'Spotting' is the observation of both civillian and military aircraft. True spotters also log the airlines and tail numbers. Hang out with spotters for a good part of the day and you will hear all of the slang terms applied to what most people see as simply a means of point A to point B.

All of the following shots were taken at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. I refrain from the logging of tail numbers and truth be told, when I started shooting airliners I didn't know a 757 from a 737. But after keeping an eye on them for a little over a year I now have my favorites such as the DC-10 and A330.

The hardest two parts about shooting commercial aircraft are getting something unique and, while in pursuit of doing this, dealing with airport police. The latter can lead to some interesting interactions. But even though it is completely legal to shoot airliners, there is an art to picking one's battles.