I took this photo a few years ago at an air show, and I always had the idea to change the background but never got around to it. The other night was going through my old photo backups, looking for hidden treasure, a mediocre image to turn into something interesting. I came across this.
It seems a little under-exposed, but the details are clear and sharp. A few adjustments could brighten and sharpen things up.
I found a cloudy sky background that matched the lighting direction. If the sun is above my fighter plane but to the side of the clouds, it won’t look right. Once cut out and pasted the plane onto the cloud background I blurred the prop blades. It adds to the impression that the plane is flying. This was all done in Pixelmator, a less expensive substitute for Photoshop. A real pro could edit the cockpit canopy closed. I decided to leave it alone.
Next I imported the image into Apple’s Aperture to try some different looks. This is what I came up with:
Artistic Diversions 
This is an amazing edit! It is difficult to get the smooth lines of these planes. I was wondering what air show you took the photo at? Look like a beautiful location.
Thank you for the great photos.
Thank you kateredick! Olympia, WA has a small municipal airport big enough for private jets and smaller planes. They have an annual air show with owners of vintage aircraft and military aircraft from the nearby Fort Lewis and McCord Air Force Base. Nice sky that day, I just had to find a background with the sun at a similar angle (otherwise it would look weird). Thanks for visiting the blog!
Eric