Red Bull Air Races in San Diego

[rpcrowe]

I am really charged up! The Red Bull Air Races are returning to San Diego Bay on Saturday and Sunday, April 15th and 16th. A group from my photo club is scheduled to attend these races which makes it nice. That way, I can get there early and set up my tripod and folding chair as well as a roll along ice chest. Having a group of friends will allow us to leave our setup and answer the calls of nature in a local restroom with our gear safe and place reserved.

This is what the Red Bull Races look like shooting from the position at which I plan to shoot...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrY3PaiUkSQ

I plan to use a tripod mounted 7D2 wearing a 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens on a gimbal mount (with a 1.4x TC in my bag in case I need more focal length) and a hand-held 5D2 wearing my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. This will cover the 70-160mm (equivalent) focal length that I will miss with the 7D2. Since I won't need to do much walking, I will probably bring a third camera, a 7D2 with my 17-55mm lens.

I have been viewing images from the air races and they seem to be of two general types... panned with a blurred background and spinning props or at a fast shutter speed with the backgrounds sharp (showing the cityscapes) behind the racing aircraft. These shots usually have the props frozen because the photographer used a fast shutter speed. I plan to shoot at a wide range of shutter speeds.

Like I said, I am really pumped up...

Izzie, I'll be thinking of you. Wish you were here!

Here is an advertising shot of a previous race...



Here are some of my shots (no race in progress) from approximately the same side of the Bay...
85mm

150mm

100mm

[Donald]

Hope you have a brilliant session, Richard. Look forward to seeing the results.

[rpcrowe]

I haven't been so excited since I shot the hydroplane races. I planned this shoot so I would be shooting from where the boats made a tight curve in order to capture the fishtail white spray.



I am going to station myself for the Red Bull Race where I can get planes flying across, in a tight curve and coming towards me. The planes coming towards me could be shot at a slower shutter speed which will blur the propellers. Fingers crossed