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How to spin the propeller


If you are creating a photograph of a propeller-driven craft in flying state, and forgot to spin the propeller, then it is an unforgiven sin. But how to turn it? should it be spinned physically while taking the photo?
Of course not. It will be troublesome to physically spin the propeller, imagine if it is a model of a four-engined aeroplane.
The original photograph is a static, no propeller was moving. It will be turned digitally in the computer.
Now let see the following example.
This is a 1/48 scale P-51D Mustang, a propeller-driven fighter plane. Photographed from its rear-end, its propeller is clearly shown.
This photo will be super-imposed with a background photo of a blue sky to illustrate the 1948's Thomas Mantell incident.
This is the image after super-imposing. (cropped to highlight the propeller section)
Although everything has been done perfectly, but one thing is still not there, and it is the most important of all: the propeller.
A propeller-driven aircraft will obviously spin its propeller to be airborne. Therefore, to mimic the real situation, the photo shall also show a spinning propeller.

Below is the final image. The propeller had been spinned (using computer software).
The process was done using motion blur filter.
To view the detailed steps on creating this spinning propeller, please click here:
Details of the propeller spinning process

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