Critique Scottish Airshow - flight shots

[SFTPhotography]

I've never shot this sort of thing before, but was keen to give it a try.

Lancaster bombers

_DSC3633 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Pair of Spitfires

_DSC3846 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Underneath a spitfire

_DSC3851 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Flying Vulcan

_DSC4088 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Royal Navy Helicopter

_DSC3763 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Boeing 747 Take off

_DSC4011 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Any area's of improvement (I suspect I need a longer lens or get good at using longer lens) would be gratefully recieved.

 

[dinners]

Some iconic aircraft there Ste.

I'm not really an aviation photographer but I like to try and grab the odd shot as and when the opportunity arises.

Slowing the shutter speed down to get some prop blur is probably all I can offer.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Some iconic aircraft there Ste.

I'm not really an aviation photographer but I like to try and grab the odd shot as and when the opportunity arises.

Slowing the shutter speed down to get some prop blur is probably all I can offer.

I tried that, they were so soft it was instant delete. I borrowed a 50-500 and to be honest, I just am new to long lenses. Longest length of lens I have is 70mm, until tomorrow where a 70-210F4 comes my way

 

[jockwav]

Nice shots but yes the shutter speed is too fast.

 

[Me²]

I was down in the Lakes (for you, up for me) for the Lancs passing over Windermere - my longest lens is 200mm, but it was on a D800E so I cropped the hell out of them and they look OK!

Never shot aircraft before either, had a quick look on here beforehand and decided to go for 1/125 in shutter priority to get a bit of motion blur in the props and try to pan with the plane. That is the only bit of advise I can offer as an absolute none aviation shooter myself.

My grandad was a gunner in the dorsal turret of a Lanc .

 

[SFTPhotography]

D610 I used, I thought about taking the 800 but didn't want to clog the disk up. These are cropped to hell, and stand up fine at web res but they're not printable at any meaningful size. I never thought about the propeller, just getting it tack sharp as was handholding but will give it a try next time

 

[andyt72]

hi hoggy as aviation is my speciality id say 100-400mm lens or anything bigger for aviation I use my 100-400 and sometimes whack the x2 extender on it and shutter speed at 1/125 to get prop motion blur otherwise just looks like theyre dropping out the sky great shots though for a first time .....hahaha me giving u advice on shots lol that's a first

 

[johnnypanic]

Just repeating the already good advice, on this thread, regarding shutter speeds. There is a formula, to get the perfect prop circle, e.g. number of blades x rpm, but I start out at 250 and drop lower if I can.

Also, if you're using a long lens, might be useful to look at something like a gimbal head. Used a manfrotto 393 recently and was very pleased.