After seeing that fighter jet shot... who likes planes?

[Adam Hicks]

I'm curious how many out there enjoy shooting planes. I find them fascinating, and having an airforce base near my home makes it pretty nice. I often get ran off by the MP's for having 'too big' of a lens. They let the guys with their 28-80's stick around, but run me off with M-16's. Really. There's a Lockheed facility on base that produces the JSF / F22 fuselages (sp?) and ships them to Atlanta, and they don't like people looking in their garages. So it's always a trick swapping to the 28-75 when I see the MPs coming, and then back to the 100-400 when they leave :)

For those who shoot planes, what is your favorite lens? I've thought about the 120-300 2.8 but I never really need 2.8 when shooting outdoors, so I can't see the real draw to this lens. I'll just shoot 4.5 and bump ISO to 400 or even 800 and let Noiseware do the rest on the very rare occasion that I need something like 2.8.

Anyways here's the gratuituos shot of an F-18 going balls-to-the-wall and hitting a high G AOA:
http://www.golilm.com/images/Airplanes/HighGvapor_small.jpg

(I embedded the image but it stretched the text out too much so I decided just to link it.)

Adam

[KevC]

Beautiful :) I was always partial to the F-16s. Maybe it's cos the Americans sold so much of them to my father's home country (Taiwan).

The F/A-18s aren't bad either, but they look kinda weird. Sorta like a T IMHO lol. I'm definitely gonna bring my camera to the airshow when it comes around though :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Great shot,...

I've never tried my hand at an airshow.. looks like a lot of fun.
I'd grab my 100-400mm to tkae along and hope for the best :)

[PacAce]

My all-time favorites are the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16-Fighting Falcon and the F-4 Phantom along with the MiG-29 and MiG-31.

WWII favorites are the P-51 Mustang, the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt-109 plus a few others. Haven't been to an airshow in a while but I'm hoping to get out to one or two this coming year.

[FlyingPete]

I'm curious how many out there enjoy shooting planes.

Absolutely I find a 120mm M1A1 "Abrams" particularly effective. :lol:

Seriously though, jets are a lot more user friendly as there are no 'frozen' props due to higher shutter speeds.

[BoySpot]

Always loved taking shots of the aircraft. Used to design them too. Guess that is a bit sad. Going digital has transformed my shooting, though. Before, you would think about whether the shot was really the one if you didn't want to blow a fortune on film. Usually realized it was too late. Even then, A good show would cost me a fortune. With digital, keep on shooting. If I knew how to embed a picture, I would include a favorite of mine from last year when the Blue Angels were in Chicago. Another time.

My lens for aircraft now is an old 100-300mm Canon. It won't be too long before the 100-400mm makes it into the bag I think.

[BoySpot]

Okay, Now I am going to try embedding some shots.

[FlyingPete]

Okay, Now I am going to try embedding some shots.

Having never seen Jets done up for show flying, the first thing I thought of when I saw that first image was 'Thunderbirds'

Great shots though, I am hanging out for an airshow to try my 20D out at, last one I was at I was on film two years ago, found the last roll in my old camera bag on the weekend!

[PacAce]

Having never seen Jets done up for show flying, the first thing I thought of when I saw that first image was 'Thunderbirds'
Wrong branch of the service. :D The F18 Hornet would be dead give away for the US Navy Blue Angels. :)

[KevC]

Thunderbirds are USAF. F-16s!! BEAUTIFUL planes. One of the most agile too. I bet it'll give even an F22 a run for it's money.

[PhotosGuy]

Me, too. Especially the old warbirds:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Air%20Show%202004/

[theflyingkiwi]

that is one great shot. I would love to do more airshows, but we don't have many in NZ. and there is no way we get jets like that here.

Myself I enjoy classic WWII aircraft. Nothing like the look or the sound of the spitfire :)

[adamsti]

I love planes. I think about Reno every damn day, up until the Sunday I arrive on race week.

See this thread here if you want to learn the basics on how to take a stock 370MPH, P-51 Mustang and turn it into a true 490MPH racing machine.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=57843

[pcasciola]

Someone posted this pic over on FM this weekend that completely blew me away.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=772342&size=L&sok=JURER%20%20%28cubgbtencure%20%3D%20%27Puevf%20 Punzoref%27%29%20%20BEQRE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=1&tbl=

[Avalonthas]

Adam Hicks, ur shot of the F18 is amazing, outstanding quality too. Keep up the good work.

[mdmedicgod]

I tried to get them to set up an aviation pics section, but pekka won't he wants them in sports.... Go figure. I shot these last sept at NAS Oceana(Virginia Beach) Last time I shoot will film too....Kinda Grainy shoot at 800 or 1600 iso...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/Skydogs/airsshow106.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/Skydogs/airsshow036.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/Skydogs/airsshow026.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/Skydogs/airsshow011.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/Skydogs/airsshow008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/Skydogs/airsshow006.jpg

[adamsti]

The Heritage flight pics are excellent....except for the dreaded stopped prop.

1/250 is about as fast as you want to go for the WWII fighters.

[gramps]

I live about two hour from Nellis AFB but after 911 you cannot get very close. We used to be able to park at the north end of the base where the runway ends............saw some great planes.

[Adam Hicks]

Luckily we can still get right up to the fence, but this one is a joint reserve base now. The MPs will run you off if you look like you're trying to spy with a big white lens, so I just have to be careful. Otherwise it's nice that we can get so close. I caught these
guys doing dog fights a few weeks ago, and they're a rare sight around here...

http://www.golilm.com/images/Airplanes/fightingomars1.jpg

This one is huge, but I like that the guy was looking straight at me :)

http://www.golilm.com/images/Airplanes/jet%20copilot%20looking%20at%20me.JPG

[Canuck]

Well lets see here...
I have used the 120-300 F2.8EX for both the last 2 airshows and I managed to borrow a 1.4x from someone who I thank much for Fanborough. The other one was at RAF Fairford, RIAT. IMHO, RIAT rocked and Farnborough sucked in '04. Now if only I could figure out where I put the pics, I might post a few pics. I archived them to CD and it is just a matter of finding them. The Concorde pics I have put on this forum a few times was taken w/ the 120-300, and plenty other pics, including the moon pics and many more.

[johndm]

The Heritage flight pics are excellent....except for the dreaded stopped prop.

1/250 is about as fast as you want to go for the WWII fighters.

All my best, modern and old can be seen here.................

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?emailsearch=johnmyers@btinternet.com&sort_order=views&distinct_entry=true

[Adam Hicks]

Well crap. We'll shut up now. :) Very nice shots! Now go get a 20D so you can have AIServo in creative modes for crying out loud! You've outskilled your 300D!

[johndm]

Well crap. We'll shut up now. :) Very nice shots! Now go get a 20D so you can have AIServo in creative modes for crying out loud! You've outskilled your 300D!

I wish......not even used my new 100-400L yet..:D

All those shots taken with a puny 75-300 mk3..