For exposure issues, one thing I always do at airshows is shoot RAW. It uses up a lot of memory card space, but it gives you more options to correct for exposure issues. Dark planes like the Blues, especially with the side you are seeing sometimes in partial or full shade, makes it very tough to expose right. On top of that, conditions change fast as you point different directions for different shots. With RAW and post processing, you can adjust the exposure and contrast to get a better balance between the sky or clouds in the background, and bright or dim lighting on the various parts of the aircraft.
For hand holding, depending on the lens you are using, image stabilization can help quite a bit. Only a very small percentage of shots at an air show have you panning fast enough where IS can behave badly, and if you have an IS lens that has Mode 2 available for pan shots, it should still handle most fast pans nicely. After several years of experimenting, I now have IS on in Mode 2 for nearly all air show shots with my 300 f2.8 IS and my 100-400 IS lenses. It helps for fast movers like an F-18, and is also helps for classic prop planes where you want to get prop blur using low shutter speeds. Good hand holding technique and practice is still important, but IS can help also.
wing tong wrote:
So the Blue Angels will be in town again for Fleet Week in SF this week and I will have another opportunity to shoot them.
Anyhow, this year, I will be using a 40D with a 400mm f/5.6L attached. My first vantage point will be at Union Square on both Thursday and Friday for their practice runs which involves waiting for the sound of their jet engine then visually panning around the tops of tall buildings until they appear and then taking aim and shooting like mad!
Just curious why you're doing the first couple days at Union square; that'll make things a little dicey trying to get them as they fly by. If possible, you might try someplace nearer the waterfront looking north. A couple times I've gone to the top of a garage just south of Pier 35 (I want to say it's at Kearney and Francisco streets.) If you walk in it's free; driving will cost. It's about five stories high and gives you great views of the Blue Angels all the way from the Golden Gate through the east-to-south banking maneuver as they head towards San Jose (or doing the opposite route.) The first time I did this I was using a 20D and a rented 500 and did fine (although I was not really prepared for the walk from BART at Market to the garage and my legs were complaining for a couple days.)
Work on Maiden Lane, sneak out to Union Sq. around lunchtime.
The Thurs + Fri practice runs are more of a convenience shoot than anything else. But, based on last year's shoot, Union Sq does provide a decent open air space and the tall buildings add a nice backdrop which adds a certain composition/drama I would not be able to get near the waterfront. And again, I will also be out Sat at Crissy Field which will provide a lot more open air space to shoot.
Paul B wrote:
Just curious why you're doing the first couple days at Union square; that'll make things a little dicey trying to get them as they fly by. If possible, you might try someplace nearer the waterfront looking north. A couple times I've gone to the top of a garage just south of Pier 35 (I want to say it's at Kearney and Francisco streets.) If you walk in it's free; driving will cost. It's about five stories high and gives you great views of the Blue Angels all the way from the Golden Gate through the east-to-south banking maneuver as they head towards San Jose (or doing the opposite route.) The first time I did this I was using a 20D and a rented 500 and did fine (although I was not really prepared for the walk from BART at Market to the garage and my legs were complaining for a couple days.) ...Show more →
Have fun. I shot them in September In Eau Claire on an overcast day. Yes, up the ss to catch both jets in frame. I shot at around 1200 and the non-panning jet was obviously blurry. I was just happy to catch the two jets in the same frame 3 times!!
And yes, drop that SS for prop planes to show prop motion blur.
What a difference a year makes or maybe it was my new gear plus the invaluable tips I got here. Not great by any means, but the blur is virtually gone this year (last year = 350d+tamron200-500; this year = 40d+400 f/5.6L). They barely flew today for their practice runs but at least I got a few shots in; maybe tomorrow they will practice a little more?
one quick question, should I activate all the AF points or stick with Center point only? I've been doing center only but seems it would be easier to catch the jets if I went ahead and activated all af points?
I used all focus points for the majority of the Miramar airshow last weekend, got mostly keepers. Used a 150-500 so for the most part was able to keep a large portion of the jet within the focus points.
7echo wrote:
I have some images of when they have visited the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort SC. I was there when the jet crashed last year, killing the pilot. I have an image of that plane taken a few seconds before the crash. It was a terrible ending to a great show.
wing tong wrote:
Actually, the Blue Angels seldom fly near mach-1 during these air shows and so we are still able to get a warning before they appear in the sky.
I did the Gary IN airshow last summer. The warmup show Friday evening the lone thunderbird did not fly at mach 1. It was at mach 0.9 and as it flew right to left, you were hit witha wall of sound just as the plane went over. At Gary I was 40 yards or so from the runway, and got some great shots with Nikon 70-300 VR.
I often had to look where he was going into a vertical at the end of the run. The D80 and 700-300 simply aren't that great for this but it's all the budget allows. I didn't use the Bigma because it is simply too big to hold.
Okay, I give up. After looking at these pics, I am seriously considering selling my gear and taking up a hobby in basket weaving. At least that way I won't be faced with seeing multiple examples of photos that make my work look like it is a result of a three year old with a 64 color box of crayons!
Seriously, you guys are amazing! I am impressed with the quality of your shots.
I shot them today at ISO 400 and f/8 and mostly at 400mm, though it was handy to have the 100-400 on my FF body when they came across at low altitude right overhead.
Practice following some of the other planes that come over earlier. If you haven't done this before, that can be the biggest trick. The idea is to move the camera smoothly and think about the position of the plane(s) inside the frame.
As you pan, sometimes you can be a bit patient and watch for interesting lighting as the planes climb and roll and so forth. It is interesting how different the shot can be when the planes rotate enough to pick up some sunlight.
I shot from a bit west of the exact center of the show today, and I think this was a good position. If nothing else, it meant that the planes had good lighting more often than not. Arrive quite early and spend some time looking for a good shooting position, and plan to have that decision made perhaps an hour before the Blue Angels fly.
freaklikeme wrote:
Cool galleries, John. But I have to say I really like this image because the second plane is motion blurred. It makes it a very dramatic image.
I'm with you. This is a GREAT image BECAUSE the plane in back is blured. It changes the whole dynamic of theshot by implying speed. Think of the guys that shoot race cars........they try to use a shutter speed slow enough to allow for some blur in the wheels, to indicate that the cars are in motion.
If I ever shoot an airshow, this is exactly the type of shot I'll try for.
FLORIDAG8R wrote:
Aviation is my primary subject, and there are a few general rules that I will share with you...
First - for F-18's, you will need to be at 1/1000 sec at the minimum. If you can go faster, do.
Second - use Tv Mode and lock in your shutter speed to the appropriate value (1/1000 or faster if light allows.) Don't be afraid to pump the ISO up to 400 or 800 in order to achieve the faster speeds. You want an ISO that will get you to as close to a wide open aperture to eliminate seeing every spec of dust your camera sensor has sucked in.
Third - I use spot metering mostly for military jets. Play with your meter modes to get familiar with how they work with jets and blue or grey skies. The big thing here is pump up some positive EC (+1/3 or +2/3) to compensate for the dark blue paint scheme on the Blues. The most commonly seen problem with airshow pics is a properly exposed blue sky with a very dark plane. I am always more concerned about properly exposing the plane, and if the sky blows out, so be it.
Fourth - Work on your panning technique and breathing / stability. While at the faster shutter speeds, you shouldn't have problems with motion blur, but you may have trouble tracking and holding the planes in your viewfinder.
For crossing shots, you need to focus and track on one or the other. When the wings begin to move to take them to the knife edge, begin your shot sequence. Crossing shots are generally hit or miss, but you can anticipate the timing by watching one plane make the knife edge maneuver.
