Flying with Eagles 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Fly along with some F-15 Eagles as they catch a drink from a tanker. I love shots like these on my desktop. It just puts you into another world...
F-14B Tomcat and F/A-18E Super Hornet Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Hard to believe but this shot of the F-14 and F-18 together is a thing of the past. The F-14 is retired and the F-18 now assumes the role.This widescreen background took a generous helping of post-processing to adjust the color and enhance the contrast.
Enjoy.
KC-10 Extender Refueling 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Nice shot of the KC-10 Extender refueling an F-18. The sky color stands out along with the aircraft (looks like a sunset shot).For this wallpaper, I needed to desaturate slightly, boost the contrast, despeckle, and sharpen. It turned out well don't you think?
USAF Thunderbird F-16C 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
We've had the Navy Blue Angels, so now it's time for a great Air Force Thunderbird widescreen desktop background.The colors are this shot were originally muted but with some slight saturation and contrast correction, this shot came to life. Did you know that back in the day, they used to use car wax on the paint scheme to make it shine?
P-51 Mustang 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Here's an artistic interpretation on a P-51 Mustang shot I took at a Nellis AFB airshow back in 2003. Think of it as modern art ... :)
C-17 Globemaster III 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Here's a great close-up shot of the C-17. This USAF cargo aircraft has a unique feature called "propulsive lift". Basically, those big turbofans blow exhaust into the large flaps to increase lift and lower stall speed.
C-17 Globemaster 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
This picture has great framing. Looking out the back of the C-17, you see the load master in the foreground looking at three other C-17s in formation behind him. The shot makes you feel like you are riding along in the back.Standard processing.
Navy F-18C Cat Launch 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Next best thing to being there, check out this cat launch shot of an F-18C Hornet. I worked on flightlines in my USAF career, but this must be quite a rush.
F-16C Falcon Pilot 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
I remember seeing this photo before and found it again. I had to turn it into a widescreen wallpaper. It's a classic pilot photo made dramatic by the rows of other F-16s and their gold tinted canopies.Cropped it to 1680 and then adjusted the exposure and contrast. Some slight saturation and sharpening and it's finished. Great photo.
The CH-46 Sea Knight 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-14A Tomcat Carrier Afterburner 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Here's a great twilight shot of an F-14A Tomcat in full afterburner just about to launch from a carrier. The picture says it all.Widescreen crop with saturation and sharpening. It's sad these great fighters are now retired.
F/A-18F Super Hornet High Speed Pass 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
High speed shots are notoriously hard to capture with a camera. So many things can go wrong with the shot. Here's a great shot of an F-18F (Two seat) Super Hornet. High speed condensation is a beautiful thing.This shot required some post-processing finesse. The challenge is always adding just the right amount of contrast to make the subject pop. Enjoy!
Blue Angels F/A-18C Four Ship Cockpit View 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
This shot lets you fly along in the cockpit with the United States Navy Blue Angels. The Blue Angels fly F/A-18C Hornets painted in the famous blue and gold. I'd love to get a ride with these guys.The photo required adjustments in levels and contrast. I added a slight saturation and sharpening to finish it off.
F-15E Strike Eagle Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
The F-15E Strike Eagle is an amazing evolution of the F-15C air superiority fighter. Affectionately called by some the "Mud Hen" this bird packs an incredible load of high tech weapons and a sophisticated radar suite.This shot is vivid and shows some great aircraft detail. Most of the processing work was confined to saturation, contrast, and sharpening.
Top Down F-16C Falcon 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Amazing shot here of an F-16C during refueling. The top down perspective and the beautiful engineering of the F-16 come together perfectly.Someone asked me recently if I do anything to the wallpapers before posting them. The answer is "yes" I do.
Here's a brief working outline of what I'm doing.
1. I review hundreds of photos and pick the ones with the highest scores for composition, lighting, subject, etc.
2. I make artistic decisions about where and how much to crop.
3. I resize all images to 1680 x 1050.
4. I adjust image levels, contrast, saturation.
5. I apply sharpening (if needed).
6. I apply filters (if needed).
7. I apply various advanced processing techniques on "artistic" wallpapers.
Each wallpaper is a mini-work of art.
F/A-18C Hornet Pilot 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Pilots get to wear the greatest flight suits and gear. This shot is an excellent close-up of a Hornet driver. The carrier tower in the background adds great atmosphere.Cropped it to 1680, adjusted levels, boosted contrast, added some saturation, and finished it with slight sharpening.
F-16C Aggressor 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Here's a great desktop background of an F-16C Aggressor. I love that blue/grey camo pattern. The F-16 is one of my favorites.Standard crop to 1680 and adjustments to levels, contrast, and saturation.
F18 Super Hornet 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
I decided to have a little fun with today's widescreen desktop wallpaper. I tried to make it look more "poster" style and I think it turned out "ok".If anything, I hope it inspires you to be more creative in what you do. If you don't go outside your current boundaries, you'll never grow...
Enjoy!
Fly With A C-17 Crew 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Here's a great high-res shot of a C-17 Globemaster III cockpit. I particularly like the Heads-up displays and joysticks. Wish I was there...
P-51D F-16C F-15C and A-10 Four Ship Formation Over New York 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Rare shot of a four-ship line abreast formation of the finest US aircraft. The aircraft and the New York city backdrop make for a spectacular wallpaper.This shot required some work. The exposure and color hue were off. After making corrections, I added some saturation and sharpened it.
F/A-18C Afterburner 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-18C Widescreen Desktop Background.Great tail shot of an F-18 doing a full afterburner carrier takeoff.
After the standard widescreen crop, the shot required more work with levels and contrast to finish it. A slight saturation boost and sharpening and it was finished.
AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Great artistic shot here of a US Army AH-64A Apache helicopter. Definitely my favorite U.S. chopper. Anyone remember playing Jane's Apache Longbow? The good ole days.Enjoy!
F-4 Phantom 4 Ship Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
The F-4 Phantom Widescreen Desktop Background.Here's a rare photo. Not only is it a four-ship formation of Phantoms, it also shows some of the different paint schemes the aircraft has had over its life span.
Cropped it to 1680 and did minor adjustments. If you love Phantoms, you'll enjoy it.
F-15C Eagle Afterburner 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-15C Eagle Widescreen Desktop Background.Pure power on this one. The shot is spot on in focus and you can almost feel the 50,000 lbs of thrust.
Not much to do on this one. Cropped to 1680 and then adjusted saturation, contrast, and sharpened.
You'll love it.
WC-130J Weather Recon Cockpit 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
With all the hurricanes going on the Gulf of Mexico, these guys are pulling hard duty flying weather recon missions. This WC-130J aircraft is specially modded with extra fuel tanks so their missions can last 11 - 14 hours!They do a great job so hats off to them!
Artistic F-22 Raptor 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Here's a great shot of an F/A-22 Raptor right after takeoff. The wallpaper design incorporates a few artistic filters and gives the final product a unique look. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks it rocks... Thoughts?
USAF HH-60 Pave Hawk Helicopter 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
HH-60 Widescreen Desktop Background.Next best thing to being there, this shot puts you in the cockpit of an HH-60 Pave Hawk (modified Sikorsky Blackhawk). Typically used in the CSAR function (Combat Search and Rescue).
Cropped it 1680, brought up the exposure, bumped the contrast, added some saturation, and finished with some sharpening.
F-15 and F-16 Aggressor Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-15 and F-16 Widescreen Desktop Backgrounds.Back when I was at Nellis AFB, the Aggressor squadron used to fly F-5s. I was there just as they transitioned to F-16's. When I saw this amazing shot, I couldn't believe my eyes. The Aggressors are now flying F-15s!
The shot immerses you and gives a great feeling of "being there". The color schemes on these jets are unique to USAF aircraft.
This shot took a little more work than usual. The original shot was dark and I had to really be careful about blowing out highlights. Cropped it to 1680 and did the standard adjustments. I think the end product is outstanding.
C-17 Globemaster Cockpit 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
C-17 Widescreen Desktop Background.For those of us that love flying, action shots from inside the cockpit are awesome. The C-17 cockpit design allows for some great shots like this one.
Standard work here. Cropped it to 1680, adjusted levels, contrast, saturation, and sharpened.
F-35A Joint Strike Fighter 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-35A JSF Widescreen Desktop Background.Not many quality pictures around yet of the F-35 series of planes, but this fighter jet will be the backbone of the USAF, USN, and USMC (along with other nations) for years to come.
This photo took some work as the color tones and exposure were off. The end product turned out nicely. Cropped it to 1680, adjusted exposure, saturation, contrast, applied a photo filter, and some sharpening.
F-16C Fighting Falcon 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-16C Widescreen Desktop Background.Another stunning shot with great lighting and subject. The F-16 is one of the best looking planes ever.
The picture was cropped to 1680 with levels, contrast, saturation, and sharpness adjusted.
F-15E Strike Eagle Black and White 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-15E Strike Eagle Widescreen Desktop Background.Color shots are great but sometimes you can add a completely new take by going black and white. I think this interpretation is powerful and believe you'll agree with me.
Shot is cropped to 1680 and converted to black and white. Levels and contrast were enhanced with one round of mild sharpening.
Please leave a comment if you like this black and white wallpaper.
F/A-22 Raptor Solo 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F/A-22 Raptor Widescreen Desktop Background.The Raptor is amazingly photogenic from certain angles. You'll love this wallpaper.
For this background, I offset the crop to give more space on the left for your desktop icons. The shot required only minimal work.
F-16C Falcon Cockpit Formation 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-16C Widescreen Desktop Wallpaper.In cockpit shots are some of my favorites. I flew in an F-16B model once and this is as close as I'll get to being there again. This shot has a formation of Falcons out over the Florida coast. Do you recognize what is under the pylon on the right wing station 7? Answer below.
Standard work here. Crop to 1680, adjust the levels, contrast, saturation, color, and sharpening. I also flipped it horizontally to allow for better placement of your desktop icons (which are typically on the left).
Answer from above: travel pod.
AC-130 Spectre Gunship 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
I've nicknamed this photo "A Flare For The Dramatic". Here we have an AC-130 Spectre showing off its countermeasure prowess. Impressive display but I'm sure the ground support troops aren't happy with having to replace all those flare canisters.
Carrier CVN-74 USS John C. Stennis 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
CVN-74 John C. Stennis Widescreen Wallpaper.Nuclear powered carriers are man-made marvels. The Stennis is a beautiful ship and this picture makes a great wallpaper.
The original was slightly underexposed so I worked the exposure levels and boosted the contrast.
F-14D Tomcat On Carrier 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-14D Widescreen Wallpaper. The morning fog and steam combine to create an eerie, mesmerizing effect. I love it. The F-14D is on the carrier waiting to be launched and looking ready to kill.
The primary work on this picture was to crop it, adjust levels, and contrast.
F-16 Before and After Video
Here's an example of how a really bad original photo can be turned into a great shot using some techniques in Photoshop. Simple things can have a profound effect. This shot required using a photo filter to correct the color imbalance. After that, adjusting the exposure levels, contrast, saturation finished it.
UAE F-16E Afterburner Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
I love the F-16E. Can't believe we don't have a bunch of these in the USAF. This beautiful aircraft flies under the banner of the United Arab Emirates. Practically no drag penalty either for those over-wing conformal tanks. Bad to the bone.
A-10 Warthog 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
A-10 Warthog Widescreen Wallpaper.Ugly, slow, but dreaded, the A-10 is one bad looking plane. It also sports a kick-ass GAU-8 30 MM cannon. This shot includes my favorite nose art on the plane.
I cropped it slightly, adjust the levels down a notch and boosted the contrast. Add a little saturation and sharpening and you get an excellent wallpaper.
CV-22 Tiltrotor 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpapers
USAF CV-22 Tiltrotor Widescreen Wallpaper.Great shot with an excellent background of rustic mountains and trees. Take a look at the colors.
Original shot was dull with too much mountain. I cropped it and adjusted the levels and contrast. The shot really popped with an increase in saturation. I added some sharpening to finish it off.
CV-22 Osprey and MH-53 Pave Low Special Operations Aircraft 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
Excellent photo of the CV-22 Osprey in formation with a MH-53 Pave Low helicopter. The Osprey will replace the Pave Low in special operations duty. These aircraft are based out of Hurlburt Field in Florida.View Larger Map
Rafale M 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
French Rafale M (Marine) Widescreen Wallpaper.The Rafale is sweet looking plane. This shot is from a recent deployment with the United States Carrier Enterprise. Photo is sharp with good color. Nice sense of motion as well.
Cropped to 1680 and minor level adjustment. Added some contrast and saturation. Finished it with some sharpening.
F-15D Cockpit 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper
F-15D 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper.In cockpit shots are some of my favorites. This shot just off Hawaii gives a sense of the beauty pilots get to see on a daily basis. Makes me wish I was there.
Shot is cropped to 1680. The exposure is a little high so it took some level adjustments to bring it down. Adjusted contrast and gave it a slight saturation boost. Finished it with some sharpening.
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