Shooting Helicopters. Tips?

[Trevatanus]

Have never managed to get a really "good" helicopter shot.
Always find that there is not enough movement in the blades. I usually go down to about 1/125, is that too fast?

[toasty]

Anything from 1/200th or below will give some blur but slower is better while keeping the body sharp (not easily done).

This is at 1/80th and is probably the best I've managed so far. Jets are much easier.


Army Air Corps Apache AH1 by Jason Cross, on Flickr

[Trevatanus]

toasty said:

Anything from 1/200th or below will give some blur but slower is better while keeping the body sharp (not easily done).

This is at 1/80th and is probably the best I've managed so far. Jets are much easier.


Army Air Corps Apache AH1 by Jason Cross, on Flickr

Thats a great shot! Maybe I am looking at the whole thing wrong.
Just been looking at some of Lloydh's shots and that seems to be where he goes with heli shots too.
I think if you want to get anything approaching "full disc" you need a VERY long shutter speed.

[brman]

Find a helicopter with a fast rotor speed. Apaches and Chinooks don't fit in that category!
Try and shoot from the same level as them, that way you can concentrate on tail rotor blur and the lack of main rotor blur is less obvious.
As said, lower the shutter speed the better but I never manage to get much below 1/80 before movement of the helicopter becomes a problem as well.
This is at 1/125 and almost gets a full tail rotor disc.
Marines Lynx AH7, ZD282 by Toby, on Flickr

[toasty]

Trevatanus said:

Thats a great shot! Maybe I am looking at the whole thing wrong.
Just been looking at some of Lloydh's shots and that seems to be where he goes with heli shots too.
I think if you want to get anything approaching "full disc" you need a VERY long shutter speed.

Thanks

Grabbing ideas from others on here is something I unashamedly do, sometimes successfully, others I'm still struggling with. EXIF data helps a lot with this.

[Trevatanus]

Perhaps I shouldn't be too unhappy with this from last time around at Farnborough then



Farnborough Friday 18th Jul 2014 460 by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr

[GetCarter]

I'm no expert with anything that moves, but was quite pleased with this earlier this year:



ETA Exif should be there

[Trevatanus]

GetCarter said:

I'm no expert with anything that moves, but was quite pleased with this earlier this year:



ETA Exif should be there

Like that!

[Tony1963]

I work on Apache helicopters, and they're a pain to photograph. Their surface finish absorbs so much light, that usually you'll end up with something approaching a boring silhouette.

At least you can use a slow shutter speed with the aircraft stationary in flight. Not often possible with fixed wing aircraft

[ecsrobin]

GetCarter said:

I'm no expert with anything that moves, but was quite pleased with this earlier this year:



ETA Exif should be there

Cracking. Have you sent a copy to the crew?

[GetCarter]

ecsrobin said:

Cracking. Have you sent a copy to the crew?

Just found them on twitter and posted it. Ta.

[Trevatanus]

ok, So 1/80th Seems to work ok!

Robinson R22 at FIA 2016 by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr

[brman]

Trevatanus said:

ok, So 1/80th Seems to work ok!

Nicely done: a nice clear tail rotor there

Actually on a hovering R22 1/125 will jsut about do it.........
Robinson R22 Beta by Toby, on Flickr

[kman]

If you can plan for the movement of the helicoptor then a slow shutter pan could give good results of sharp body and motion blur rotors.

[kman]

Tony1963 said:

I work on Apache helicopters, and they're a pain to photograph. Their surface finish absorbs so much light, that usually you'll end up with something approaching a boring silhouette.

At least you can use a slow shutter speed with the aircraft stationary in flight. Not often possible with fixed wing aircraft

On the ground with some use of flash the Apache's would look stunning! In the air against a backlit bright sky I see your problem - would have to expose for the Apache and accept or replace a blown out sky.

[Name of user]

GCHQ will be all over this thread title!

[paul.deitch]

Ha! I had a similar thought along the lines of "Use an anti aircraft missile" but thought that I'd get shot down myself.

[Trevatanus]

Then you get people like Lloyd, who just ruins it for all of us!

Edited by Trevatanus on Tuesday 2nd August 09:01

[brman]

Trevatanus said:

Then you get people like Lloyd, who just ruin it for all of us!

He is cheating there, aircraft is stationary and he is almost certainly using a tripod.

but yes, lloydh takes some damn good photos.......