Airshow Photography Guide

• Fourthly, its always good to be aware of what aperture you are using. The settings used should vary depending on what sort of aircraft, or formation you are shooting. A lower aperture, or F/stop will let in more light, but will soften the focus around the edges of the image, with a lower setting making the focal point smaller than a larger one. Ideally you want to have the highest F/stop you can manage without compromising the light entering the lens too greatly. I normally use anything between a F5.6 (as the lowest), to around F.9 if the light allows – anything extra is a bonus on that perfect day! Note, also, that a formation will require a higher F/stop to bring more of the formation into focus, however in many cases that can be hard to achieve so don’t be disheartened if you can’t. 

• If you’re wanting the most eye-pleasing shots, such as the topsides – it doesn’t hurt to research the aircraft you’re photographing beforehand. Look up the display sequence, see if the topside (or any angle you particularly want) comes at the start of the display on the first pass, or at the end with the last pass. One of the best examples is Richard Goodwin in his Pitts who tends to open every display with a knife edge pass along the entire display line – that is the chance to get the money shot.

• Finally, gauge the display line. Every venue has a display line an aircraft won’t come closer than, and it varies at different venues. This will determine the size of lens you should use, and how to use it most effectively. An example of ultimate extremes is if you’re at Old Warden for a Shuttleworth Collection Airshow, you may only need 230mm of lens zoom, whereas at a seaside airshow in Bournemouth, you will be pushing towards a 500mm+ the majority of the time for a “close-up” shot. Formations, like The Red Arrows may not be so strenuous on the zoom length however, especially if they are in their full nine-ship formations. 

The first, hard lesson I learned back in 2015 was shooting into the sun, which is to say, when the aircraft is backlit by the sun, or bright clouds if it is overcast, it is awful! Certain venues make it impossible to avoid such as at a Duxford Airshow, or on the south coast at Eastbourne or Bournemouth. I think the mistake that is sometimes made is that getting the camera set up for the subject, i.e., the aircraft, should be the priority, but when its not ideal light conditions it should become the priority to assess the conditions first – we all want the sun at our backs, blue skies and a few white fluffy clouds, but this being England, it is very rarely the case! So below is a handful of pointers/tips I try to work with when the light is less than helpful: 

•  If you have a telephoto lens, such as a 120-300mm or 150-600mm, the more zoom required will, by its definition, reduce light entering the lens, thus causing darker images – this is only amplified when its overcast or backlit and can cause the aircraft to appear shadowed or silhouetted. Don’t be afraid to crank the ISO up to allow more light into the images – this will cause graining on the image – but this is the easiest way to correct an under-exposed photo (Graining can be corrected in the post edit). I was told many years ago that you always prefer a slightly over-exposed image rather than an under-exposed one. 

• There is a misconception that removing the lens hood of the lens in use will improve light entering and thus improve the image – this isn’t the case. The lens hood acts as a detractor for unwanted light that may pass in front of the lens from other sources and prevent the creation of a hazed-out image. The removal of the hood will make very little difference to the light quality of an image and may wash out the image entirely if it’s a gloomy day – you always want to keep the hood on, unless you actively seek a more hazed look, or in very specific conditions.  

• Some shows will have a night flying element of their display, which is a different prospect of airshow photography, and you want, in some ways, the opposite of what you wanted to achieve during a daytime show. I am not going to explore the finer details of night photography, but it isn’t as important to keep the grain at bay and depending on the type of display (pyrotechnic displays for example) you may want a very low shutter speed to create a visual effect with the pyros. 

• Don’t be afraid to try things during the display. If on those first few images they don’t appear how you want them, don’t be afraid to change it up, to drop the shutter speed to compensate. You will get far less sharp keepers, but it might give you that one perfect shot you wouldn’t have got if you left the settings as they were. As I said earlier, manual mode can be a really helpful setting anyway, but even more so when you are shooting in poor light.  

I have picked up most of what I know from trial and error, or from a handful of photographers who take outstanding images and all use distinctive styles and approaches – there is no one single approach which is the best way. It’s an uncomfortable truth that in some cases, photographers won’t want to share their “secrets,” but most will offer their wisdom and advice – don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is always new things to try at shows. I hope this article has given some basic tips and ideas to beginners or even those who wish to try some new techniques themselves. Thank you for reading. 

Words and Photos by Matt Silvaire.