How to photograph airshows: all photographs ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR
Air shows are an exciting spectacle, but it can be tricky to capture the event on camera. With the English Riviera Air Show almost upon us, I thought it would be the ideal topic for this week’s blog.
Here are some tips for getting some memorable photographs this weekend:
How to photograph airshows: viewpoint and lighting
The sun’s position varies at each show. At Weston Air Festival you get silhouettes in the afternoon, while the aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford are in full light throughout.
I know photographers say, “Don’t have the sun behind you,” but if you want to light those aircraft against the sky, you need to have the light behind you. This will hopefully give you the shutter speeds you need: at least 1/250s for helicopters and propeller driven craft – even faster for jets.
The English Riviera Air Show this weekend starts at lunchtime. The sun should be over the yardarm and you can hopefully get a nice blue sea and sky and well-lit aircraft. If you can’t fill your frame or phone screen with aircraft, at least fill it with some context that will show where you are.
For example, you could include Paignton pier or one of the visiting guardships. If you’re at Fairford, the aircraft always take off in front of the hangars.
Be aware of what’s happening around you
Look behind and to the left and right and capture what’s going on around you. That word ‘air show’ is not all about what’s going on in the air! The Air Show Village is a place to capture loads of good pictures: squaddies, maybe tanks, replicas or genuine display aircraft, vintage aircraft, etc.
Get hold of a timetable – just don’t rely on it!
Decide what you want to photograph, so you can make sure you’re in the right place to get a good picture. But be flexible. Air shows are subject to weather, timetable changes and serviceability. A while back, the Red Arrows took off intending to do a full display, but when they arrived at the display area, they only had eight aircraft, because one of the aircraft had hit a bird. Obviously he couldn’t then fly his aircraft.
If you’re coming down to take a photo of a specific aircraft, keep the whole weekend free. If you’ve come all the way from Leicester to South Devon and the pilot can’t fly because of low clouds, you’re going to be disappointed. So book in for two nights so you have that back up day.
Have a burning photography question you would like Al to write about in his next blog post? Email info@miraclepr.com with your request.