Need help: Photographing Airshow, Blue Angels

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

R Pradeep Chandran - 14 Jun 2008 06:35 GMT

Hi Everyone,
There is an airshow coming up in Huntsville, AL (link below)
and I am planning to attend. The Blue Angels and Golden Knights will
be there and many static displays and aerobatic flying. I have a Nikon
D300 with an 18-200 VR lens. I also have a 50mm f/1.8 and a Tamron
200-500 lens. I am not sure if either of them would be helpful. I don't
think light will be a problem and the 200-500 would probably be overkill.
Any advice? Any sense in taking ND/split ND filters or flash? I want to
reduce the weight since I plan to spend a lot of time roaming around the
planes. Another thing I am planning to take along is a pair of compact
binoculars. Planning to buy a Nikon 10x25 Travelite. Any other
recommendations?
Have a great day,
Pradeep

http://www.hsvairport.org/airshow/

Signature

/home/pradeep/.pan2/rpc-usenet-only.sig

Reply to this Message

Bob Kirkpatrick - 16 Jun 2008 18:09 GMT

> Hi Everyone,
> There is an airshow coming up in Huntsville, AL (link below)
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> --
> /home/pradeep/.pan2/rpc-usenet-only.sig

Leave the 50mm and ND filters home. Take a hat, sunscreen, insect
repellant, and water. You may be able to use the 200-500 but plan on
staying with the 18-200. Better yet, get a second body for the
200-500. You will miss shots while swapping lenses.
Towards the end of the Blue Angel show they will split up at high
altitude. A couple will make a pass from in back of the crowd to
distract you and immediately another will make a very high speed low
level pass down the runway. If the humidity is at all high, you will
get a nice traveling shock wave condensation cloud around the wings
and possibly around the entire FA-18 crossing in front of you. Pre-
focus and use burst as it goes by. Autofocus against the sky may be
problematic. I've found manual focus or using a hyperfocal setting
works much better for aircraft. You might try practicing near an
airport or on flying birds.
The Golden Knights will put on a good show. Try to get a couple in
frame at the same time trailing red smoke spirals. Be sure to snap a
few of the GK or BA cargo planes taking off. On a humid day you will
get pictures of condensation vapor spirals from their prop tips even
though you can't see them naked eye.

Reply to this Message

Annika1980 - 16 Jun 2008 23:11 GMT

> Leave the 50mm and ND filters home. Take a hat, sunscreen, insect
> repellant, and water. You may be able to use the 200-500 but plan on
> staying with the 18-200. Better yet, get a second body for the
> 200-500. You will miss shots while swapping lenses.

Good advice. I saw the Blue Angels a few years back and did most of
my shooting with a 70-200 f/2.8L and a 1.4x.
I think an excellent 300mm lens would be ideal.

Here's a link to my gallery where you can see the EXIF info.
http://www.pbase.com/bret/airshow

Reply to this Message

R Pradeep Chandran - 18 Jun 2008 05:37 GMT

>> Leave the 50mm and ND filters home. Take a hat, sunscreen, insect
>> repellant, and water. You may be able to use the 200-500 but plan on
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> my shooting with a 70-200 f/2.8L and a 1.4x.
> I think an excellent 300mm lens would be ideal.

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I do not have a 300mm with me.
So, I will have to use the 18-200mm and try to make the best use of it.

> Here's a link to my gallery where you can see the EXIF info.
> http://www.pbase.com/bret/airshow

Very good shots. A lot of those shots capture the sense of speed and power
of the machines quite well. I am sure that I would not be able to match
those but it would a lot of fun trying.

Thanks!

Pradeep

Signature

For email replies, use rpc AT pobox DOT com

Reply to this Message

R Pradeep Chandran - 18 Jun 2008 05:34 GMT

>> Hi Everyone,
>> There is an airshow coming up in Huntsville, AL (link below)
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> staying with the 18-200. Better yet, get a second body for the
> 200-500. You will miss shots while swapping lenses.

OK, I will stick to the 18-200. The larger lens weighs a lot more and is a
little slow in focusing. Not the best choice for fast moving objects.

> The Golden Knights will put on a good show. Try to get a couple in
> frame at the same time trailing red smoke spirals. Be sure to snap a
> few of the GK or BA cargo planes taking off. On a humid day you will
> get pictures of condensation vapor spirals from their prop tips even
> though you can't see them naked eye.

That is one shot I really would like to get. Especially if they demonstrate
JATO capabilities of Fat Albert. Even if they don't, I would like to get
some pictures of that bird.

Thanks!

Pradeep

Signature

For email replies, use rpc AT pobox DOT com

Reply to this Message