Precision flying is entertaining to watch - and fun for the pilots, too. I can attest to this because one of my brothers got into aerobatics. It's complex and requires a great deal of precision and skill, but he'll tell you it's a gas.
On the other hand, my limited experience pulling Gs (as a passenger with my brother) underscored that I'm much better suited as a spectator firmly planted on terra firma!
I'd been on a roll attending an air show a year, but that run ended a while ago and I've been itching to get back out there and enjoy the spectacle once again. Last weekend I got my chance at the Magic Valley Air Show in Twin Falls, Idaho.
This being the west, where everything is spread out, it was a 169-mile trek from my house to the Magic Valley Regional Airport. Piece of cake! (Live here for a while and your perspective about driving times changes.)
Saturday's show was a sellout and the crowd was treated to a great event.
The Blue Angels were the headliner, but there was top notch entertainment on tap all day long. Performers included Brad Wursten, Nathan Hammond, Melissa Burns, and the USAF F-35A demonstration team.
Naturally, I brought my camera along.
Shooting air shows can be challenging but is also quite fun. Like fireworks displays, these aren't the types of things a person typically photographs with any regularity, so there can be a bit of acclimation involved. Fortunately, it doesn't take long to get rid of the rust and into the groove.
Because I haven't had an opportunity to photograph precision flying demonstrations since acquiring my Nikon Z8, I was anxious to put this gear through its paces. Specifically, I was curious to find out how well the autofocus subject detection setting would perform under these circumstances, (Nikon has an "airplane" setting. If you're a Canon user, the setting is "Vehicle.") as well as the 3D subject tracking function.
Both were quite helpful in terms of capturing this type of fast action.
One of the biggest mistakes people make who are new to photographing air shows is using too fast of a shutter speed when capturing propeller-powered aircraft. The resulting images look odd with props appearing to be frozen while in flight.
Selecting a speed in the 1/160 to 1/250 range should produce the proper result i.e. the body of the plane in focus with the prop blurred. Be careful not to go too slow or the plane will not be rendered tack sharp. These aren't jets but they're still moving fast. That speed will, of course, be magnified when using a long zoom.
Adjust the ISO to produce the desired shutter speed.
Conversely, when the jets take to the skies, you'll want to switch to a very fast shutter. I don't go below 1/2000 and often it's faster than that.
If the skies are mixed, as they were for me last weekend, exposure can be a little tricky. I had a little bit of everything depending on which direction I was looking: blue skies, cumulus clouds, some high clouds, and also some darker rainclouds.
Conditions were also changeable as the day wore on.
Fortunately, Mother Nature did not serve up a completely clear blue sky, nor did I have to contend with a completely flat, white sky. Neither is optimal when it comes to shooting air shows.
Following is a look at some of the action from Saturday's show:
Another bit of advice: VIP seating is worth the money, if it's offered. Those seats are always located near flight center, which is where you want to be to photograph the event. They also usually have their own restrooms and access to food and water, so you can avoid the massive lines elsewhere.
If there is no VIP seating, as was the case in Twin Falls, plan on arriving early and set up as close to flight center as possible.
The 2025 show season for both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds runs through November. Follow the links below for information. 2026 schedules haven't yet been finalized. Keep checking.