I can’t remember the last time one of the helicopters woke me up. This morning that streak was broken at 05:14.

I’m not sure why, but the typically quieter EC-135 helicopter woke me straight up out of a deep sleep. I’m sure it was a deep sleep since I was somewhere off in dream land, and suddenly finding myself looking at the helicopter’s spot light as it landed. Why, or why.. on my day off, did it wake me up at 5 AM?

All was not lost though. A project idea I’d been toying with for some time, could be tried. Some long time exposures of the helicopters arriving and departing the hospital.

Catching them in time to get landing shots, that’s going to take quite a bit of luck (they are fast, and often you can’t hear them until they are on final). However, grabbing some photos of take-offs only requires some patience. This time, it was almost an hour of poking around the house waiting for them to leave. But when they do, it’s all business. I typically have 2-3 minutes (maybe less) to get setup after they fire up the engines.

While waiting I tested out some exposures, macro and zoom shots, different white balance settings, ISO and apertures. When you have an hour to kill, this is not so hard.

First shots were to bracket the time, exposure and ISO settings:

Finally, at 6:00AM they fired up the engines and prepared to depart. Interior of the helicopter is light with bright blue light, which is visible in this photo, and also to the naked eye. I’d always thought that night aviation lighting was red, especially since blue light has a wavelength that is more difficult for the eye to focus upon. Perhaps there is a light barrier between the medical section and the cockpit.

This one I cropped at a different aspect ratio to provide a little more perspective. Sort of a ‘lone helicopter in the night’ sort of shot. Not really that ‘lonely’ looking on top of a brightly lit hospital. It’s a first set of shots to see what I can learn.

Finally, The Shot. Or really, the concept s shot I was going for. It did not turn out as I had expected, but I was still pleasantly surprised at the result. I opened the shutter right as the pilot pulled pitch, and the heli started to lift off. It remained open until well after it was out of frame. Typically they have on a spot light on during takeoff, but I did not see, nor the the camera capture one this time. I don’t know what it might have looked like (blown out photo, perhaps), if it had been on. Regardless, it’s close to what I was going for. If you put on a tin-foil hat and listen to Art Bell, you might think this is an alien landing. Use your imagination as you see fit.