Got Vape?

Written By Chris Malone

Anyone that follows me knows that Aircraft and Airshow photography is my favorite subject to capture. This year I attended two Oregon airshows, one in Hillsboro and another in McMinnville. Both airshows were great, each having its strengths. The Hillsboro show in May featured and all female list of acts and performers. I really loved the message it sent to both girls and boys, letting them know they can make their dreams of flying come true. McMinnville hosted the second Oregon Airshow in August with the USAF Thunderbirds being the headlining act! The humidity and heat were perfect for creating Vape on the fast moving aircraft! I took some of my best “Vape” shots ever, it was fantastic!

Photos from the Hillsboro Oregon Airshow - May 2022

As I mentioned above, the heat and humidity for the McMinnville show was absolutely perfect for creating Vapor on the fast movers! McMinnville is also the home of the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, which in turn houses the one and only Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes near the ending of World War II. My family spent the day after the airshow at the nearby Evergreen Wings & Waves Waterpark, which is incredibly unique, with a full-size Boeing 747 on top of the building with four different water slides originating from within the aircraft’s fuselage. We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at the airshow and visit to the cooling water park! In the past few years, the Oregon Airshow has been relocated to McMinnville due to safety concerns that impact larger formation flying around construction currently on-going around Hillsboro, this mostly impacts acts such as the USAF Thunderbirds and US Navy Blue Angels. Unfortunately McMinnville is a smaller airport and doesn’t allow larger aircraft or jet teams to land there, for that reason it was great to see another show held at Hillsboro this year.

Photos from the McMinnville Oregon Airshow - August 2022

I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s sampling of Airshow shots, as always, I’ll post ‘em when I get them. Thanks for subscribing and following me and my photography! - Chris

Chris Malone

Raised on the Oregon Coast, I'm a professional photographer and pixel artist, living and playing in Coos Bay, Oregon part of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

I have a beautiful wife, four children and four grandchildren. I’ve served my country as a helicopter mechanic and crewchief on flight status in the U.S. Army both active duty, and later in the Oregon Army National Guard. I am also a veteran of the first Gulf War. I love learning about photography and love to be outdoors with my camera. I’m also a sci-fi/computer geek and love military history and anything to do with aviation and airplanes!

My interest in photography dates to my childhood, and as a teenager during the 80's Heavy Metal music scene I helped a high school friend photograph concerts and events with metal bands of the era. As a young adult in the U.S. Army, I had to retreat some from film photography due to the costs of developing and raising a young family, but in the late 90's I rekindled my passion for photography with digital point and shoot cameras.

One of my childhood interests has always been aviation, and the love of flying. In 2009, a friend let me borrow a DSLR for a trip to an air show. I had always hoped to one day be able to break the bonds of a point and shoot and reach out and capture those beautiful aircraft up close. I did just that and the photos I took brought tears to my eyes with joy, which led to my first Nikon DSLR purchase. My story continues from there with that passion growing very seriously in 2010.

I’m active member of the Oregon Coast Photographer's Association or "OCPA" and have served on the board of directors and has performed the duties of Secretary and President. Being in a social camera club like the OCPA has been a wonderful experience for me, and I recommend every photographer find a group or club to get involved with. The collective experience of the group is an invaluable tool and wealth of knowledge for any photographer to learn from.

My photography has been published in Landscape Photography Magazine, Oregon Live, and has won numerous awards, ribbons and mentions within the OCPA Camera Club, Coos County Fair, Columbia Council of Camera Clubs, and the Nature Photographers of the Pacific Northwest. I have also had my work on display at the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the Pony Village Mall in North Bend, Oregon, and several businesses around the south coast of Oregon.

Living in the Pacific Northwest and on the Oregon Coast is a true blessing for any photographer. It affords an almost endless variety of shooting locations and subject matter. I enjoy my surroundings and I love to get outdoors and explore new locations as well as revisit old familiar ones. I can often be seen out with fellow photographers during my free time with camera in hand, and I would love for you to say hi if you see me out and about.

https://www.chrismalonephotography.com
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