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08/03/2006 08:56:07 PM · #1
Hey everyone,
I live in Seattle and have the extraordinary pleasure of being on the water when the Blue Angels fly for Seafair. This year I was given a media pass to photograph the landing of these awsome guys. Could I get some feedback on what I can do to get the attached photo and others I may post in my portfolio section better? THanks in advance.

oh well...I cant get this ting to add my pic....
there is one in my profile


Message edited by author 2006-08-03 20:57:59.
08/03/2006 09:41:34 PM · #2
You have a great camera there is no reason not to get some wonderful shots. The most important thing about shooting images is know your equipment. Shoot as many different things as you can with your camera so when opportunities like this arise the camera becomes a part of you and thinking about what to do and when and how isn't a problem when a 600mph jet comes flying by.

Now for Air show specific ideas.

1. Know your subject too, have an idea as to where they are going to come from and what they are going to do. Anticipate their track and lead them as much as you can. As you shoot have your camera in rapid fire mode and move your entire body as you pan to follow their track.
2. Have your shutter speed as fast as you can to stop action. Have your ISO around 200, 400 the most.
3. For exposure you want as large an opening as you can get to capture as much color as you can. In short keep your camera on manual not auto except for focus.
4. If you have a really bright sky, set your camera to under expose the image a little. You can always make an image a little brighter but you can’t bring back a blown out image. You also want the exposure set to show the planes not the sky, so blown out sky could happen but you will have the nice blue and gold of the jets in a good image.
5. Have a long lens, nobody wants a picture that is 90% sky and a little dot with 4 points. Blowing it up afterwards just adds more noise.

In general as far as post production, do as little as possible to your images. I got a great book by Scott Kelby called The Photoshop, CS2 book for the digital photographer. This book has an excellent section on using curves that is priceless. I suggest getting his book for whatever version of Photoshop you use.

I hope this helps a little, I also love watching the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. Last year I got to see both within two weeks of each other, between the two shows I shot over 1000 images. You can see some of my images from these air shows Here.

Enjoy
08/03/2006 10:01:24 PM · #3
Hey Dawn - Do you have a longer lens than the 80mm? Mike makes a good point above in that you want to be able to get in close enough on the planes. Last year I took my camera out to capture the Blue Angels here over San Francisco Bay. One of the guys on this site suggested what he called the "spray and pray" technique, which gave us all a good laugh. As Mike mentioned above, that rapid fire mode is going to be your best friend, so use it b/c you will miss plenty of shots without it. I've got some shots from my day in my portfolio and I can't wait for them to come back in October.

Have fun and good luck.

Message edited by author 2006-08-03 22:02:04.
08/03/2006 10:08:17 PM · #4
Some of my images of Fleet Week in New York can be seen here on my PAD blog too. A couple of the Blue Angels and other aircraft too.

Mike PAD for May.
08/03/2006 10:52:36 PM · #5
Hey Guys,,,
Wow..thanks...I have posted a few of the images I captured in my portfolio here. I do not yet have any other lens than is on my camera but I am expecting a 50-250 any day now...knowing my luck, it will be after this years shows, but there is always next year!! Tell me what you think of the few in my portfolio. I know I have a lot of work to do but it will be great to know just what direction!!
Thanks again!
08/03/2006 11:00:51 PM · #6
I just shot the Blue Angels here in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. I really enjoy the air shows -- I LOVE the loud sound of the jets!

Hope for nice blue skies... there's not a lot you can do about that, obviously, but a crisp blue sky really makes those shots pop. Try a circular polarizer to bring out the blue, if it is a good day. Obviously use a fast shutter speed, too -- they'll be easy to blur otherwise.

I was just in Key West last week, and the Air Force base was apparently doing some practice runs around the islands. It was almost like an all-day air show with their jets flying in formation while we were at the beach!
08/03/2006 11:19:16 PM · #7
As pointed out below... 200mm or better (what is a 50-250mm?)

Hope for blue skys...

Under Expose -0.7 Exposure Compenstation (planes will still be a tad dark but won't blow the sky),

I use center weighted Metering ( ) instead of Evaluative (0)... I track the plane shoot and follow through.

Helps if you can keep both eyes open; the eye not on the viewfinder tracks that action as it is about to happen (pass)

Mira Mar Airshow with 70-200mm 4L + x1.4 teleconvertor and I was standing on the flight line.

Message edited by author 2006-08-03 23:21:56.
08/03/2006 11:23:34 PM · #8
Nice shots Andy! Love the F18 Hornet shot where the plane is banking left.
08/03/2006 11:47:20 PM · #9
Yeah, what the heck is a 50-250?

I've heard of the 35-350, which is more like a 50-500, and I've heard of a 50-150 (Tokina lens coming soon), but 50-250?

I'm curious.

I had a lot of fun with a EOS 1N and a 70-300 at a model airshow. It was fine for performance and was sufficient for reach in most cases...

They do try to make most of their performances directly over the middle area of the audience...

For that, while there are lots of good shots to be had, I do try to get some that aren't in the center so I can get some more head-on shots if possible... For the model air show, it wasn't really possible because of stuff in the way (trees and booths) and they were doing 200mph flyby's 2 feet off the ground, but with a more serious airshow, I'd definitely do some stuff off on the sides...
08/04/2006 12:40:20 AM · #10
Oh hey guys....Sorry about that it is a Vivitar 75-205mm f/3.8

And might I say---WOW awpollard...geesh I hope I can get to be that good someday.

Message edited by author 2006-08-04 00:43:00.
08/04/2006 12:40:52 AM · #11
I rented the Canon 300mm f/2.8L lens and used it together with my Canon 2x II extender. Put that on my 20D body (1.6x crop) yielding an effective focal length of 960mm at f/5.6. It was awesome. Except that sometimes it was TOO long! (what? can it ever be too long?!?)

I had my 5D there with my Canon 70-200mm lens on. So my for "wide angle" shots, I used it. (remember, no crop factor on the 5D, so even 200mm felt positively wide angle compared to the 960mm bad boy on the other camera)

Anyway... here are just a few of the pictures I got.

If interested, many more can be seen on my website.


08/04/2006 12:48:15 AM · #12
Fleet week in October is one of the reasons I bought a Bigma.
08/04/2006 12:57:44 AM · #13
I was on the water for the Blue Angels show today over Lake Washington. I got good results with ISO 400, Aperture F/11, and shutter speeds of 1/2500. I also used my 70-200 mm lens. Tomorrow, I might try ISO 200 and a slightly wider aperture. But with the movement of the planes and the motion of the water, I don't want to be shooting much slower.

In a few of the shots, I can make out the expression on the pilot's face inside the cockpit.

The most difficult thing for me is lighting. Dark planes against a bright sky are tough. So try to get the sun behind you. And wait for the planes to roll so the sun lights them up.

In my portfolio there are pictures i took a week and a half ago at the airshow in Farnborough, England. You might want to have a look at those.
08/04/2006 01:07:00 AM · #14
Oh and make sure you clean your sensor off before going out to shoot...

Don't you guys hate that stuff (sensor dust)? Not pointing at any shots in particular ;)

Great shots guys...

Andy

Message edited by author 2006-08-04 01:08:29.
08/04/2006 01:11:31 AM · #15
Originally posted by Dr.Confuser:


In my portfolio there are pictures i took a week and a half ago at the airshow in Farnborough, England. You might want to have a look at those.


Farnborough Airshow.
08/04/2006 01:26:54 AM · #16


so here is one of the ones I liked...
08/04/2006 01:29:43 AM · #17
These two were also ones I like....



08/04/2006 02:12:19 AM · #18
The day I shot these I didn't bring all my equipment but had my 50-200mm. The best part was I happened to be next to a pro-photographer with a spotter/assistant.

The spotter would tell the photographer which direction the planes were coming from and he would be ready. I just listened in and was more prepare to snap.
08/04/2006 02:30:10 AM · #19
I live in one of the condominiums on south Lake Washington that the Angels use as spots to do thier turns for Seward Park. I can sit on my deck and shoot or go out onto our dock and shoot. These are shots from thier practice runs they held today and when they landed at Boeing Feild yesterday (August 3rd). I have Fri, Sat and Sun to try to shoot some great ones, so I am using thier practices to practice my shooting. I hope I get SOMETHING good. :)
08/04/2006 02:52:48 AM · #20
Great idea about using the practices to practice yourself.
08/04/2006 08:04:53 AM · #21
Originally posted by awpollard:

As pointed out below... 200mm or better (what is a 50-250mm?)

Hope for blue skys...

Under Expose -0.7 Exposure Compenstation (planes will still be a tad dark but won't blow the sky),

I use center weighted Metering ( ) instead of Evaluative (0)... I track the plane shoot and follow through.

Helps if you can keep both eyes open; the eye not on the viewfinder tracks that action as it is about to happen (pass)


I'm not sure that you can select the metering mode on the 300D, so if one is using evaluative metering for dark 'planes against a bright sky, one might have to increase the exposure compensation.

Unless you've got good, solid even lighting, I would not suggest manual exposure, as the lighting could well change from shot to shot. That is especially true in the UK on most days.

Another thing to be aware of in this vein is that, when using burst mode, the metering is locked at the first shot, so if the 'plane moves from shadow to light or vice versa, the exposure will be off. In that case, one might have to lift off the shutter button and press again to get the camera to meter for the next frame. With the 20D, one can set the focussing to be on the 'splat' button with no AE lock, so this particular problem is obviated.
08/04/2006 08:05:25 AM · #22
Make sure to duck if they fly too close: ;-)

08/05/2006 12:04:20 AM · #23
Hey guys,
I took this one today at boeing field....what do you think?

[thumb]374738[/thumb]
08/05/2006 12:36:21 PM · #24
I travel all over to airshows/airports because I love aviation photography. Here are a few shots I took at an airshow last year:
Airshow Pictures

Thunderbirds here:Thunderbirds

And if interested, a few from different airports: Airplanes

My advice to you would be, bring a zoom lens, shoot a lot of pictures, use your EV settings and have fun!

Jeremy

Message edited by author 2006-08-05 13:20:15.
08/06/2006 01:56:13 AM · #25
Thanks all of you guys...I have been having a blast and can't wait for my zoom to get here. Unfortunately, I did not have it for this years big show, but I have taken a few anyways. Please feel free to comment..I love to learn.

//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/trybjorn/detail?.dir=4162scd&.dnm=a1d2scd.jpg&.src=ph

//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/trybjorn/detail?.dir=4162scd&.dnm=3014scd.jpg&.src=ph

//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/trybjorn/detail?.dir=4162scd&.dnm=3933scd.jpg&.src=ph
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