Taking photos at airshows

[furtive]

There was a thread on here a while ago with some excellent advice and tips for taking photos at airshows, with details of what shutter speed, apature, etc to use. I've tried searching but have failed to find it.

I don't suppose anyone has it bookmarked and can let me have the link?

Going to Duxford tomorrow and am looking for some tips

[jr502]

Never shot an airshow, but I would just use manual to make sure everythings spot on, if not, then shutter priority and find the SS which gives the correct amount of motion blur on the props but a sharp plane (long focal length? avoiding camera shake), and then adjust the ISO accordingly.

No-one can tell the exact settings you need, as the light on the day etc will change them.

[markmullen]

I use shutter priority, as fast as poss with jets, usually 1/800 - 1/1000, slower with props and helictopers (down to 1/60th) and with 2/3rds of a stop positive exposure compensation, AI servo AF and for me all points of AF active.

[furtive]

Well I think I got some good shots and lots of awful ones. Certainly need more practice.

One thing I discovered is that my sensor is absolutely filthy!

[RobDickinson]

Hah for those slower prop shots you do need to stop down some sometimes!!

My first airshow was a fair disaster, way too many machine gun sequences of boring planes (i.e. the bottom of them doing nothing interesting).

[furtive]

I've sorted through them quickly and have uploaded some to flickr. Some highlights below, starting with my personal favourite:


DSC_9129 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_8885 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9450 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_8835 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_8941 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9028 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_8962 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9098 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9457 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9406 by furtive, on Flickr

Full set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furtives/sets/7215762...

Edited by furtive on Monday 5th September 11:23

[NiceCupOfTea]

Some great shots there! Like the last one especially. Think you may have overcropped on some though, especially the BBMF one - would be nice to see more sky to the left and right...

[furtive]

Yeah I agree about the cropping. I just cropped them quickly so need to go back and think about what I'm doing a bit more

[furtive]

Ok I've re-cropped the BBMF pics, and I've also added a load more to the set on Flickr...

[NiceCupOfTea]

furtive said:

I've sorted through them quickly and have uploaded some to flickr. Some highlights below, starting with my personal favourite:


DSC_9450 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9098 by furtive, on Flickr

For me these two still need more sky (at the left hand end on the second one, and generally on the first. Great shots though, better than anything I've taken at an air show!

furtive said:

DSC_9457 by furtive, on Flickr


DSC_9406 by furtive, on Flickr

Full set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furtives/sets/7215762...

Edited by furtive on Monday 5th September 11:23

These two are fantastic! What kit did you use? My best efforts have been with a D70s with Nikkor 70-200 VR but I have been let down by a lack of talent

[furtive]

I can't add any more sky to the left of the BBMF photo - there isn't any!

All the photos in the set were taken with a Nikon D80 and Nikkor 70-300VR lens

[mattdaniels]

Nice shots. I'd prefer a touch slower shutter speed on some of the prop ones to unfreeze the movement more but that's a personal thing / minor criticism. Really like those last two in particular.

[furtive]

Any slower and the planes were all blurry

[mattdaniels]

Twist your body faster then ;-)

[furtive]

Nothing to do with twisting any body parts.

[pixelpimp]

I went on Sunday and got very wet. The sun only came out for the 7 Spitfire finale.
Very jealous of your sky!

[HoHoHo]

I have 5D MKII take my 100-400 L lens and use a combination of AV and TV....


Shoreham Airshow 2011 by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture f/18.0
Focal Length 275 mm

Fast jet, fast shutter


Shoreham Airshow 2011 by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/2000)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 260 mm

Back to slow shutter again for prop blur


Shoreham Airshow 2011 by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 400 mm

[Turn7]

Furtive, the pair of fighters is a superb picture, I love it.

As others have said too, the ehli really wanted a bit more rotor blur.

Lovely sharp set though, well done.

[amnesia182]

Here's my effort from the Bournemouth Air Festival... bit annoyed at chopping the rotor off, but it sneaked up on us (we were on a boat).

f11 : 1/250th : ISO200 : 300mm f/l (on a crop)

Going to borrow a 500mm next year (if there is a 2012 air festival)

Edited by amnesia182 on Wednesday 7th September 21:58

[jonnylarge]

I think you've got some lovely stuff there Furtive. Duxford can be a pain on a sunny day, especially if you've paid to get in, as you end up shooting into the sun. You've managed to avoid this.

I'm one of the cheapskates who stand over in the fields the other side of the runway!

For information, Duxford has a new iOS app that details what is flying during an airshow and at what time. I only wanted to see the F15 on Sunday and the app was dead accurate.

What was great about the conditions for the F15 on Sunday was moisture patterns and contrails on show, as pixelpimp has already shown. Here's a couple of my efforts - I should've gone for shutter priority, but went auto and upped the film speed instead as I was concerned the 500mm and conditions might be too dark:


_DSC5512 by jonlarge, on Flickr
Auto exposure, 1 / 800s, f14, 500mm, ISO 500


_DSC5552 by jonlarge, on Flickr
Auto exposure, 1 / 500s, f14, 500mm, ISO 500

More from Sunday here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71894657@N00/sets/721...