Air Show Photography

ab2012

ab2012

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alan
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Recommended lenses and techniques.Hoping to go to Duxford flying day in May.Photo examples appreciated plus what you used to take them.Thanks.
 
Last year I took a 450d and 55-250 to Waddington, got some I was well pleased with;


IMG_3406 by mark_mullen, on Flickr


IMG_2814 by mark_mullen, on Flickr


IMG_2915 by mark_mullen, on Flickr

Etc.

These were taken shutter priority, between 1/500 and 1/800, ISO100, servo AF in JPEG (the 450d wasn't the fastest frame rate so shot in jpeg for speed).
 
ab2012 said:
Recommended lenses and techniques.Hoping to go to Duxford flying day in May.Photo examples appreciated plus what you used to take them.Thanks.
Click to expand...

What camera/lenses do you have at the moment?
 
ab2012 said:
Recommended lenses and techniques.Hoping to go to Duxford flying day in May.Photo examples appreciated plus what you used to take them.Thanks.
Click to expand...

Last year I used a 1D3 and a Sigma 120-300 f2.8 with 1.4x TC which worked pretty well. I've since had to downgrade so this year will be using a 7D and Sigma 150-500...

For jets you want to get your shutter speed as high as you dare, for anything with a prop you want a slower shutter speed to blur the prop. I still had too high a shutter last year so will be trying lower this year.

Couple of sets here, sadly the weather for RIAT was really poor :(

RIAT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jj_glos/sets/72157624530501036/

RIAT 2010 by jj_glos, on Flickr

Kemble: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jj_glos/sets/72157624198923791/

Seafire by jj_glos, on Flickr
 
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All good advice so far. One thing I would add is don't forget to soot some of planes on the ground. Closeups can work really well for planes if you can get close enough.

Mark, that Tornado shot is a real beauty. Love the fire out the back!
 
100-400 gets good reviews - anything in that longer range will do well. As Andy says don't forget the planes on the ground too :)

Arrows-1.jpg
 
100-400 was ideal for me on a 1D3 and 7D at Biggin Hill last year. I used the full range of focal lengths available, although 400mm was favourite. IS was handy too, with sharp hand held shots at 1/30 for choppers.

I've not been to Duxford.
 
I think that usually at airshows the closing speed towards the camera is not that fast, and given the distance involved not much of an issue at all for any AF system. It's only on the odd occasion when maybe jets are making a beeline straight towards you and closing in that it could get a bit hairy. For passing runs in front of the crowd it should be a piece of cake. Also, as distances increase the DOF also expands, limiting the need for precision focusing. I should think the risk of camera shake or subject blur is greater than an AF problem, if you don't watch your settings.
 
Just remember also that DOF can cause issues with focus across the whole airframe....for example you'll have crisp wings and slightly blurred nose/fin. It all depends on how close you are and, as others have said, your shooting mode. To leave the camera simply in auto mode rather than shutter or aperture priority could yield this kind of problem.

As you're in Cambridgshire, why not try and get down to Stansted and practice with landing aircraft there for panning, shooting modes, etc.?
 
D3S said:
Just remember also that DOF can cause issues with focus across the whole airframe....for example you'll have crisp wings and slightly blurred nose/fin. It all depends on how close you are a.....
Click to expand...

Wow, you would have to be close. Take as an example a 400/5.6 lens (not uncommon) used on a 1D3 with the subject 200m away. The DOF would be 67m. That would have to be one monster plane not to get enough into focus. Now at 100m things would tighten up to 16m, but how many planes, large ones especially, would be flown that close to the crowd? If they were that big and that close, would you still be at 400mm?
 
Some good tips in here. I have been to waddington the last 2 years. Each year getting better results . Changing the light monitoring setting helped me a lot especially with it been a dull day.
 
Ah yes, exposure can be a trick to get right depending on sun position. You can end up with a lovely exposed sky and a nice aircraft silhouette :D
 
Much advice.Thanks.And some lovely photos.
This Duxford day is celebrating female pilots.Check Duxford website.
I'd better get a camera and lens :)
 
My airshow setup is either a 300mm prime or the 150-500 on my Pentax or the 100-400 on the 7D and hopefully this year I will have a long prime for the 7D as well.

EFA.jpg


Lanc-2.jpg


Exposure too fast :shake:

IMGP3638.jpg



Para.jpg
 
ok, a large one like a 150mm ish or longer for flying planes etc. and i always like those really wide shots of planes stationary so maybe like a 20mm for that and the crowds etc. and maybe even a fisheye. but make sure they are fast as planes are
 
I normally shoot Av mode f/8 for jets (trying to keep shutter around 1000/sec) and Tv 250th maximum for prop's. I've been experimenting with 125th for prop's recently with some ok results (my panning techniquie needs more practice!!)

At Duxford you can have issues with shooting into the sun from the crowd line to positioning is important.

Couple of example shots below -

Pitts S2 @ Duxford Autumn show
5079086462_844195db78_z.jpg


Apache @ Duxford Autumn show
5090244016_78fca3e592_z.jpg


Raptor @ RIAT 2010
4809252167_82171e8533_z.jpg


Many more on my flickr account - www.flickr.com/zymurgy661
 
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