This is the first of a few articles I'm going to write to give anyone thinking of trying aviation photography some advice.  This particular article is aiming to tell you about the various types of equipment you can use, what purpose they serve and the photos achievable through them.  I will then explain the different settings available as well as outlining their purpose.  Most of this is just general photography advice but I have tried to explain it in terms of aviation photography.

1.0  Equipment

I've often heard a quote that tells 'It's the photographer taking the picture who makes the picture rather than the equipment he uses"; I disagree, I feel that different equipment expands the range of opportunities open to the photographer and it is up to them to make the most of those opportunities - that is to me part of what makes a great photographer.  Some pieces of equipment I have not had much use with myself but have included them for completeness and based the advice on what I have been told.

1.1  Equipment - Camera

Obviously, one of the two essential pieces of equipment is the camera!  There are three main types of camera available on the market with each being different prices, having different capabilities & purposes and also appealing to different customers.  The main three types of camera used are:  Compact cameras, Bridge cameras and Digital SLR cameras.  But what do those terms mean?

Compact cameras - Often referred to as a 'happy snap camera', they are a small camera which is easily portable, especially useful when you're not going out specifically to take photos.  They usually have a very small focal length and very rarely give you the opportunity to adjust particular settings.  They often take only one shot at a time and have a slow time between capturing a photo and regaining vision through the viewfinder again.  The image quality is often poorer than both bridge and DSLR cameras and you often get washed out colours.

Bridge cameras - A bit like compact cameras, they are a happy snap camera.  They are larger than your standard compact camera and are usually used by those trying to figure out whether photography really is to their appeal or not.  They have a wide focal range which spans from almost wide angle to a medium telephoto.  They also have a burst-mode feature and adjustable settings, but when using the burst-mode feature you lost sight of what you're tracking in the viewfinder and have to pan blindly after shooting the first frame.  The image quality can be okay, but again the colours are often washed out.

Digital SLR cameras - Digital SLR cameras are the most expensive of the three but if you're really looking into photography its a worthwhile investment.  The abbreviation SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, basically meaning that the camera can use one lens at a time but has the ability to change the lens being used for another different lens.  This means the focal range is virtually limitless (to an extent) and you can choose lenses depending on your needs.  The burst-mode feature is also very quick on some cameras which shoot multiple frames per second and you only lose sight in the viewfinder for a split-second which makes tracking action much easier - which for aviation photography, is a necessity.  The image quality and colours on Digital SLRs are also significantly greater which is something you'd want no matter what you're photographing.

1.2  Equipment - Camera lenses

This brings me onto the second essential piece of equipment - the camera lens.  This section only applies to Digital SLR users as it describes the different functions, specifications and uses of a variety of lenses.  There are hundreds of lenses out there which serve different uses and I hope this section helps you understand what lenses are most suitable for the aviation photography aspect you are looking to do.

1.2.1  Categories of focal length 

1.2.1.1 - Fisheye lens - A fisheye lens takes its name from the shape it has and usually has a focal length below 10mm (often 8mm), the lens bulbs out and the images capture indicate this in their distortion.  There are few situations in aviation photography that these can be used, the most appropriate place is in tight spaces but they can also create create unnatural shapes and give a lot of aircraft a daunting perspective.

Another situation these can see use in is cockpit photographs, normally illuminated by flash a lens with a small focal length willy allow you to get more detail in.

[Unfortunately I have never used a fisheye lens before, so I am unable to provide an example image.] 

1.2.1.2 - Wide-angle lens - A wide angle lens really covers from about 10-18mm, the lower focal lengths of this scale (10-16mm) provides essentially what you aim to achieve with the fisheye but with less distortion! They are used mainly when trying add perspective or when you're trying to make posed people the main subject of photograph with the aircraft behind.  Again these lenses aren't used as much except when shooting larger aircraft from close-up be it flying, static or taxi-ing when trying to create perspective from their size.

Like the fisheye lens, these lenses are also useful for cockpit photographs - usually aided by flash due to the dark nature of the area.

 Daunting Airbus' - Aperture Priority, 1/400th, f/8, ISO 200, +0.3, 18mm.

I used my Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at the 18mm in the static park for this Airbus A310 because the wide angle it helped to demonstrate and capture the sheer size of the aircraft.

I was also down on my knees to improve the low angle, this small change in perspective can make a huge difference in the impact of the photograph. 

1.2.1.3 - Medium-range lens - A medium range lens is usually from 18mm to 135mm and is mainly used when photographing static aircraft but if you're close to the action they can be used for take-offs/landings.  Most kit lens that come as packages with the camera are 18-55mm however some offer an 18-105mm or 18-135mm and it is possible to purchase 18-200mm for most makes of camera.

If you're photographing the static with an 18-55mm then you will manage to capture the full aircraft from a few angles, but if you use a 18-105(+)mm lens then you will be able to use your extra reach to create some more abstract photos.  This is key, because sometimes the static is cluttered and the best photo opportunities are actually close-ups and neat compositions with only a small section of the aircraft in the framed and can emphasise a particular shape or mood.

 'AZAL take-off - Aperture Priority, 1/400th, f/4, ISO 400, +0.3, 105mm.

Taken with a 105mm, this airliner is seen taking off from the runway at Aberdeen-Dyce airport.

Because of the close proximity to the runway and the size of the aircraft it is possible to get full frame photographs with such a small focal length.  The lower focal lengths of some telephotos would still be able to capture images like these.  The change between mid-range and telephoto lens is overlapping.

1.2.1.4 - Telephoto lens - Anything over 70mm can be considered a telephoto lens, and these are the most important lenses if your aim is to capture photos of aircraft in action.  They can also be used in the static to produce more artistic abstract shots as explained in the medium-range lens section.

The most common telephoto lenses used in aviation are 70-200mm, 70-300mm, 300mm, 100-400mm and 50-500mm.  Although a few are only available on some makes - especially the 100-400mm which is only available for Canon users.

When photographing an air display, if you're using a 70-300mm you should be able to get full frame photos of fighter aircraft around 250-300mm with a couple of the passes from the crowdline.  Sometimes people go into areas on the flying side of the crowdline outside air displays to be closer to the action.  This can allow better photo opportunites and often you can achieve full frame photos with about 150mm+ depending on the angle and distance which alters more when you're photographing from these locations.

Those with extreme telephoto lenses such as the 50-500mm, 500mm and 600mm can usually photograph from either location with ease due to the size of their focal length.

'Power of the Raptor' - Aperture Priority, 1/1000th, f/8, ISO 200, 0.0, 280mm.

A telephoto lens is the best one to use for capturing aircraft in their display routines.  Because the distance between you and the aircraft, it gives off the impression that you're at a similar altitude to it if the height remains constant.

If you visualise this as a triangle, when height (y-axis) is kept constant, and distance (x-axis) is increased the angle at which you are photographing the object at is decreased.  At a distance of 0m, you will be photographing at 90 degrees and the further away the object moves, this angle lowers.

1.2.2 - Fixed & Prime lenses 

There are two main definitive types of telephoto lenses available:-  zoom lenses and prime lenses.

A zoom lens is a lens that has a range of focal lengths and can change between them. (i.e. 70-300mm)

A prime lens is a lens that has a fixed focal length and can't zoom in or out. (i.e. 300mm)

There are a lot of people who immediately rubbish the prime lens without knowing the facts because their sole thoughts are on the quantity of zoom. 

Realistically, both have their upsides and their downsides.  A zoom lens gives you more versatility in your photos and allows you to choose what focal length in the range you want to use whereas a prime only has one fixed focal length and if its not useful then you're stumped!  On the other hand, the optical quality in prime lenses is significantly higher than that of zoom lenses which often begin to degrade in quality as you near the maximum focal length in the range.  Quite often, prime telephoto lenses have a lower f/ number which means they are better in lower light or can use teleconverters (explained in a later section) which increase the focal length and can allow for new photo opportunities.

1.2.3 - Lens f/ numbers

The f/ number is affected by the aperture, the area where the light travels through.  As this area increases the lens is able to shoot at lower f/ numbers.  When you see the description of a lens, for e.g. 'Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6 VR' this tells you a couple of pieces of information about the lens and aperture.  This value 'f/4-5.6' is the lowest f/ number that the lens can go down to.  It says f/x-y because at the smallest focal length it is f/x whereas when zoomed to the highest focal length it is f/y and it changes incrementally between.  There are also lenses which have a constant f/ number through the whole focal range.

The f/ number has a major effect on the shutter speed.  Every time you decrease the f/ number by a full stop (f/8 -> f/5.6 -> f/4 -> f/2.8..) the shutter speed doubles (and vice-versa) which means if you use a lens with a lower f/ number if possible during darker conditions.

It also controls the depth of field, the lower the f/ number the less area around the point of focus is sharp.  This means you can photograph a subject with the background very soft an unfocussed meaning they provide less of a distraction.

 'Pair of Grobs' - Aperture Priority, 1/4000th, f/2.8, ISO 100, 0.0, 50mm.

Pictured here is a low depth of field, 'caused by a low f/ number.  Because of this the first Grob 109 is pin sharp whereas the further Grob 109 in the distance is out of focus.  The lens I was using was a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, so if I had reduced this f/ number from f/2.8 to f/1.8 the Grob 109 in the distance would become even more out of focus.

If you look closely at the far Grob 109's propeller you might notice that little orb shapes are appearing, this is called 'bokeh'.  Bokeh is 'caused by a really shallow depth of field (low f/ number).

1.2.4 - Image Stabilisation (IS)/Vibration Reduction (VR)/Optical Stabilisation (OS)

There are various different names given by different lens producers for image stabilisation.  There are usually two settings for IS - static, panning.  You can also turn it off if you don't want it.

They are fairly self-explanatory, basically depending on what setting you use the lens compensates for some of the camera shake you might accidentally produce when using slower shutter speeds.  It gives photographers a safety net when shooting in low lighting conditions and can spare the need to bump up the ISO and potentially lose quality for nothing. 

1.3  Equipment - Teleconverters

Each teleconverter has a specific multiplication value, the most common being 1.4x and 2.0x.  Be warned, its not simply a case of shoving on a teleconverter on and having extra focal length for nothing.  When you apply a teleconverter your camera then needs more light and compensates for this by increasing the f/ number by a certain number of stops of your minimum f/ number.  If you apply a 1.4x converter then your f/ number increases by one full stop i.e. from f/4 to f/5.6.  But if you apply a 2.0x converter your f/ number increases by two full stops i.e. from f/2.8 (two full stops) to f/5.6.  Unfortunately you cannot go any further than f/5.6 with a teleconverters whilst retaining auto focus.

1.4  Equipment - Stabilising equipment

There are multiple types of stabilising equipment.  The most common of which are tripods, and they see the most use when taking photos of static aircraft in extreme low-light conditions or long exposure light trails.  Monopods are another one used and are more portable than a tripod but much less stable.  You can also use a beanbag to balance your camera on the ground if you're photographing something in low-light and your camera is on a surface, if you're using the ground it can give a really strong low down perspective.

 

2.0  Settings

Settings are of extreme importance when photographing aviation.  Different aviation types, weather and places all require their own settings!  If you don't understand the settings on your camera then there is more chance you will walk away with less desirable results - I hope this section helps you understand different components of your camera.

2.1  Settings - RAW/Jpeg (Image type)

RAW and Jpeg are the main two image types used these days.  Jpeg is takes up much less (often around 60%) memory card space than RAW allowing you to take more photos on a single memory card with Jpeg.  Another positive aspect of Jpeg is it has less strain on your buffer (where images in burst mode are processed, you can only hold so many in there are once so when your buffer reaches zero you can't take any more until at least one is processed), so if you're shooting high bursts of photos you could lose some parts of a sequence if you're not careful.

RAW stores more image data than Jpeg which gives you more control over the image in post processing, enabling you to profit from better images when the conditions aren't great.  The RAW file itself can never be edited, instead an associated file is created which saves the details of the changes you have made leaving the original untouched.  With Jpeg, if you want to leave the original as it was taken you have to save the edit as a completely new file and it is easy to accidentally overwrite original image data.

For me, I find RAW favourable and would prefer to take less photos which are higher quality in a file format which stays original because when you go back to re-edit old photos it can save you a lot of time and means you aren't accidentally altering the original and losing irretrievable data.

2.1  Settings - Shutter Speeds 

In aviation photography, the main reason for wanting control over your shutter speed involves aircraft types such as turboprops and helicopters where there is an external rotational feature on the aircraft such as a propeller.  To avoid making the aircraft looking static or suspended in mid-flight and create a sense of motion to the photography you reduce your shutter speed and you begin to get propeller disks.

 On your camera the mode for controlling shutter speed will be called S (for Nikon users) and Tv (for Canon users.)  If you are a beginner to this I suggest starting with 1/250th or 1/320th to get an idea of how well you can manage this and if you're managing sharp photos every time then it might be worth going lower.  The lower shutter speed you go the larger the arc of each propeller blade.  At a low enough shutter speed (varies for each aircraft) then the propeller blade arcs will merge into one full disk, if you're especially confident it might be worth trying this.  But be careful!  When trying to capture a full disk you're looking at a shutter speed around 1/50th of a second which can pose a few problems.

The first of these problems being camera shake, a lower shutter speed will emphasise the camera shake you accidentally induce, which also means that even a small amount can ruin a picture.  When photographing an aircraft from a more head-on angle at a low shutter speed you may notice that some areas of the aircraft are sharp and some are affected by motion blur.  This effect becomes reduced when the aircraft approaches a more side-on position to the photographer.

A plus point to slow shutter speed photography is that the background will be motion blurred and cause less distraction from the subject, especially in cluttered environments such as airports.  When following an aircraft landing whilst using a slow shutter speed carries the term 'panning'.  A lot of photographers will try slow shutter speeds on other types of aircraft including fast jets for this motion blurred backgrounds as they convey speed.

 

 

'Full propeller disc' - Shutter Priority, 1/40th, f/10, ISO 100, 0.0, 200mm.

This photograph was taken handheld, the aircraft was static so I used burst mode to make sure at least one or two were sharp out of the ten taken.

As you can see, the propeller is very pronounced against the background.  This is partly due to the angle at which the sun hits it - the more full on the sun's position, the more intense the disk.

The threshold for gaining full disk is dependant on the aircraft type and the situation they are in.  If an aircraft is powering up the RPM of the disk will be greater and the threshold for full disk will be a higher shutter speed.   

2.2  Settings - Aperture 

Shooting in aperture priority - A mode on Nikon bodies, Av mode on Canon bodies - is my most frequently used more.

You might want a lower f/ number resulting in a background with much less detail and distractions, this is especially useful in places that are largely cluttered.  But if you're photographing an aircraft whilst also trying to capture its surroundings simultaneously you will want to use a higher f/ number to increase the depth of field and keep a larger area sharp.

One thing to bear in mind is that quite a lot of lenses have a so-called 'sweet spot', this is essentially the lowest f/ number where the lens produces its sharpest results.  For the majority of lenses this seems to be 1 full stop above the minimum f/ number which you will find from the lens specifications.  For example, a Nikkor 300mm f/4 has a minimum aperture of f/4 and therefore is most likely to produce sharpest results from about f/5.6.  You mostly use the sweet spot of your lens when the light is good enough that your shutter speed does not fall lower than you can handle ending up in lost photos.

2.3  Settings - ISO

If you get to a stage where your shutter speed is too low at the lowest aperture, or you want to remain at the lenses sweet spot but the shutter speed is too slow, that is when you begin to increase your ISO.  On an average day you can get away with ISO200 in most situations during the daylight hours but as it begins to get darker you will most likely need to increase your ISO, it increases the sensitivity of your cameras sensor thus meaning it requires less light to make an exposure.  

There is a trade-off caused by an increase of ISO, in that pictures will start to show more grain - coloured, unnatural specks on the image.  Most, if not all, recent Digital SLRs have a high ISO noise reduction setting which can be set to none, low, medium or high.  If that isn't sufficient, you can get programs to combat noise and reduce the quantity of it to get a cleaner image but they often over smooth the photo and you lose detail.

'Flaring Eagle' - Program mode, 1/400th, f/5.6, ISO 1600, +0.3, 185mm.

This photo was taken in really dull conditions on an overcast morning, because it was the first F-15E I had ever seen I decided to play it safe and increase the ISO to 1600 to make sure I got a sharp photograph.

On my old D50 which this was taken with, the noise levels were really high at ISO 1600 so if you look closely then you will notice a lot of it.  These days I look at that picture and I'm not that impressed, it's merely there to show you the effect of high ISO and grain.    

2.4  Settings - EV (Exposure Value)

Usually implemented in thirds, the use of EV is to make sure the subject of your photo is well exposed if your background begins to dictate the exposure.  For example, if you're photographing an aircraft in an overcast sky with the aircraft not filling the whole frame it will turn out darker than if the aircraft did fit the whole frame.  This is because the exposure reading taken by the camera is often for the whole frame (unless you change the metering mode, see 2.5) including the sky.   With overcast skies being grey/white they trick the camera into wanting to increase the shutter speed and darken the image, which gives a well exposed sky and underexposed aircraft.  To combat this, you set your EV to a positive value, usually around +0.7 on a typical overcast day, but it is best (if the situation allows) to perform a few trial and error test shots beforehand.  If the light is really bright, you can sometimes need to use a negative EV. 

2.5  Settings - Metering Mode

This is an important aspect of photography.  There are various metering modes which are suited to different situations, the key difference being how much of the overall picture is used to gain a suitable exposure for what you're photographing.

2.5.1 - Spot Metering

Usually between 1% and 5% of the viewfinder, often in the center but sometimes optional allowing you to choose the metering point as the focus point you're using.  This is especially good if you're wanting to expose a particular part of the photograph, and/or don't mind other parts being over/underexposed. 

2.5.2 - Partial Metering

 Around 10-15% of the viewfinder, also with metering points optional.  Works a lot like spot metering but with a larger metering area.  Only available on some cameras.

2.5.3 - Center-Weighted Average Metering

Usually around 70% of the central point of the viewfinder, concentrating on the center.  It comes in handy when you're concentrating on a main subject in the foreground but still want to keep the background well exposed.  This is particularly useful when photographing static/taxi-ing aircraft with a good background. 

2.5.4 - Average Metering

As you might expect, this takes an averaged reading from the whole scene  to produce an exposure.  So if you're wanting everything in the frame noticeable and well exposed this can be ideal.  Quite similar to Center-Weighted Average Metering, however, this one is better if you don't have one definitive subject.

2.5.5 - Matrix Metering

Takes readings from key areas in the frame judged by pre-set algorithms to meter with, this can produce some really useful results and some awful results due to a lot of it being automatically decided. I've not had any experience with this particular metering, so I would suggest if you're planning on using it that you trial it out first to gain an understanding.

2.6  Settings - Focal Length

You get two main types of lens in terms of focal length:  zoom and prime.

A zoom lens, as you can probably decipher already, is a lens that can zoom in and out between various focal lengths.  A prime lens has a fixed focal length. (Check 1.2.2 for more information.)

The focal length is essentially a measure of zoom and is measured in millimetres, the more millimetres the longer the zoom and closer to the subject you can get.  If you are operating a full-frame (FX) camera then you will have the same focal length as the lens you are using.  However, most Digital SLR cameras will operate a crop (DX) sensor with a crop factor which means you have a higher focal length - each Camera producer (Nikon, Canon, Olympus etc;) have their own individual crop factor and your new focal length is your lenses named focal length (Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6) multiplied by the crop factor;  Nikon - 1.5x, Canon - 1.6x.  In this case you would now have with 105-450mm. 

2.7  Settings - Auto Focus Type

2.7.1 - Auto Focus - Automatic (AF-S/One Shot)

This is the simplest of the auto focus systems, literally, you focus on the subject and take the photo.  If the object is moving and the camera has focused then the object will move away from the focus point so it is best used on static objects unless you're able to keep re-focussing after the object has moved.  If you half press the shutter down you will keep that same focus point until you let go and re-focus.

2.7.2 - Auto Focus - Continuous (AF-C/AI Servo)

Continuous focus is particularly useful when photographing a moving subject, so if you're shooting a moving aircraft this can reduce the amount of photos you lose through re-focussing.  You keep your finger half-pressed down on the trigger and it will continually re-focus on the subject as it moves.  Sometimes if you attempt photographing a static object with continuous focus the camera can get confused and slightly lose focus making the photograph soft.

2.7.3 - Auto Focus - Automatic (AF-A/AI Focus)

This is a balance between the two focus types, so if you're photographing an object that goes from static to moving it will compensate and use continuous focus settings to keep focus.  However, I have found this to be very hit and miss with it not always re-focussing if something goes from static to moving.  This can be very useful for aircraft that are taking off if you are near the threshold of a runway. 

 

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The next guide is planned to help you understand the vast variety of different opportunities available at airshows, airfields, airshows and museums.  I'm hoping it will be much less wordy than this guide and include more visual examples to assist in your understanding!  I hope you find this useful, if you think I have missed something then feel free to e-mail me - details in the contacts section - and I will update this guide if I think appropriate.