How to Photograph Jets at Airshows
- 1
F-4 Phantom
Long lenses are required for good photographs of jets at airshows. Start with a lens of at least 300 mm. The goal is to try to fill the frame with the aircraft, and this will be impossible with a small lens. Unless the photographer has special permission to get next to the flight line, getting close to the airshow flight area is difficult. Move around to find a more favorable area from which to shoot. A wide angle lens is also handy for taking closeups and details of the jets while they are on static display. - 2
A-10 Thunderbolt II
Shooting up into the bright blue sky makes getting the correct exposure difficult. Often the sun will be above or in front of the photographer. This situation can lead to the aircraft being photographed looking like a dark silhouette. Try the spot meter exposure setting and try to just meter the aircraft. Many of today's SLRs have multiple focusing and exposure points and the spot meter can be moved to that point. Shooting on manual mode is also an option. Experiment using a gray card to get a good exposure, and bracket from there. - 3). Focusing on a fast moving jet can also be tricky. Many digital SLR cameras have great auto focusing capabilities. If the plane is flying perpendicular to the photographer, a sharp photo may be made using the standard focus lock setting. The photographer will more likely try one of the focus tracking mode available to that particular camera. Once again, experimenting is the key to finding what works.
- 4). The key to getting a good photograph is to shoot lots of pictures. Shoot till the memory card is full, then insert another and fill that one up. Take hundreds of photographs because many will be underexposed or out of focus. Put the camera to its fastest frames per seconds motor drive mode, and fire away.
- 5). Wander through the static display area and use the wide angle lens to shoot closeups. A good picture may be made of a detail of the jet. Get close and then closer. Try different angles to get a shot not commonly seen. Creativity is the key here.
