Red Bull air race - taking photos!

[NKF]

Hi all.

I'm new to posting on this site, although I've followed it for a long time. I'm a relative beginner (it's a hit and miss situation!) and I have a Canon 500d with the two standard kit lenses, a 100mm L macro (love it) and a 10-22mm L.

Now, this is all a bit last minute, but I'm heading down to Abu Dhabi tomorrow and Saturday to watch the Red Bull air race. I think I have a vague idea of the settings to use, but I'd just like some input as to whether I'm on the right track or not. I'd like to freeze the planes and hopefully get them in focus and in the frame!

If I set the camera to Tv mode, 1/1000 and quicker, with an Auto ISO, AI Servo and centre AF point am I on the right track? If I was to use Av mode and F8 on Auto ISO, would that also work?

I would be very grateful for your advice!

Thanks

Kim

[NorthernFocus]

For in-flight shots I suspect your biggest challenge is that you don't have a long lens. I've been to air shows but not races so don't know what distances you'll be shooting. Regarding the rest of your settings, if you are tracking your targets 1/1000 is likely way faster than you need. Hopefully some who shoots aviation will chime in.

[rpcrowe]

A high shutter speed is a double edged sword when shooting propeller aircraft. Although it is easier to get the entire aircraft sharp when shooting at a high shutter speed; that high speed will often freeze the props making an unnatural looking image.

I suspect that your 55-250mm kit lens will be a bit short but, if that is what you have, try it anyway.

Exposing for aircraft is quite a bit like exposing for birds in flight. After-all, airplanes are just motorized birds anyway.

Here is an excerpt from the BIF tutorial by Jim Nieger of Kissimmee Florida...

Manual Exposure Mode:
The first thing to learn is to use manual exposure mode. Manual exposure mode is virtually a requirement when photographing birds in flight. The reason for this is the likelihood of changing backgrounds. If you use any of the automatic exposure modes, the camera will decide an exposure for you. When a bird flies across changing backgrounds, the camera may calculate a different exposure for each frame depending on the background. If the bird is in the same light all during the flight, then we want the one correct exposure for the bird, not a bunch of different exposures all but one of which will be wrong. The only way to achieve this is to use manual exposure mode.

Substitute metering method:
To arrive at a correct exposure I use a method I developed that I refer to as substitute metering. By substitute metering I mean using something other than the subject to meter on. I don't usually meter on the subject bird because the subject bird is often not present at the time I am determining the exposure. Instead, I use a constant in the environment. Something that is almost always readily available. In Florida I use bright green vegetation that is almost always present. When I was in Alaska in winter, I used snow. The important thing is that it is readily available and something you are familiar with. The first step is to fill the frame with the constant in the same light that you anticipate your subject being in. I usually choose constant that is in direct light. (In the direction my shadow is pointing) Then I adjust my settings so that the meter scale reads zero while filling the frame with the constant. I use full frame EV metering so that my reading is not thrown off too much by small areas of shadow or bright highlight within the constant. It's too easy to hit a dark or bright spot with spot metering, so I don't use it. Step 2 is to compare the constant to the subject. This is a two part process. The first part is common sense. Determine if the subject is darker or lighter than the constant. This tells you if you need to increase or decrease your exposure. If the subject is darker, you need to increase exposure. If the subject is brighter, then you need to decrease exposure. The second part is to determine how much to increase or decrease exposure. This part is based on experience. If you do not have a relevant experience to call on, then you must guess. After you guess and make an exposure you can evaluate how you have done and then adjust if needed. This is how you build experiences to draw on in the future. Try to remember your experiences. This is sort of like keeping a database in your head. After doing this for a while, you will have enough experience to know how much to increase or decrease your exposure in pretty much any situation. One thing to consider is the intensity of the light and its effect on exposure. For example: If you use a middle tone green vegetation as a constant and you want to photograph a white Great Egret, common sense tells us that we need to decrease our exposure to avoid blowing out the white egret. We need to draw on experience to determine how much to decrease exposure. If it’s just after sunrise and the light is very soft, the amount to decrease exposure may be only 1/3 of a stop. If we photograph the same bird at high noon, the amount we need to decrease exposure by will likely be as much as 2 stops. You can see from the example how much the intensity of the light can impact compensation amounts. Once you have built a solid database of experiences in your head and you have become consistent in getting correct exposures, you can easily do things like adjust exposure quickly on the fly when the subject or light changes. This can be done by counting clicks on the adjustment wheels and without repeating the metering process.

[NorthernFocus]

That's interesting, Richard. I'd never read the BIF tutorial but that is exactly the methodology that I arrived at from my own experience and have explained several time to others. Now I can just send people a link

[IzzieK]

For a blurred propeller shot without blurring the whole plane, use at least 1/250 or 1/280. That's what I do but then I use a much bigger lens for zoom though even a 200mm can give a decent shot. Man! I envy you! 've always wanted to go to the Red Bull Air Races for a long time! Not happening in the near future either...

Don't forget to have fun! Take some photographs of people attending the show too.

[NKF]

Dan - thanks for the reply. I'm hoping that Santa will visit the ME this year with a longer lens - he's got a few months to plan how he'll manage that!

Richard - firstly, I think what you're doing with your rescue dogs is incredible. The world needs more people like you.

Wow - thanks so much for the info. I've printed it out and will read it on the way to Abu Dhabi. I think it'll also help with taking photos of the feathered variety as well. I hadn't thought about a frozen prop when the plane is in the air...!

Izzie - good advice re the shutter speed, as well as taking photos of people! We're very lucky to see this race - it has been on my husband's bucket list for many years indeed!

Thank you again. I'll see what happens today, review the attempts overnight and hopefully learn from the experience and hope to get one keeper from tomorrow's race.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Kim,

Couple of thoughts.

- Generally - at that distance - you'll want the lens wide open (DoF isn't an issue so long as the camera achieves focus, and it'll mean you'll be shooting at a lower ISO which will give you higher image quality).

- Don't panic - take the time to review shots on the camera (zoomed in) to make sure you're getting the results you want (eg prop blur)

Not sure what AF options the 500D has, but be sure to turn on any that pertain to AF assist (using surrounding points). Generally you'll want continuous drive mode too, so you can shoot a burst of shots.

[rpcrowe]

When Red Bull sponsored air races here in San Diego (over San Diego Bay) they published a map delineating the course and the viewing areas. That way, you could determine the best place from which to shoot.

Often, in races, catching the subject in a turn might give the most interesting vantage. Another consideration might be the background. A busy background will often detract for the subject, however, an OOF building or skyscraper in the BG can often add to the interest of a air race. This is especially true if you are shooting with a long lens.

There are two general areas from which the San Diego air races could have been shot. From the San Diego side of the bay looking west towards Coronado Island or from the Coronado side shooting east with the San Diego skyline in the BG. I had opted for the latter, with the expectation that this could give the race shots some more interest. However, the "best laid plans of mice and men" I had no inkling of the crowds or traffic jams that the race would cause. I missed the race because of a traffic jam but thought, what the heck... There's always next year. There was no "next year". Red Bull discontinued the races in San Diego

A final thought about planning, it could be best if you considered the angle of the sun in the selection of your camera position. A lens hood could be a valuable accessory in this type of shooting...

Of course, airplanes do not cause "rooster tails" like boats do but, I opted for a vantage point at a curve when shooting the hydroplane races at San Diego's Mission Bay. My plans included stationing myself where I could get a shot of a tight curve in the race track and having the rooster tail form the background. It worked out exactly as I pictured it in my mind...



Often when shooting, a bit of prior planning will help get the best vantage point for the image. IF YOU GET THERE ON TIME

Canon has two dandy "L" telephoto lenses at reasonable (although not cheap) prices. The 300mm f/4L IS and the 400mm f/5.6L IS are both great with the 400mm being a top lens for birding (and for things like air races and hydroplanes). I find the 300mm which can accept a 1.4x TC with no great loss of IQ or AF capability to be a bit more versatile. It also has a capability to focus closer than the 400mm f/5.6L. That would not be a consideration in shooting races but, could be important for other types of photography. Both of these lenses have very good to excellent auto-focus capability...



I have shot an airshow with a 70-200mm f/4L IS lens + 1.4x TC and found the 280mm to be a touch short... But, workable with a bit of cropping. I shot this before I learned the impact of a very fast shutter speed on a propeller. But, at this angle, it doesn't look too bad...


If memory serves me, I used a CPL filter for this airshow because of the angle of the sun and to darken the sky. Although I lost a stop of exposure, the darkened sky reduced the dynamic range of the image to a workable level...

[NKF]

Hi all

Richard – thank you for your very informative post. It’s a pity that you missed the San Diego race – hopefully it’ll make a return to your part of the world one day soon. We had seats in the grandstand with the sun to our left which was good as at least it wasn’t directly in front of us, but it did add a challenge as the planes were coming towards us from the sun, with one pylon being right in front of us, and another two to our right which meant that we got mainly rear view perspectives. Anyhow, it was a real experience. Thank you also for your thoughts on the 300mm and 400mm lenses – I’m trying to be extra good for Santa – even better, the Easter Bunny…!

Main lesson learnt from the weekend – if one changes the settings for a specific reason, one needs to change them back again and before one starts to click again. Big shock when I glanced down to review the shots!

The air race was exhilarating – those little planes move so fast and flip about so quickly it’s unreal. I think my 55-250mm lens coped as well as could have been expected. I am happy with some of the photos that I’ve got – as is my husband. He’s mad about planes and has his PPL, although most of his / our flying has been in a much more sedate motorised glider (very good though if there’s an engine failure!). He likes to have the props ‘frozen’ which is good as I battled to get the plane somewhat in focus with the prop blurred. More learning to take place.

Well, here goes – my first photos in the ‘public arena’!

I’m not sure who the pilot is (I think it’s Matthias Dolderer from Germany but stand to be corrected) in the first photo – where the wing clipped the pylon right in front of the grandstand. I was trying to focus on the pylon and click as the plane passed through – rather than panning. I’m quite pleased that I got the ‘cut’ in the pylon (in focus with the plane in the shot as well). TV, F8, 1/640, 100, -0.3 exp.



The second photo is of one of the solo acts of the Emirati Air Force aerobatic team. The team has only been in operation for about three years and they were incredible to watch. This shot is part of a sequence where he was ‘crazy flying’ towards us. TV, F5.6, 1/1250, 160, -.03 exp.



My processing skills are still quite basic although I do have CS5 which I’m slowly getting my head around. I’d appreciate any advice, comments or feedback.

Thanks for looking!

Kim

[rpcrowe]

Kim, one of the most interesting and exciting aspects of these air races is the low level at which the aircraft are flying. Your first image is great in showing that!

As far as PP, you might add just a tad of contrast to your shots...

[Donald]

Well done, Kim.

For someone as inexperienced as you are (were) before going for this shoot, these are excellent images.

I’m quite pleased that I got the ‘cut’ in the pylon (in focus with the plane in the shot as well).

There is many a professional who would love to have got that shot.

[NKF]

Thank you Richard and Donald for your feedback. I'll play with the contrast - I knew something was missing but just didn't think about the contrast. Thank you again.

[dabhand]

Kim - cracker of a shot, just goes to prove, you can plan all you like, but sometimes it just happens to fall right.

steve

PS - did the remainder of the cone remain standing OK ?

[deetheturk]

Well done Kim,great images!