Bernard Zee Photography

BZ's picture gallery

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San Francisco Fleet Week 2012

It's time for another action packed adventure that is San Francisco Fleet Week 2012! Not only are there pretty cool shots of the Air show over the SF Bay, there's the parade of ships and Marine weapons display in Alameda as well!
 
Mazapeta and the America's Cup

Had a wonderful time aboard the tug boat USS Mazapeta where we cruised the San Francisco Bay catching the sights and sounds of the America's Cup race.
 
2011 NAS Lemoore Open House

This was my first time to the NAS Lemoore Open House air show, and I was not disappointed! Great traffic and crowd control, wonderful acts, and an overall very enjoyable experience. Situated in the central valley, it's half the distance to LA for me, and totally worth it! Highlights of the show were the F-16 and F-18 tactical demonstration teams, an assortment of WWII warbirds, various aerobatic and wingwalking acts, and of course, the Navy Blue Angels.
 
2011 Salinas Air Show

Had an adventure trying to shoot the 2011 Salinas Air Show from outside the airport. Due to a late start, and road closures, I was lucky to get any pictures at all! Star attractions included the Super Hornet demo team, F-16 Viper West demo team, Sean Tucker in the Oracle Challenger, Red Bull helicopter and the Red Bull flying squirrels (Skydivers in Wingsuits), Tora! Tora! Tora!, and the Canadian Snowbirds.
 
2011 Beale Open House

Lighting was brutal shooting into the sun for much of the show, but I couldn't resist going to the 2011 Beale AFB Open House and air show. Home of the U-2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk, Beale hosted the Thunderbirds, F-15E Strike Eagle demo, A-10 demo, Patriot flight demonstration team, and a bunch of civilian aerobatic acts during this year's Open House.
 
2011 Travis Air Expo

Every 3 years or so, Travis AFB puts on a nice open house air show. Though the high winds that day caused some acts to cancel, it was still a great show with a chance to see a variety of different transports, civilian acts, and of course - the Thunderbirds!
 
2011 San Francisco Fleet Week

This year's San Francisco Fleet Week show was simply spectacular! Because the show area is so huge, there are countless possibilities for pictures. Shooting from a variety of different locations over 4 days, I think I got a few keepers. :-) Just can't go wrong when you get to watch the Blues, Snowbirds, Patriots, B2, Super Hornet, Strike Eagle, all with the San Francisco bay as the background!
 

Military shots

2011 Chino Planes of Fame Air Show
B-17 Aluminum Overcast
Nellis 2010
Littlefield Tanks 2010
2010 San Francisco Fleetweek
2010 California Int'l Airshow
Bovington Tank Museum
USS New Jersey
Chino 2010 Air Show
USCG Helo Ops
Dream Machines at HMB
2010 El Centro Airshow
Edwards AFB Open House
2009 San Francisco Fleetweek
Miramar MCAS air show
2009 CA Capitol Airshow
2009 Seattle SeaFair Blue Angels
Museum of Flight
2009 Collings at Moffett
2009 Chino Planes of Fame
Beale AFB Air Show
Nellis AFB Aviation Nation '08
San Francisco Fleetweek '08
Reno 2008 Air Show
Travis AFB 2008 Air Expo
Chino Planes of Fame Airshow
Collings Foundation
2008 California Capital Air Show
El Centro 2008 Air Show
San Franciso 2007 Fleetweek
2007 Nellis AFB Air Show
WWII Bombers at Moffett Field
Littlefield Tank Collection
Littlefield Tanks Part 2
 

People & Misc shots

USS Potomac cruise
San Francisco Fireworks
Niagara Falls Heli Tour
2010 Chinese New Year Parade
Oakland Holiday Parade
2009 Vegas car show
Zeppelin Eureka
More aerial shots
2009 SF DragonBoat Fest
2009 Seattle Hydroplanes
2009 Seattle SeaFair Lake Party
Model Rockets
Tern Change of Command
Cherry Blossom Festival
Chinese New Year Parade
Winter Break '08
Food
2008 Festival of Sail
2008 New York Int'l. Autoshow
Wintering in Maui
Odds & Ends
 

Wildlife shots

Elephant Seals at San Simeon
Birds in Flight, Gallery 7
CA Lake Birds, Gallery 6
(some) Birds in Flight, Gallery 5
Elephant Seals
Birds in Flight, Gallery 4
Birds in Flight, Gallery 3
Birds in Flight, Gallery 2
(Mostly) Birds in Flight, Gallery 1
 

Some thoughts on photography

I've always loved taking pictures as a way to capture the moment. With the proliferation of digital cameras, everyone is taking pictures! As a result, there's an explosion in the number of pictures posted on the web. The saying that 'Quantity has a quality all its own' (often applied to the Soviet post WWII military) doesn't apply here. Judicious editing is required to select the outstanding examples from the ordinary (or downright bad!). Pictures should tell a story. Too many similar pictures, no matter how well executed, will get boring for the viewer. I myself am guilty of that, but I'm working on it! :-)

Having taken lots of photos does not automatically make one a good photographer. Being able to operate the camera is only a minor aspect of photography. The photographer must understand the subject matter, the light, and how best to compose the shot. It really is an art, though it doesn't garner quite the recognition that other traditional art forms do.

Beyond the technicalities of taking the picture (camera settings, technique, equipment), the most important thing is location. As in real estate, it's all about location, location, location! The photographer who is in the right place at the right time can get amazing shots, while being in the wrong spot means lousy or no shots at all!

Am I a good photographer? I guess that's for others to judge. I do know what I like, and my pictures reflect that bias. They run towards action, and convey a sense of being right there. Photography also allows me to combine my different passions as represented by this gallery. Flying things, and things that go boom...preferably both!

BTW, I'm available for event photography around the San Francisco Bay area. You'd get full rights to the images, and I would charge based on time. Send me an email and we can work out the details!

If you have any comments, drop me a line at: szee1@comcast.net
Thanks!
Bernard Zee