In 2021, I went to Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3 to photograph the airliners. Though it was my first time, I wasn’t disappointed. Photographing the planes was a lot of fun. It was so much fun that I decided to go again.
My first time at Haneda Airport wasn’t perfect. The photos had overcast skies. This time, I wanted to see blue. My other goal was to catch the airliners landing in the early evening. Those pictures were my ultimate target. Yes, I set my sights high.
I admit that I am still in the learning phase here. There are so many things about plane photography (i.e., plane spotting) I don’t know. One of the most important is composition.
In these photos, most airliners have buildings, other planes, or bridges behind them. The subject is not isolated. Most shots are side-on. This has motivated me to check out locations outside the airport grounds. I want places that will allow me to take the type of photos I want. In other words, I need more angles.
I’ve visited some new sites since I took these photos. There are parks like Jonanjima and Keihinjima Tsubasa. They are good. You’ll find links to those places below.
Let’s get back to the main topic! I shot from Terminal 3 again. I should apologize, but I won’t! The reason for that was before moving to a new spot, I wanted to get some nice pictures from Haneda. I got them. Some nice clouds came out to play, with patches of sunlight and blue sky. Doing it one more time was a good idea.
At the moment, I’m enjoying plane spotting and airliners very much. As the year progresses and the weather cools, I should see improvement. Photography is all about practice.
Why do I like to photograph these airliners so much? Their lines are beautiful. During takeoffs and landings, they are graceful and powerful. And it is always a thrill seeing one of them in some special livery.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. And if you are into aircraft photography, maybe you could leave us some tips. One last thing, if you know some good plane-spotting websites, please tell us!
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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