Shutter Speed for Blue Angels? I have the opportunity to see the Blue Angels performance for the Naval Academy Graduation on Wednesday. We will be viewing from a boat in the Severn...

sabfish

I have the opportunity to see the Blue Angels performance for the Naval Academy Graduation on Wednesday. We will be viewing from a boat in the Severn River (the Academy is on the river). I will be using my Fuji X-T30 with a 55-200 Zoom. I was thinking of using shutter speed priority and would welcome suggestions for what shutter speed I should use.

nospambob Loc: Edmond, Oklahoma

Shutter speed isn't as important for jets as it is for props (getting a small blur on the prop). Especially if you track the jet while composing and shooting.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

They move at lots of different speeds over the course of their presentation. You can go as slow as 1/2000 sec, even on the highspeed passes.

Blue Angels - Sun Day 2 by Paul Sager, on Flickr

Depending on the light, 1/2000 sec might be a good speed for the entire show. If you're in the position for the head-on-head passes, still faster helps freeze both planes if you can time it right. But, when you pick faster speeds in speed-priority, you force the camera to shoot at wider apertures and / or higher ISOs. So, don't go faster than you need. And, be sure to use EC to push the meter to the right of the 0-mark. The relatively dark sky / water will under exposure for metering modes that use the entire frame as input. When you use EC to push to the right, this helps manage the underexposed digital noise in the darker areas.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

There are many variables. Weather, distance to subject, the motion of the boat on the water, and your ability to hand-hold your camera. Have fun and good shooting.

sabfish

CHG_CANON wrote:

They move at lots of different speeds over the cou... (show quote)

Great advice and a great shot you attached. Thank you.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

sabfish wrote:

I have the opportunity to see the Blue Angels performance for the Naval Academy Graduation on Wednesday. We will be viewing from a boat in the Severn River (the Academy is on the river). I will be using my Fuji X-T30 with a 55-200 Zoom. I was thinking of using shutter speed priority and would welcome suggestions for what shutter speed I should use.

Oh, you meant planes. I thought you meant actual angels.

photoman43

Remember that on some passes the planes are all flying the same direction. On other passes they are flying towards each other. The latter requires a faster shutter speed. Minimum 1/1000 for the first; 1/2000 for the last.

If you can pan correctly lower the shutter speed to get creative effects.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

sabfish wrote:

I have the opportunity to see the Blue Angels performance for the Naval Academy Graduation on Wednesday. We will be viewing from a boat in the Severn River (the Academy is on the river). I will be using my Fuji X-T30 with a 55-200 Zoom. I was thinking of using shutter speed priority and would welcome suggestions for what shutter speed I should use.

Treat it as you would a bird in flight. Slowing the shutter for blurring the propellers is for the well experienced plane shooters !

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

imagemeister wrote:

Treat it as you would a bird in flight. Slowing the shutter for blurring the propellers is for the well experienced plane shooters !

Blue Angels haven't performed in prop planes since they moved out of their F8F Bearcats in the 1940s.

User ID

sabfish wrote:

I have the opportunity to see the Blue Angels performance for the Naval Academy Graduation on Wednesday. We will be viewing from a boat in the Severn River (the Academy is on the river). I will be using my Fuji X-T30 with a 55-200 Zoom. I was thinking of using shutter speed priority and would welcome suggestions for what shutter speed I should use.

Your shutter speed will not be determined much by the air show but mainly by your focal length and the stability of the boat.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

User ID wrote:

Your shutter speed will not be determined much by the air show but mainly by your focal length and the stability of the boat.

You've been having some bad day of late, based on questionable input over multiple technical topics.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

CHG_CANON wrote:

Blue Angels haven't performed in prop planes since they moved out of their F8F Bearcats in the 1940s.

He did not state his comment was for a prop equipped Blue Angels aircraft. He was simply making a statement about shutter speed and blurring props and that a slower shutter speed was best used if the photographer were an experienced shooter.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Lucian wrote:

He did not state his comment was for a prop equipped Blue Angels aircraft. He was simply making a statement about shutter speed and blurring props and that a slower shutter speed was best used if the photographer were an experienced shooter.

Since you want to chime in, remind us what prop blur has to do with the F18 Super Hornets flow by the Blue Angels, the topic of the thread?

User ID

CHG_CANON wrote:

You've been having some bad day of late, based on questionable input over multiple technical topics.

Stick to your "wisdom nuggets". My own experience is waaaaaaay over your head. At bottom line, youre clearly an amateur.

BebuLamar

I think the Blue Angels still have their Fat Albert C130 which is part of their show too.