Going to an Air show

[Deleted User]

The going is not a problem, the weather will be, the air show is being held along the beach front which run east to west so I will be taking pictures straight into the sun!!

Now I could pray for a dull over cast sky but praying for the weather I want has never worked yet so I won't hold my breath.

Any suggestion so that if it is and glorious sunny day I have a chance of taking some reasonable pictures.

Tim

Art Scott

draggin wrote:

The going is not a problem, the weather will be, the air show is being held along the beach front which run east to west so I will be taking pictures straight into the sun!!

Now I could pray for a dull over cast sky but praying for the weather I want has never worked yet so I won't hold my breath.

Any suggestion so that if it is and glorious sunny day I have a chance of taking some reasonable pictures.

Tim

if have a couple of ND filters that would probably help or a circ.polarizer would help also in the stopping of glare...........

[Deleted User]

Thanks Art, another two question based on your answer if I may,

Can I use a ND filter with the UV filter I have fitted or should I take the UV filter off first?

I assume the brighter the day the darker the ND filter?

Thanks in advance

Tim

Troy Raymond

I went to an airshow last month, the sun was almost directly above us on a beach. I stood on a dock in the shadow of a large tower. There are about a half dozen photos I think turned out really well and the light played a big part of it. Remember, in the sky there is no level horizon, your free to tip the camera and make it more interesting. Most of the shots were taken on approach from each side, adapt to any given situation. My favorites are numbers 20, 31, and 32. 20 was almost directly overhead.

AirShow Gallery.

Troy

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the advice Troy, Unfortunately I will be stood on a cliff top and there is nothing there that will cast a shadow (well there is but the buildings are behind me and the shadow will be behind them)

Tim

Nikolai

draggin wrote:

Unfortunately I will be stood on a cliff top and there is nothing there that will cast a shadow (well there is but the buildings are behind me and the shadow will be behind them)

Tim

"Use the umbrella, Luc!" (but don't forget to bag the stand;-)

moose135

That's about the worst conditions you can get for shooting an air show. I know - I get to do it every year at Jones Beach, an east/west beach, facing south.

I don't use any ND or polarizing filters - if I'm shooting fast movers, I don't want anything that will prevent me from keeping my shutter speed up. And I don't know what shooting in the shade of a building/tower will get you (except for maybe being a little more comfortable) You are concerned about the light on the aircraft, not on you or the camera (use a lens hood to avoid stray light causing flare).

If it's a bright sunny day, you will get harsh shadows, there is not much getting around that:


You can try to mitigate them somewhat by choosing the angle and position of the aircraft when you shoot (if you can). If they are performing in the afternoon, I try to get more of my shots pointing towards the east end of the show line, so the sun is at least a little bit behind me.

Good luck! My airshow galleries are here: http://moose135.smugmug.com/Airplanes/221698 Let me know if I can answer any questions.

pathfinder

I do not understand a need for an ND filter for shooting airplanes in flight.

A polarizing filter can help with glare, but long glass usually needs all the light it can get when shooting PIFs ( planes in flight ), and polarizers only really work well 90 degrees from the suns direction. If the sun is in your face or at your back, a polarizing filter will cost light, and not polarize the light.

Pray for a light overcast or haze in the sky!

redleash

It sounds like you will be shooting only planes in the air. If you have time/opportunity to get to the flightline or parking ramp, you might be able to get some detail shots that might offer more control over lighting. I'm thinking of wheels, wing flaps, straight on nose cones, etc. If you are shooting only in flight, then I wish you luck and hope you get some good shots. Maybe you can catch the lighted afterburners and hope their orange glow will overcome the flat sky.

Good luck! Regardless, enjoy the "sound of freedom - jet noise!"

Lauren

Nikolai

pathfinder wrote:

I do not understand a need for an ND filter for shooting airplanes in flight.

A polarizing filter can help with glare, but long glass usually needs all the light it can get when shooting PIFs ( planes in flight ), and polarizers only really work well 90 degrees from the suns direction. If the sun is in your face or at your back, a polarizing filter will cost light, and not polarize the light.

Pray for a light overcast or haze in the sky!

I agree with Jim. CP is not much of a help for airshows, since the shooting angle is constantly changing. It would be a major PITA to level the exposure across the series.

pathfinder

A flash for fill will be useful for the detail shots mentioned above.

This is an example of fill flash and airframes

Nikolai

Nikolai wrote:

I agree with Jim. CP is not much of a help for airshows, since the shooting angle is constantly changing. It would be a major PITA to level the exposure across the series.

Correction: I meant for the fly-bys. CP is actually great for the tarmac exposition, since it can deepen the sky and kill the reflections from the cabin glass. But then again, you're in a much greater control of your shooting angle...

pathfinder

Right again, Nikolai

Many of my close up ground shots are done with a 24mm or wider lenses, and very wide angle images do not fare well with polarizers either, due to the extreme wide angle of view, which causes the sky to vary too much across the frame.
One just has to know their tools....

Nikolai

pathfinder wrote:

Right again, Nikolai

Many of my close up ground shots are done with a 24mm or wider lenses, and very wide angle images do not fare well with polarizers either, due to the extreme wide angle of view, which causes the sky to vary too much across the frame.
One just has to know their tools....

Jim,
while I know about WA+CP combo, I specifically like the effect for ground exposition. I used my 10-22 with CP for this a lot and quite often you can get a fairly decent capture, IMHO.





Yet, of course, thou need to know thy gear :-)

pathfinder

I like the first shot a lot. In the second shot, the sky is too dark for MY taste, but I can see how you are using the CP. Nice work, Nik!

evoryware

I agree with not using an ND filter. You want the extra light so you can get a sharp shot.







Like moose said Jones Beach runs east to west but fighting the sun wasn't that hard for me. You can't avoid the shadows if it's clear sky though. I try my hardest to expose for the shadows though.