Airplane Dilemna (Page 2): I Agree, anticipation can be the difference, practice will NOT make you perfect, but it helps.

Wickspics Loc: Detroits Northwest Side. Cody High School.

Eblong wrote:

Another tip that I picked up from a sports photographer. Once you know our sport, you'll learn to be where the action is going rather than trying to catch up to it. You might go out during his "play" (or practice) sessions to get a feel of what he is doing so you can anticipate the flying better.

In hockey, it's called skating to where the puck is going to be, not to where e puck is. Some times, you'll anticipate wrong, but when you are right, the payoff shot should be there.

I Agree, anticipation can be the difference, practice will NOT make you perfect, but it helps.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

In addition ot anticipating of where the ariplane is going and panning you need a fast shutter speed - Shoot Aperture Priority, open your shutter as wide as it will go and increase your ISO to at least 1000. Attached images taken at a Blue Angels air show with f stop at 1/5.6, ISO 1250 (resulting in) shutter speeds noted. Use JPEG not raw for faster recording. Camera Nikon D300, lens Nikon 70-300

1/8000th of a second

1/6400th of a second

1/8000th of a second

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

bschrag wrote:

Hope I spelled that right. ...
My husband flies large RC Airplanes. He wants some pics to post in a mag.
I absolutely can't seem to "fix" on it in flight. By the time I find it in the camera, the movement is over and it's in another part of the sky.

Any suggestions. I know for one, my tripod. But any set-up, etc., ideas?
Thanks up front

Although a tripod came with my DSLR when I bought it Black Friday a couple years ago I haven't used it yet. For aviation pics, which I take most often, I just follow the airplane with auto-focus while in continuous-shooting mode. It's easier to get lucky when you have lots of pics to choose from ;) For propeller plane shots, a Japanese photographer I met at Oshkosh told me to use a slower shutter speed so the props have a blur. Otherwise it looks like they are going to fall out of the sky. Sorry for another long-winded message. Here are a couple I took that I think turned out good.

Millismote Loc: Massachusetts

Blake wrote:

Millismote,
Thats a P-51 mustang is it not. They are fantastic birds. Do you own the aircraft? Also its a butiful picture

Thanks Blake, it is a P51. I took the picture at the Fantasy of Flight museum in Florida. All the planes there are flight ready.

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

BboH wrote:

In addition ot anticipating of where the ariplane is going and panning you need a fast shutter speed - Shoot Aperture Priority, open your shutter as wide as it will go and increase your ISO to at least 1000. Attached images taken at a Blue Angels air show with f stop at 1/5.6, ISO 1250 (resulting in) shutter speeds noted. Use JPEG not raw for faster recording. Camera Nikon D300, lens Nikon 70-300

Here's one more pic similar to your #1. I had the camera in "Action" mode and full zoom (300 mm) with the specs being f6.3 and 1/640th sec, taken at Scott AFB near St. Louis.

Wickspics Loc: Detroits Northwest Side. Cody High School.

Thanks for Pics, great photos

BigBird Loc: Arlington, TX

I fly Giant Scale RC and also do a lot of photographing of same. I missed what camera you are using. I use an Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom. Of course you must be panning as others have said. Since the auto focus on the Olympus is pretty slow I have developed another technique. I auto focus on a ground object approximately the same distance away as the path that the airplane will be and lock the focus. As the plane comes by take a shot. I never use a tripod for this.
I have a brand new Canon T2i w/55-250mm IS lens and I'm anxious to try it out. Here are a few photos using the Olympus.
Ken

P-47 over the English channel 1944

AK Dreamer Loc: Alaska & Nevada

I tend to disagree with the fast shutter speed. For jet aircraft I would agree with the fast shutter speed however, for prop driven aircraft a fast shutter speed stops the props and in the commercial market photos of flying aircraft with stopped props does not sell or look natural, That being said, I have never taken photos of R/C aircraft and the faster rpm of the engines on these may blur the prop at a fast shutter speed. For me, trial and error would be called for on the R/C aircraft to determine the optimal shutter speed.

BboH wrote:

In addition ot anticipating of where the ariplane is going and panning you need a fast shutter speed - Shoot Aperture Priority, open your shutter as wide as it will go and increase your ISO to at least 1000. Attached images taken at a Blue Angels air show with f stop at 1/5.6, ISO 1250 (resulting in) shutter speeds noted. Use JPEG not raw for faster recording. Camera Nikon D300, lens Nikon 70-300

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

My first experience shooting "real" airplanes in flight - Yes, that speed certainly does stop the props and in my mind's eye, I think I agree with SK Dreamer. But, I'll stay with the high spped for jets I'll post another reply with some shots of models I made.

alaskan

bschrag wrote:

Hope I spelled that right. ...
My husband flies large RC Airplanes. He wants some pics to post in a mag.
I absolutely can't seem to "fix" on it in flight. By the time I find it in the camera, the movement is over and it's in another part of the sky.

Any suggestions. I know for one, my tripod. But any set-up, etc., ideas?
Thanks up front

The enclosed three photos of R/C aircraft were taken with P&S "bridge/prosumer EVF" cameras on AUTO (P).The last one from distance of about 10feet while panning to capture the operator as well (prefocused).

"Coming for landing".

"A dogfight" with a real Cessna.

"A flyby"

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

These were made with a Nikon D300 using a Nikon 70-300,
aperture priority - at f/5.6, ISO 200. Shutter speed as noted.
Looking at these, I agree with AK Dreamer - motion blur for the props is much better then stopped

1/2000th of a second

1/1600th of a second

1/1000th of a second

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Is it better to zoom in tight and try to frame the "perfect image" or is it better to shot a little wide and crop later?

Thanks!
Pat

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

Jay Pat wrote:

Is it better to zoom in tight and try to frame the "perfect image" or is it better to shot a little wide and crop later?

Thanks!
Pat

IMHO, it's better for action shots (birds, race cars, planes, etc) to shoot a little wide to make sure you have the subject in the frame and then crop. For stuff that doesn't move to fast (like flowers, roast turkeys, sleeping babies, etc) zoom in to your heart's content. That's just what I do.

Lori G Loc: Jamestown, NY

Put your camera in a sequence of shots so you only have to hit the shutter once and it continues taking pictures. I will get my camera set up with focus, shutter and aperature - set them and then wait for the next flight and start shooting before the plane is in my viewfinder. If it takes 20 shots in a row it is bound to get one good one. I use law of averages rather than photography talent.

Jakk Loc: Indiana

Maybe a different approach is what u need. ie: as u appraoch the area you are gonna shoot from get a good sense of the pattern most are flying, so u have a mental pic of where you are in their sequence. This will help u position yourself for the type & angle of shot u want. Next, after u get all ready to shoot, practice some dry shots (where u follow the bird as it goes by to get the feel of speed) & how u need to place your feet, things like that to make it comfy for you to make the shot without having to move your feet, only twisting your body (will help BIG in keeping on target). Finally, dont handicap yourself by being impatient with uself- any skill takes practice. When i 1st started out in photography, my Dad took me to the airport & had me do airliners @the airport in approach to learn tracking. Most of all, like the other guy said: PRACTICE. Hope this helped.

Avro Lancaster @ T.O.M. '09

Lanc on approach behind Skyraider

was wonderin if this somebody i know