Thunderbirds Airshow
BlueHoseJacket
Registered Users Posts: 509 Major grins
I am heading to the airshow at Dobbins A.F.B. in Marietta, GA tomorrow and am looking for tips on shooting an event like this....would love to hear any suggestions.
I am shooting with a Canon XT with a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8.
Thanks in advance for responses.
I am shooting with a Canon XT with a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8.
Thanks in advance for responses.
0
Comments
200mm will be limiting. Do you have access to anything with more reach? Do you at least have a TC?
Regardless of focal length the key is to be patient. Get as close to the show line as you can - preferably down at the end (less crowded and better shots of the jets going in/out of their turns). Don't waste your time with the plane(s) only filling a tiny portion of your frame - be patient.
For jets 1/1000 is as slow as I would go.
For props and choppers 1/160 if you can handhold that slow and pan (this is one of those instances in sports shooting where shutter priority makes sense). The problem with faster speeds is the prop/blades are frozen and that looks akward.
Watch your exposure - I would suggest partial metering. If it's bright out you'll most certainly need Exposure compensation - you want the planes exposed properly even if the sky gets blown. That's the tough part - the Thunderbirds typically come out at the end when the lighting is terrible.
I took this 3 years ago with an old Rebel and a 70-200 f/4.
Not going to win any awards but I had fun shooting the show, and 200mm was sufficient. Actually this shot was not at full zoom, it was around 180mm.
Just go and play and you'll have a blast, they put on a great show!
OK - your camera has technology for evaluating light levels and thus determining what the proper exposure should be. That evaluation is what is referred to as metering. If you look in your manual you'll see there are different metering modes - evaluative, center weighted and partial I believe for your camera. The different modes determine how much of the 'frame' the camera uses when determining what the proper exposure should be. Long story short, partial metering places the most emphasis on the center of the frame.
Canon cameras have algorithms that are intended to protect overexposing highlights.
With the exception of white and some silver (not grey, silver - think wwII) planes the sky is very often much brighter than the planes. So the canon metering will try and protect the highlights in the sky if that sky is in the metering area. When that happens you often end up with a plane that is in deep shadow - nicely exposed sky but the one interesting part of the photo - the plane is in deep shadow and you can't see any details. Now, if you're using AV or TV mode you can use exposure compensation (EC). This tells the camera - "hey, go ahead and meter the shot but then either overexpose - +EC - or underexpose - -EC - the shot). In the case of planes you will often tell the camera to overexpose the shot. Which may blow highlights in the sky but at least you can see the plane.
How much EC to dial in depends on a lot of factors (difference in light level between plane and sky, how much of plane is in the frame, metering mode), so the best advice is: Take a look at the LCD frequently and change EC as needed.
Here's a shot from an airshow - I used +1 EC to get more detail in the plane:
This one was +1 1/3:
On others I didn't require ANY EC.