how to photograph an air race?

[arjen van de merwe]

Next week I'm going to photograph the Red Bull Air Race in Rotterdam.

I never photographed an event like that before. (I did photograph

sports events before, but this seems pretty difficult to give the

photos different looks) It is a low altitude race with aerobatics over

the river. What's the best way to approach this (come early, bring

long fast lenses and plenty of memory cards, find out before about the

place for the most spectacular moves.....) How can I get some variety

in the shots?

[kevin_lee5]

No, I don't have any experience. But, this website:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~tomtiger/index.html? (Airshow photos)

may give you some hints.

 

Cheers;

 

Kevin

[miles_feigenbaum___dallas_]

SPOT METER! or you'll be very sad with the backlit subject...

[miles_feigenbaum___dallas_]

AI SERVO mode...

[dave_nelson___atlanta__ga]

<p>Get as high as you can. A step ladder or a vehicle you can stand on is helpful. Experiment with shutter speeds, I like to see the blades stand out with a nice motion blur, some people like a complete blur. Practice your panning technique. Switch memory cards when things slow down, running out of memory in the middle of something is really depressing.</p>

<p>Check out my <a href="http://davenelson.smugmug.com/keyword/airplane"><u>photos of airplanes</u></a> from Macon, GA Cherry Blossom Festivals.</p>

[arjen van de merwe]

Ok, thanx that's helpful. I am afraid I do not have a chance to practice on flying airplanes before the real thing...... In what range of shutter speeds do I stop the propellor, and when do I blur it. In wehat range do I stop motion from the plane, itself, and in what range do I blur it? Panning and stationary? Is a tripod or monopod helpful? (Answers from experienced airplane photog's please, I can make an estimated guess myself)

[miles_feigenbaum___dallas_]

Arjen,

Which camera and lens setup will you be using? I've shot from the cockpit of a twin cessna turboprop directly at the spinning props (4-bladed) at 1/16,000th to freeze the blades and was able to count the screw heads on the prop spinner. At the moment, I can't recall what iso I shot at..

The prop rpm was 1900 rpm at cruise.

 

I would guess that the planes you'll be shooting will have a prop rpm of about 2300 rpm maybe higher but you can do some research on the big engines from Lycoming and Continental.

 

By the way, Red Bull Air Race has a big web site for you to check out.

 

Don't limit yourself, you have the ISO variable that you can play with.

 

Maybe consider a GOOD circular polarizing filter as well for this event. The cheap ones are garbage..

 

Don't forget your sunblock , water, wide brimmed hat, and plenty of that German beer to help you creatively..

 

The angle that you stand from the plane will have a bearing on your shots and being able to catch them clearly, straight on will be much easier than at a right angle. You might want to make a shot list prior to the event so you don't get caught up in all the noise and can concentrate.

 

Forget the tripod! Depending on the lens you might consider a monopod.

Can you also consider a very wide angle to catch the surroundings with the planes.

good luck.

[arjen van de merwe]

I'll be using a Fuji S2, nikkor 80-200, nikkor 28-70, maybe Tamron 28-105, Sigma 12-24.

I dont think I'll get into a plane, I'll try to get some shots on the airfield if possible, but most of it will be from the ground into the air.