Top 10 Tips For Summer - Aerial Photography

1. Reach For The Sky - Aerial Photography

Summer is a time for all manner of aerial goings on, from air shows to balloon festivals, and they’re great subjects for photography. You’ll find a list of airshows on Aeroplane Monthly’s website (www.aeroplanemonthly.com). Make sure you take a telephoto lens (at least 200-300mm) to get frame-filling shots of aircraft in flight. A zoom will give you the most flexibility, as you’ll be able to go in close and then out again to capture wider shots such as formations, low-flying planes and static pictures of subjects on the ground.

The best technique for catching fast moving subjects such as aircraft is panning – following the action through the viewfinder with finger poised on the shutter ready to strike. Select a continuous shooting mode, so you don’t miss the action, and a fast shutter speed to make sure it’s sharp. Try a speed of 1/250th or higher for the fast jets, and 1/180th for helicopters or propeller aircraft (you don’t want to totally freeze the propeller blades). In any case, don’t be afraid to experiment with slower speeds for more creative effects.

Balloon festivals are a more stately affair, with less need for motion-stopping shutter speeds. The bright colours of the balloons make a great contrast against the blue sky of a summer’s day (see previous page) and you can really make the colours sing by using a polariser. Again, a tele-zoom lens will allow you to zero in on the action, while a wideangle can add drama to shots of subjects closer to the ground.