitching them together into a seamless image is relatively easy. Once printed, these are the most amazingly detailed images that make fantastic poster sized prints. I even went so far as to buy a professional 24" wide format printer to really enjoy these properly. The idea is to also let you buy a print as well. That part is coming soon...

This web site was originally started two days before the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends airshow. As you might imagine, 5000 RAW images equaling 50 GB of data later, I have some fantastic P-51, P-38, P-47, B-17, B-25, and Lancaster Bomber pictures from one of the best airshows I've ever seen.

I returned from the Aviation Nation Air Show at Nellis AFB where I expected to take another huge set of pictures of some of the more modern aircraft, and I did... over 4700! I volunteered with the P-38 National Association and was incredibly fortunate to have been able to take some unique pictures in the early morning and at night.

Update July 11, 2009:

Yes, I am still taking pictures! Since attending Aviation Nation 2007, I've been to many airshows and events where I've managed to take in excess of 180,000 pictures over two and a half years. I've looked back at some of the pictures I took as long ago as Jan 2008 and want to make them better, or just put them together for the first time in many cases...

If I would just stop taking pictures for a year I might be able to get caught up. But... There is always another airshow around the corner, or some major event that I can't help myself from attending. Right now, that would be Thunder Over Michigan 2009 , followed by Train Festival 2009 also in Michigan, Collings Foundation Tour stop at the Indiana Aviation Museum in Valporaiso, IN . Since I'm driving across the country, a stop or two along the way there and back again is called for to see a few locomotives. Kenefick Park Cheyenne Depot Museum

I have learned so much in the past 6 months that I am now comfortable enough to start selling limited edition prints. That will be my priority "real soon!" (Pesky paperwork to fill out...)

Update Nov 8, 2009:

OK, I'm catching up getting this web site updated. Tons of photos to share, first up is one from a Space Shuttle landing at Edwards AFB for processing at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. This is fully Zoomable so you can see all the detail. Have Fun Exploring!

Coming soonish: Cable Airshow 2008 and 2009, ISAP VII (International Society for Aviation Photography), Blue Angels Practice Session at El Centro 2008 and 2009, Warbirds in Action 2008, Planes of Fame Airshow 2008 and 2009, Thunder Over Michigan 2008 and 2009, Indianapolis Airshow 2008, Chicago Airshow 2008, Indiana Aviation Museum, Miramar Airshow 2008, Space Shuttle Landings Nov 2008, May 2009, Sept 2009. And More...!

Click to Enter Gallery of Extremely High Resolution Riveting Photos

Click to Enter Gallery of Zoomable Large Format Riveting Photos

Click to Enter Sneak Preview of New Web Site

Links to Other Aviation Photo and Museum Web Sites

thomas j bunce @ rivetingphotos . com

(sorry about the anti-spam measure, just remove the spaces.)