If you have not read last week's blog please do so before you read this week's blog. With that said and you planning to attend an airshow, let's look at some images:

Jets do not have propellers and they fly much faster than propeller driven planes. So when you shoot them you have to use a very fast shutter speed. I typically will shoot at about 1/2000 or even faster. Set your auto focus mode to track the plane so that it is kept in focus as the plane flies bye. If you have enough light, it may even be helpful to increase your depth of field (the distance or range which is in focus) a bit by using a medium F.Stop. Try to get something more than just the plane. In the shot above the white helps.

Once again, leave room for the plane to fly into. Get more than just the plane. Here you can see some more white and even after burn glowing. Your camera's light meter may want to make the plane too dark because of the bright sky behind it. Override you light meter by adding a stop of light (or however much is needed). You can do that by shooting in manual or by adding +1 exposure compensation.

It is sometimes nice to get some landscape in the shot just to show some perspective. Remember the rules governing your composition. Slow your shutter speed enough to show the prop moving. Make sure the plane is large enough (or include some other compositional element; such as last week's blog's shot).

          By FAA rules the planes cannot fly over the audience (when doing tricks). All the tricks will be done laterally in front of the audience. So make sure that you position yourself so that you can see well to the left and to the right. The jets move so fast that you need to start finding them in your view finder well before you are planning to shoot. Start tracking them from a distance so that everything is ready to shoot when they are optimally placed. If there is wind, position yourself upwind rather than downwind. Most of the planes will use smoke. That makes for interesting shots, but it can also be a problem if a lot of smoke builds up between you and the action.

          Enjoy your next airshow.