Going to try to shoot RC Airplane airshow

[ilzho]

There is a an RC airshow near me this weekend. This should be fun. I'm just a spectator bringing my camera.

I haven't shot this kind of event before, so I'm up for the challenge.

Might be putting my 65 focus points to use....

Anyone ever shot an RC airshow before?

Cheers,

David

[Ricci]

Great pictures David.

Those are really nice models at a nice flying field, photographer paradise!

Can you try to take some more picture tracking on the model in movement (taking off or landing is the ideal situation), so you get the subject sharp, but blur the background HORIZONTALLY (and not blurring the background caused specifically by a thin DOF)?

In order to achieve this, you will need to slow down your shutter speed, may be to 1/100 or less with an ISO low range (100 - 400) in goog light conditions.

Those are my favorit shoots (but also the most hard ones to capture, it requires some practice), becuase they are more dramatic and realistic; they really show the speed of the model in the air.

Just a tip for the above type of shooting, you will increase your chance getting a good picture using continuous shooting mode (10 fps on the Canon 7D m2) and using servo AF mode with the right focus tracking mode and focus points selection.

Good luck and enjoy,

Ricci.

[ilzho]

Hi thanks.
Yes, I could do this in horse racing, slow the ss down to 1/60 or 1/80, but for this being my first time, it was a challenge, not an excuse, just didn't work. I was concentrating on trying to get the propellers in the proper blur, didn't work haha.
I'm going to try tomorrow since it's their float event. Water and planes, what could go wrong. Haha.

I had it on continuous shooting, but I didn't have my tracking focus on 'focus'. So the pic was in focus and in the sequence after that, not so much. I used case 2. And the 65 points, kept grabbing the tree line and of course didn't work when the planes were on the ground; I use the 4 points for that.
Still learning, but had a blast and look towards tomorrow.

[cicopo]

You did quite well for your first event. Was that the Lancaster crashing or was it just doing a cart wheel after a bad landing? I'm building one roughly that size myself. A float fly can present some very unique opportunities. IF the water is calm & the light is right you may be lucky enough to get the reflections like I did here.

[Ricci]

Cool David, please keep posting your pictures.

Here are some few of my captures on last event at my RC club in Santiago, Chile, South America.

I am learning too, part of the enjoyment is that there is always something new to discover or improve.

Ricci.

[ilzho]

It is suppose to be a cool, very nice day.

No, not a crash, just a bad landing.

Very cool pics, both of you.......

[Waddizzle]

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@ilzho wrote:
Here's a lot of pictures.
The pilots loved them and asked my to shoot tomorrow at the float event. Water and planes, this could be fun.
https://flickr.com/photos/61106982@N08/sets/72157671478655824

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Wow.  I have looked at the first page so far, and I had to stop and comment.  I love the low angle, down to the ground, shots of the planes parked in the grass.  It makes them look like full size plane, not just models.

[ilzho]

Wow, thanks for the compliment!!

I'm getting ready to go to the float event.

Not sure how I'm going to do with the water and planes, but should be fun.

[ilzho]

Man the float event was fun.....

Anyway, here are a couple from today.....

Glad I don't fly and crash these things. 🙂

[cicopo]

Nice stuff again. I didn't get into all the things that can & do go wrong but you learned quickly. Wind blows the lighter ones around or flips them over easily but in most cases there's very little damage. It takes a lot of extra power to get up off of water vs a runway. The extra drag can be a real problem but add a bit of chop & wind & it can get even more interesting. These are from a recent float fly & the first 2 are attempts to take off & both eventually did. The third was supposed to be a touch & go but a bad bounce ended the GO side of it (all 3 are large models, not foamies).

[ilzho]

Cicopo....Excellent pictures.

It was a little windy and that big boy gray Coast Guard plane did crash in the trees/marsh;they did find it.

Some of the touch and goes were more like, 'Hold my beer and watch this', haha, they touched and the water grabbed, like you said......

One thing I really liked is that this is a sport for all ages, there were 8-13 year olds, middle age and retirees.....

Have to say, I don't see that a lot.

The kids wanted to see my pics immediately, especially when they crashed 🙂

Very nice club/s of people.