Air show photography How to?

[Brazo]

Guys I may get the chance to snap at RIAT this year but know very little about air show photography. I'll be fine with the statics but would love some tips for shots in the air as moving subjects, well i've never tried them

The only suitable lens I will have at my disposal is the Tamron 70-300 USD. It has the ultrasonic drive motor and the optical quality but is slow at f5.6, although it stays at f4.5 till 180mm. I also have some cropping ability on a 24 meg sensor.

Any tips appreciated!

 

[Cliosaregay]

telephoto lens and sport mode will work well

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

I struggled using my 55-250 as on full zoom it was really slow (quite a slow lens anyway) and not the sharpest. Think I was using my 30d at the last airshow I was at, using auto ISO and Shutter Priority.

I found the Arrows quite easy as you could track them for a while (obviously depending on the path) as were the stunt planes. Don't know about the really fast planes I'm afraid, there was none there

I'm pretty sure you will work out whats best on the day though. Hope the weather holds out for you.

 

[Habitual]

I struggled using my 55-250 as on full zoom it was really slow (quite a slow lens anyway) and not the sharpest.

Hmmm... I'm at the RIAT this weekend too - taking a Canon 55-250 IS II.

2% keep rate, here I come lol.

 

[Feirny]

telephoto lens and sport mode will work well

My camera doesn't have a sport mode?

 

[Tom]

My camera doesn't have a sport mode?

Rubbish equipment. You need pro kit.

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

Hmmm... I'm at the RIAT this weekend too - taking a Canon 55-250 IS II.

2% keep rate, here I come lol.

LOL, I'm sure you will be fine.

I can't remember my keep rate, not great though from what I remember.

90% of these were done with the 55-250. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipzooka/sets/72157627384182842/

Should have used sport mode though for 100% keep rate

 

[Brazo]

Is 300mm enough and wide open or a higher f stop? Lowest shutterspeeds I can get away with? Ta

 

[.Simon]

The Tanron lens is not THAT bad imo.

I'm using a 100-400L IS this weekend - why don't you rent a lens?

 

[Tigger]

The last one I done (in the pouring rain too) - I used Aperture priotrity

 

[Habitual]

LOL, I'm sure you will be fine.

I can't remember my keep rate, not great though from what I remember.

90% of these were done with the 55-250. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipzooka/sets/72157627384182842/

Should have used sport mode though for 100% keep rate

That fills me with much more confidence. Great set man.

 

[MattT]

lol @ sport mode!
I'd go with shutter priority selecting a speed based on how fast the aircraft are. Harder to gauge is the exposure especially against white clouds (blue sky or dark thunder clouds would be best!). Go -1stop for white / silver planes on your exposure compensation. If you want to capture propeller blur, keep the shutter speed slower than 1/250 ish.

 

[Brazo]

Cheers guys

I won't rent a lens as I'm probably too late and would like to test out the tammy.

Focus wise, I take it settings should be AF continuous? What about focus tracking?

recommended burst rate?

I am a complete noob when it comes to anything that moves so don't be afraid to offer basic advice! Thanking you!

 

[couzens]

I'll be using a Sigma 70-300mm lense at Farnborough only other thing I'll be investing in will be a better polariser filter incase it's sunny!

Red Arrows 2 by couzens1989, on Flickr

Red Arrows 1 by couzens1989, on Flickr

Taken with that Lense, I'll see how I get on. May have to rent a better lense in the future to get some close shots

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=62787

 

[Brazo]

Thanks Couzens thats a great link!

 

[Habitual]

To answer your Q. I'd use AF, maybe even give AI Servo a bash.

 

[Hixle]

I'd go with shutter priority selecting a speed based on how fast the aircraft are. Harder to gauge is the exposure especially against white clouds (blue sky or dark thunder clouds would be best!). Go -1stop for white / silver planes on your exposure compensation. If you want to capture propeller blur, keep the shutter speed slower than 1/250 ish.

Can't really add anything else to this tbh!

Have fun mate, I've only ever shot at one airshow and really enjoyed it - only had my 55-200 with me too. The red arrows are so photogenic, you'll struggle to take a bad shot.

Still might try and get to Farnborough this year.

 

[Brazo]

Well I was on site at 5:45am (working!) but was able to get a couple of hours from 11:00-13:00 which I think were the dryest too!

Sky was very cloudy albeit with some blue patches so not the best backdrop. Saw the vulcan, a couple of display teams including one of the new ones for this year and some heli's and a few solo jets.

Was actually really, really good fun. The Tamron 70-300 usd was actually more than fast enough in half decent light and was plenty long enough given the planes came very close by. Focusing was really fast and most shots were accurate bar the vulcan where a number of my shots were 'off'!

My learning point was to bring more memory cards as I very quickly shot off 500 frames at 10fps!!! Thats about a years worth of landscapes

Yeah I'll post up a piccy or ten when I get round to processing them but it has given me a new insight into a different type of photography and one that is much harder than it looks!

 

[couzens]

good the hear you enjoyed it post up asap!

 

[Brazo]

Heres my fave so far but working through 500+ pics is tedious!

Al Furzan by Brazo76, on Flickr

 

[Brazo]

Few more!

RIAT 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

Vulcan RIAT 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

AL FURZAN RIAT 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

AL FURZAN RIAT 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

AL FURZAN RIAT 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

 

[couzens]

Quality! love the first one bud

 

[Brazo]

Some more, think I have a new favourite too, (second pic)

Riat 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

Breaking Away! by Brazo76, on Flickr

Swiss AF Patrouille Suisse by Brazo76, on Flickr

Chinook by Brazo76, on Flickr

Swiss AF Patrouille Suisse by Brazo76, on Flickr

Going Solo! by Brazo76, on Flickr

Al Furzan Riat 2012 by Brazo76, on Flickr

Swiss AF Patrouille Suisse by Brazo76, on Flickr

 

[.Simon]

This is one of my favourites from Saturday, the weather was shocking.

Off to Farnborough tomorrow so hopefully we will have better weather!

 

[Addicted]

They look good, the only thing I would suggest is when you're shooting in the sky and there's clouds, add +2/3 or +1 exposure so that you still get the detail on the plane/helicopter instead of it being quite dark

 

[Brazo]

Cheers, I did go with+ 1 but yeah maybe a touch more next time!

 

[Habitual]

I think they're fine as they are TBH. Good pics!

 

[Pint]

Quick question. Should the weather play ball and we get blue skies, will a CPL be of use to make ye skies richer or will it have a negative effect on the darker planes?

 

[Matt_90]

It will make the skies stand out more and stop things becoming blown out.. Think about what your sunglasses do (if you own some :s) when you put them on the sky and clouds looks darker but become more pronounced and vivid.

Using a CPL makes things darker and stops your photo down a little so you have to run slightly lower shutter or F stop to expose the photo correctly.

Hope that makes sense and is correct lol!

 

[timuss]

Just seen this thread i am an avid airshow photographer, my latest show was Flying Legends at Duxford. I tend to use aperture priority f/7 to get a fast shutter speed for jets then for prop aircraft i tend to use 1/250 - 1/320 or sometimes lower if i'm feeling adventurous. A1 servo is a must and on my 7D i tend to use the center focus points.

This was at 400mm

P-40 F by Tim Spicer Photography, on Flickr