Introduction
Doing Aviation Photography without a lens longer than 200mm almost feels like being an NBA Basketballer with a height under 5’7. But like Mugsy Bouges and Spudd Webb in basketball, having a shorter focal length can bring something different to table in the world of Amateur Aviation Photography. In this article I’ll explain how even with some modest gear you can still get some great aerial shots.
For background, I’m NOT a professional Aviation Photographer but rather a professional Wedding photographer with a dash of AV Geek. All thanks to growing up in an Airline family during the 1980’s and sitting up at pointy end.
Over the last weekend I had the chance to bring out my typical wedding photography kit to The Adelaide 500’s F-35 Aerial display. Each year the Adelaide 500 brings over 100,000 racing lovers trackside. The event also brings out the local AV Geeks (like myself) to the Adelaide parklands to see the accompanying Aerial displays all without needing to purchase an event ticket. Who doesn’t like a free Airshow!
Its not the gear, Its how you use it
Lens envy is a common feeling any photographer gets when we see someone whip out the 600mm 2.8. I was carrying a comparatively short 135mm f1.8 compared to some of the others toting 500mm+ focal lengths. But I had a couple of tools at my disposal. I could shoot cropped, in super 35 on a high-resolution full frame A7rii. And the 135mm 1.8 GM Lens is best in class for its sharpness.
At 135mm with a crop factor of 1.5, I’d get approximately 200mm. Shooting in crop mode on the A7rii I would still get frames at a respectable 18mp. Even then I would still have some wiggle room to crop in later if needed.
Shooting an Aircraft aerial display at 135mm, you’re not going to see fine details like you would shooting over 500mm focal lengths. However, with the right framing, and with a bit of luck and post production, you can still turn out great images at a ‘short’ focal length.
Another tool at my disposal was my experience as a wedding photographer. Over the years my eyes had been trained to capture couples and human subjects in different compositions. So it made sense to me (given the limitations) to create some interesting compositions of the aircraft in flight, that didn’t fill the frame with just a plane.
On The Day
As with any aerial display, my shoot window would be brief. I’d have to take every opportunity to get a shot before the plane would disappear out of sight. Another amateur came beside me and asked which direction the F-35 would be arriving. I helped him get his bearings. With less than a minute before arrival, spectators and other AV geeks and spectators with cameras were already turning their heads to the south-east in line with the main straight.
With seconds to go I do my final checks, and to my horror, I’m down to my last 26% of battery. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be an issue. But with such a small battery moving so much big glass on the 135, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get through the whole shoot. Of course, being so organised, I had a spare. However, changing a battery at a crucial moment would mean valuable lost seconds in shoot time. So I decided I would keep shooting until the battery quit. Hopefully, that would happen after the finish of the Display.
The F-35 Lightning II arrives
There was no more time to check settings. The silhouette of the F-35 could be seen in the distance. It was briefly obscured by trees and buildings in the foreground. Quietly cutting through the air at first and close to the speed of sound. I could hear the faint howl as the plane neared. At this point, I was snapping at a fairly slow 5 frames per second. Meanwhile, other photographers could be heard ripping through their camera buffers at close to 20fps. Knowing my distance limitations, I’d keep my bursts short and close. In its last seconds of approach to the main straight of the race track, the plane would be moving at its fastest relative to the camera. Then that thunderous roar and the sound of tearing through the sky that makes every AV geek giddy with delight. The F-35 turns sharply up and the vapour cloud forms behind its air intakes, as it darts effortlessly into the sky. Over the course of the next 10 minutes, the F-35 and its pilot would perform it’s well-rehearsed dance in the sky. As the plane disappears off into the distance a spectator asks how much this costs the taxpayer…her husband quips a dollar figure I can’t remember. At that point, I didn’t care, I got my AV Geek fix and possibly some keeper photos in the process.
The Edit
The editing process is always a mixed bag for me. What may have looked good in the back of the camera screen doesn’t necessarily translate to the edit. On first review, there was that hint of disappointment. My immediate thought was it looked closer and clearer in camera. But after some cropping and slight adjusting, I found my sweet spot. While I admire the shots of other photographers capturing aircraft in full colour and getting close-up details, I decided to do a different take. I converted my selection to Black and White Infrared. I found the Infrared aesthetic just right to bring out the detail in the high cloud and to bring some additional contrast to the images. And let’s face it, the F-35 is the bleeding edge of aviation technology. In some angles, by comparison to 4th gen aircraft, the plane almost has some otherworldly aspects to it thanks to its stealthy characteristics. To bring more focus on the aircraft, I added in some graded filtering to emphasise travel direction, subject focus, and to give a sense of speed. I’m yet to put these to print, but I do believe these frames will come up well to at least A3.
As a rule with my editing, I set aside my photos for a few days so I can have fresh eyes on my work with the second edit. This time I went with colour and added a touch of moodiness by enhancing the details in sky such as the cloud on both days that I was there. End results I can say I’m happy with.
Final Thoughts
This shoot session demonstrated to myself that super long focal lengths aren’t 100% necessary to capture great images of aircraft in action at a distance. If anything shooting at a shorter focal length allow for more story in your image to take place. This gives your subject a bit more setting rather than just a blue or grey background. Aerial photography isn’t just the domain for the pros. Even if you’re on a budget you can still deliver some killer frames. Crop sensor cameras with entry-level zoom lenses can yield great results. Consider things like the aircraft’s unique shape characteristics, look at the light, and consider your angles and your viewing position. But most importantly, have fun and don’t stress. You might end up with some great shots in the process.
