Your Best 3 Aviation Shots

I've been waiting for someone to post a whoops or something so I could jump in but alas

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FlyingPhotog wrote in post #13931738
In Eastern Airlines colors no less...

A little Hollywood magic for that boring tv show.

Been enjoying the mild winter weather to get a little spotting in...

Niiiiiice!

moose135 wrote in post #13933603

Moose, I like your close-up composition on the Jet Blue. I'll have to try that.
Viva La Blue, meet Rhythm & Blues

Pagman wrote in post #13931333
Great shot, what camera lens set-up were you using, I too have taken shots of airways traffic but as im using my SX20IS and a geat camera it is with a fab 20x zoom the camera can suffer due to its sensor size.......

A 7D with a 400/2.8 L IS USM + a 2xIII Extender

The Granley's

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Ok whats the secret of taking such sharp photos of these planes? I do mostly landscape but go to a couple of airshows a year and mine are never this sharp. Any tips or are these trade secrets?
Thanks. These pictures are fantastic.

madmxe wrote in post #13936534
Ok whats the secret of taking such sharp photos of these planes? I do mostly landscape but go to a couple of airshows a year and mine are never this sharp. Any tips or are these trade secrets?

Practice, practice, practice...

It really is a matter of technique, using your equipment to the best of its abilities - and not trying to go beyond them - as well as understanding the conditions you are shooting in.

What kind of equipment are you using? Using a longer lens will almost always give you better quality than a short lens where you have to crop to get a reasonable-sized image in the frame. Another thing I do is use Servo mode for autofocus (Canon - others may have a different name for it) and I've moved my AF off the shutter and onto the back button on the camera. That way, I can pan with a subject (also an important technique to learn) and keep my thumb on the AF button so it's continually tracking, then squeeze off shots as I want. Also be mindful of your shutter speed. For fast movers you can use a faster speed (1/1000 or better, especially on sunny days) but to get a nice prop blur, you will want a slower shutter on piston engined aircraft, and that's where your panning practice will come in handy. And did I mention practice? I was out around Kennedy Airport the past few days, and took more than 1,000 shots - that's the beauty of digital, you can work on your technique without spending on film.

One of the biggest problems you may face during an airshow - on a hot, summer day, typically - is heat haze off the pavement, which gives you that soft, blurry look, rather than nice crisp shots. Unfortunately, you can't correct that, but you can try to minimize it.

And before I forget, practice, practice, practice...

Thanks for the AF and panning tips. Will try them. You dont really need that technique with a mountain
I have a 7D and the lens I would shot planes with are the 100-400L and 24-105L lens.
Your 3 photos of the big jets are great. I live in San Diego and it is really hard to find a place to take pictures like that. If anyone knows a place here or by LAX where you can snap some pics I would love to hear about them. Lindberg used to have a restaurant next to the runway that was just great but a biz jet place took it over.
And I will practice and one day put something up here. Hopefully
THANKS

madmxe wrote in post #13936534
Ok whats the secret of taking such sharp photos of these planes? I do mostly landscape but go to a couple of airshows a year and mine are never this sharp. Any tips or are these trade secrets?
Thanks. These pictures are fantastic.

If it's any consolation, my landscapes (and portraits, still lifes and architecture) generally suck...

madmxe wrote in post #13936856
Thanks for the AF and panning tips. Will try them. You dont really need that technique with a mountain
I have a 7D and the lens I would shot planes with are the 100-400L and 24-105L lens.
Your 3 photos of the big jets are great. I live in San Diego and it is really hard to find a place to take pictures like that. If anyone knows a place here or by LAX where you can snap some pics I would love to hear about them. Lindberg used to have a restaurant next to the runway that was just great but a biz jet place took it over.
And I will practice and one day put something up here. Hopefully
THANKS

I'm using a 40D and the 100-400L, so you shouldn't have any problem getting good quality shots with your gear - I'm looking forward to seeing your work.

I'm not familiar with spotting in the San Diego area, but LAX has some of the best spotting around - I need to get out there one of these days. For a guide to spotting around LAX, check out NYCAviation.com:
http://www.nycaviation​.com/spotting-guides/lax/

And check out the forum at NYCAviation as well - we have members from all over, not just New York, so you can probably find someone to give you some advice for your area.

madmxe wrote in post #13936856
Thanks for the AF and panning tips. Will try them. You dont really need that technique with a mountain
I have a 7D and the lens I would shot planes with are the 100-400L and 24-105L lens.
Your 3 photos of the big jets are great. I live in San Diego and it is really hard to find a place to take pictures like that. If anyone knows a place here or by LAX where you can snap some pics I would love to hear about them. Lindberg used to have a restaurant next to the runway that was just great but a biz jet place took it over.
And I will practice and one day put something up here. Hopefully
THANKS

I am in SAN a lot, and have always wanted to get the crew car and go to top of the parking garage right under the final approach path.

Every time I try, I always get the call to fly to another airport ASAP! Let me know if you have any luck.