Air Show Photography!!!

 

Air Show Photography!!!
Some amateur tips & techniques for air show shooters.

This posting is an update to a blog post I wrote for Penn Camera.
Sadly Penn Camera is no more, however as a former long time employee. It will always have a special place in my heart.

.

A brief history.

History teaches us that man first took to the air in December of 1903 with the Wright brothers in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.   Shortly after that first flight, images recording this historical event were dispatched around the world.  It could be argued that this is when aviation photography was born.   Though it’s often debated as to where first true air show took place, In August of 1909 the city of Reims, France hosted an event titled “Le Grande Semaine D'Aviation de la Champagne” (The Champagne Region's Great Aviation Week).  This early air show attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators from all over the world to see “those daring young men and their flying machines”.  Many notables of aviation history such as Bleriot, Cockburn, Curtis, and Farman were there to show off their aeronautical prowess.  These names which probably mean little to most people; are some of aviation’s earliest pioneers and their exploits helped shape the world we know today.

Air Shows as they are now.
Every year hundreds of millions of people all over the world attend airshows.  Locally in the Washington DC Metro Area we have the Joint Services Open House at Andrew’s Air Force base in Maryland where they expect almost a million people over two days.  The ICAS (International Council of Air Shows) estimates that in the US and Canada alone the total annual attendance at air shows is 10 to 12 million per year. This is not including the totals for “fly ins” and air meets which do not feature aerobatics flying events.  Of all the millions of people attending air shows, it is estimated that between 70 and 80 percent will have a camera! 

Let’s go to the show!!!
(What you need to know BEFORE going).

1.  Check the Air Show’s rules and regulations for such things as the type of bags that are permitted.
Many air shows, especially those sponsored by the DOD (Department of Defense) have strict rules forbidding backpacks of any sort.  Additionally, most DOD Base shows have gone to the formula of one cubic foot for the size of the camera bags.  Granted this does vary from base to base, and how strict the security personnel are at the gate, but it is within their right to enforce it.

2.   Do not expect to bring food or a drink with you, they will trash it at the security gate.
This sounds unfair, and it is a given that the food concessions can be pricey.  However the money that those vendors pay to be a sponsor at the larger shows can be several thousand dollars, and without their sponsorship you wouldn’t be able to attend the air show.

3.  Bring cash (not just credit cards).

Even though most DOD shows are free, and most private shows have a nominal entrance fee, food and drink vendors are not free.  Depending upon your appetite and how thirsty you get; expect to spend approx. $30-$50 per person on food and drink.  This is not including the price of any souvenirs you may want to purchase.

4.  A cooler full of food, and water in the car.
Granted you can’t have it with you on the grounds of the show.  However, the vendors at air shows will typically start closing down their stands about ½ to an hour before the final act.  So what I do is leave a cooler in the car with an ice packs and bottles of  water and snacks to enjoy while I am sitting in traffic waiting to leave.

5.  No weapons or sharp objects.  
Most air shows have very strict rules about carrying anything even resembling a weapon.  I once had a multi tool with a 1 inch blade confiscated.

6. Bring sunscreen.  
And use the sunscreen very liberally across ALL exposed skin including your legs if you wear shorts.  Driving home after the show with severe sunburn on the BACK of your legs is NOT FUN!

7. Sunglasses and a hat. 
Even on a cloudy day, runways can still be blindingly bright. 

8. Ear plugs.
If you have any sort of sensitivity to extremely loud noises or are planning to bring

children; ear plugs are essential. Young children may become frightened ,and disoriented with the sounds of aircraft engines at close range. Insisting that they wear ear plugs during engine starts and flying sequences may save you a lot of problems. Additionally, it is a well-documented fact that the hearing in children can be damaged by exposure to constant loud noise.  So, for obvious reasons bringing small babies to an air show is NOT RECOMMENDED! 

Here is a simple tip about aircraft noise. Very often the quieter they sound at a distance means the louder they will sound when they are passing by. Also be aware that the words “moving fast” in a fighter aircraft can mean covering the distance of a mile IN LESS than 3 seconds. Even propeller driven warbirds such as a P51 Mustang will still create a tremendous amount of noise.

9. NO PETS.  
For safety reasons many shows will not allow even service dogs.  The reason is Fido and Fifi maybe very well behaved loving dogs, but the sound of an F15 Eagle on full afterburner roaring by 100 feet off the ground, at 600 mph WILL CAUSE THEM TO FREAK! And like with children it can damage their sensitive hearing.

Equipment Check.
(What sort of photographic kit you should bring)

D/SLR users.
Keeping in mind that walking around for 8 hours at an air show with 30lbs of photo kit in the hot sun can wear you down.  My typical kit consists of 1 (or 2) x bodies, 1 x long lens, 1 x short zoom, 1 x ultra wide, and 1 x external flash.  Please note:  Due to increased security restrictions at many airshows this much equipment is starting to become problematic.  The current trend at Department of Defense air shows is to restrict camera bags to one cubic foot. This makes general purpose lenses such as 18-200 or 28-300 a very attractive alternative.

Memory cards and batteries.
Bring healthy supplies of both, because chances are you will need them both at a good air show

Point & Shooters.

Any point & shoot with a reasonably good long zoom will work. However, the weaknesses of Point & Shoot Cameras is their inability to focus track a moving subject at high speed and also shutter lag. Shutter lag refers to the length of time it takes from engaging the shutter release to actually taking the photo.They are however great for shooting images of aircraft when they perform a “photo pass”. Which is basically a slow speed pass designed to show off the aircraft for all the photographers in the audience.  




.

Shooting tips and techniques.
(Now we get into the fun part of this article.)

Panning and camera settings.
At an air show for the action you will be practicing the art of panning.  What this means is tracking a moving subject at very high speed, and engaging the shutter at
the optimum point.   In the advanced modes most DSLRs feature some variation of Auto Focus Continuous, for tracking moving subjects and this is your best friend.  You should also set the frame rate continuously high for the maximum number of frames per second.  For those not comfortable with the advanced modes, or for those using a point & shoot, the “sports mode” can work reasonably well.   But whatever mode you chose ALWAYS WATCH your shutter speed, 1/500^th second or better is suitable for 90% of the shots you are likely to take of a flying aircraft.  The further you go below 1/500^th increases the risk of camera shake.  Your ISO should also be set to the lowest you can shoot with, and still maintain that 1/500^th of second while aimed at the area of the sky where the aircraft are flying.

What makes a good inflight shot?
When tracking and shooting be aware of such things as speaker stands, buildings, people’s hats etc. Ideally you should have a clean shot where the aircraft covers AT LEAST 70% or more in your viewfinder or LCD.  When shooting formations of aircraft such as the USN Blue Angels, or the USAF Thunderbirds, try to focus and on the lead aircraft watch out for such things as obstructed cockpits.  Nothing is worse than seeing the lead aircraft out of focus, and the cockpit of the focused aircraft is hidden behind a tail fin.  

Isolating the subject and shooting the statics.

At an air show some of the most interesting shots can be of the static aircraft displays.  The only problem is the most interesting aircraft usually have dozens of people gathered around them. Many with the exact same idea as you. For this reason look for such things as nose, tail, engine or cockpit details in your compositions. It’s not unusual for me when I see an interesting looking aircraft to just pause and study the aircraft from several angles for a couple of minutes before taking the shot.  What I am doing is looking at such things as the lighting, the angles that will let me avoid heads feet and hands, the closest focusing point from the most promising angles and what my depth of field is going to look like.  I am also admittedly trying to see what all the other photographers are seeing, and what can I do that’s just a bit different.

Always keep looking for candid moments… 
You have a great spot on the flight line, and an F18 Hornet taxis close by with the pilot waving to the crowd. This is an easy shot if you knew it was coming, but not if your attention is elsewhere.  Also pay attention to the unusual human elements such as those involving children, or older people.  Seeing how they interact with the displays at an airshow can be some of the most interesting aspects of the show.

A clear view of the flight line.  
Unless you are fortunate to be in one of the rental “Chalets” the chances of you getting a show center unobstructed view of the action is slim to none.  So try for the wings of the flight line, where fewer people are gathered.  

Use a fill flash with a diffuser…
When shooting cockpits you have the very bright outdoors just outside the window and a very dark instrument panel.  An external flash with the exposure reduced, and a diffuser can make a massive difference to the final image. Another time to use fill is when taking pictures of your best friend, or family member standing in front of an aircraft or display.

Some common mistakes.
(Naturally I have never done these (yeah right)
Resist leaning on the shutter release.
Although it’s harder to do than most people realize, there is strong temptation to just rip off 30 to 40 frames in 5 or 6 seconds. This is especially easy with the newer generation mirrorless cameras. The only problem is once you have maxed out the camera buffer you have to wait 2 or 3 seconds to able to shoot again. Often times this is when the action you really wanted to capture is happening.

Dots in the sky.
Even highly paid pros make this mistake, and if they say they don’t they are

probably lying. What dots in the sky refers to is a temptation to continue shooting long after the aircraft has passed the 60% in the view finder rule. As with firing off a dozen frames in a hurry you run the risk of missing something interesting happening at close range.

Horizons…
Ever seen a flight of F16 Falcons going up hill at 250mph? I have when I panned at speed and I wasn’t watching the horizon.  The lesson here is to use the grid display if your camera has it, or if doesn’t use the bottom of you display as a guide.  Happily providing they are not too extreme horizons are usually correctible in the post production, but not always.


Closing.
I hope you find this article to be useful and informative.  If you would like me to elaborate further upon any of the techniques or topis I have discussed here please drop me an E-mail.  Air shows are about fun, entertainment, and they are always an adventure.   

See you at the show!!!

Andrew