Valuable Airshow Photography Tips

Airshow photography is a specialized genre that focuses on capturing aircraft’s thrilling and dynamic displays at airshows. These events showcase various aircraft, from vintage warplanes to modern fighter jets, performing aerobatic maneuvers and breathtaking stunts. Airshow photography offers a unique and exciting opportunity to photograph high-speed action, precision flying, and stunning aerial displays.

Challenges of Airshow Photography:

1. Fast-moving Subjects: Aircraft at airshows can travel at incredible speeds, making it challenging to keep them in focus and capture sharp images.
2. Changing Lighting Conditions: Airshows take place outdoors, and the lighting conditions can change rapidly, from bright sunlight to shadowy areas, posing exposure challenges.
3. Background Distractions: Airshows often occur near airports or crowded areas, leading to distracting backgrounds that can take away from the focus on the aircraft.
4. High-Contrast Scenes: Combining bright skies and dark aircraft can lead to high-contrast scenes, making exposure and metering tricky.
5. Limited Access: Depending on the airshow, photographers may have limited access to certain areas, affecting their shooting positions and angles.

1. Research and Plan: Familiarize yourself with the schedule and map of the airshow to identify the best shooting positions and moments to capture.
2. Arrive Early: Secure a good spot before the show starts to avoid obstructed views and set up your gear comfortably.
3. Choose the Right Gear: Use a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a long zoom lens (200mm to 600mm) to get close-up shots of aircraft in action. A fast continuous shooting mode can be beneficial for capturing fast movements.
4. Use a Monopod or Tripod: As the previous blog post mentioned, a monopod can stabilize and reduce camera shake during prolonged shooting.
5. Practice Panning: Master the technique of panning to follow moving aircraft smoothly while keeping them sharp against a blurred background.
6. Focus and Shutter Speed: Use continuous autofocus mode to track moving subjects and opt for a fast shutter speed (1/1000s or higher) to freeze the action.
7. Watch the Background: Pay attention to the background to avoid distractions that could take away from the main subject.
8. Expose Correctly: Balance the exposure settings to retain details in both the bright sky and the aircraft’s darker surfaces.
9. Shoot in Burst Mode: Shoot in continuous or burst mode to capture a sequence of shots, increasing your chances of getting the perfect moment.
10. Stay Safe and Respect Rules: Follow safety guidelines at the airshow and be mindful of your surroundings.

After the airshow, post-processing can enhance your images further. Adjust exposure, contrast, and white balance as needed. Crop and straighten photos to improve composition, and consider converting some shots to black and white for a classic look. However, remember to maintain the photograph’s integrity and avoid heavy-handed editing.

Airshow photography is a thrilling and rewarding endeavour that allows photographers to capture the beauty of aviation and the artistry of flight. With practice, preparation, and a passion for the subject, you can master the art of airshow photography and create breathtaking images that showcase the magic of the skies.

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Ted and the Omnilargess Team