A few airshow/photo questions...

[BikerBabe]

EXCELLENT panning shot! I like it! If you know in advance that your subject is going to be level the whole time you're panning with him/her/it (such as a motorcycle on a flat stretch of road, or someone jogging around a track), a tripod will help a great deal to make your subject even that much sharper.

Hi RA and thanks.

Tripod - got one, just didn't bother to bring it with me tonight, as it was an unplanned, relaxing trip with a buddy to the motorcyclist's regular meeting place in the summer.
And that photo shown was my first ever okay panning shot - I'm going to practise those shots ad nauseam during the next month or so. I want to get some decent air show pics when the time comes, especially of the Red Arrows' performance, and of course the Spitfire!

 

[BikerBabe]

That's really is nice BB, it almost looks like an ad.

Hi VB, and thanks.

Hmmmm, it should be possible to find a free Kawasaki font online, and maybe with a little fiddling in Photoshop...that could be fun to try out.
Only thing is that an ad photographer would probably shoot in either bright daylight, using all kinds of lights and reflectors - and I haven't got that kind of equipment.
Yet.
Or he/she would shoot in daylight, but in overcast conditions, as that kind of light is excellent for photography.
No hard shadows, and a soft light overall - that gives some nice results pic-wise.
Hm, things to experiment with!
All I need now is to get my motorcycle buddies to ride back and forth on that same stretch of road, and me standing there, shooting away with my camera - now that could be fun...for me!

 

[RabidAlien]

High-overcast is the best. No harsh shadows (which is the tell-tale mistake of an ameture vacation shooter!), still have good light...its the best! Sometimes you can't avoid shooting in bright sunlight, but whenever possible, try to find some sort of shade.

Remember....digital shooting is FREE. And the more you shoot, the better you get. Therefore.....SHOOT ALOT!!! Pack your camera with you wherever possible, cuz you never know where a shot's gonna pop up. And it doesn't have to be your "nice" camera. Point-n-shoot cameras take the same pics as SLR cameras, just without some of the extra gadgets and options. The trick is to know the limitations of each camera you carry, and how to get the most out of a picture within those limitations. 95% of photography occurs in the brain and the eyeball. The camera just captures what your photographer's mind sets up in front of it.

 

[diddyriddick]

Agreed on the panning pics...very nice! Lots of good advice here. There are only a few things that I might suggest...1. Program mode allows you much more utility than auto without giving up ease. For example, you can use a higher ISO in program mode which will allow a faster shutter speed. 2. Kudos on the tripod, but I've found that it is difficult to use on active subjects(like airplanes). As an alternative, you might want to consider a monopod. and 3. Carry MANY cards. They can fail, and there is nothing more frustrating than losing a days shooting because of bad memory cards.

 

[RabidAlien]

Tripod with the legs together equals monopod! I've used my tripod in that fashion on several occasions. Which means I still haven't gotten myself a monopod....

 

[evangilder]

I only use my tripod for shots of the moon and low light. It's kind of a personal preference for me, I like to be mobile. That's a nice pan shot. Don't expect for every pan shot to work out. I have been doing this for a long time, and I still get crappy pan shots. So don't get discouraged. Learn what you can from the crappy shots and move on.

 

[RabidAlien]

Pretty much the only time I use my tripod is low-light or after-dark shots, too. I carry it to the zoo with me, because I know I'm gonna wander through the reptile area. Its always hot, humid, and crowded in there, and the lights are usually low enough to require 1/30 or slower shutterspeeds. No hand-holding for me! So I'll use the tripod in there, with either just two legs slightly spread for stability, or as a mono-pod. I've gotten some good pics that way!

Also makes it easy to beat little kids out of the way.

 

[BikerBabe]

OMG, I just rediscovered this thread! *mega-blush w. red ears*
Thank you very much for the advice, guys.
As you've prolly seen, I got some okay shots - next projects is:
1.: A better/stronger zoom lens.
2.: Work out - I discovered that I had problems holding the camera somewhat steady for extended periods of time, and so - off to the gym with me. Or the swimming pool.
3.: Tripod w. legs put together = monopod: Noted, until arms are back in good shape again.

And yes, I shot a lot.
I ended up with 1001 photos with the Olympus, and 7 (!) photos with my old camera, the Konica Minolta.
The Konica's okay, but not quite fast enough for an airshow photo shoot, though the zoom is great. It's got a 12 x optical lens built in, which is great. (35 mm - 420 mm).
The Olympus is fast enough, but my zoom lens isn't strong enough. *sigh*

Another lesson learned:
Image resolution.
I had completely forgotten to check out which image size and resolution the Olympus was set to, so I ended up with images in the size of only 1600 x 1200...not good enough in my book.
I'm going to buy a bigger camera card, and then I'm going to use the RAW format when it's stuff like air shows and other things that I know will probably yield some great pics.

Apart from that: Plan, plan, plan and plan.
I missed most of the Spitfire/Mustang display flight and all of the Hispano flight display. That was because we didn't think and plan ahead.
I knew that there were going to be some traffic to the airshow when we left my place, but I didn't count on sitting and waiting in a huge car queue on the motorway - that takes time, too.

So very soon I'm going to sit down and write me a list of things to remember before running off and shooting like mad with the camera.
Thanks again guys, your help and advice is great.

 

[RabidAlien]

Many's the time I watched (and drooled) in awe whilst stuck in traffic on the exit ramp, unable to poke the camera out the window because traffic was sorta moving in spurts. This year, I got there a half hour before the gates even opened. Brought a book. Hehehehee.

1600x1200 is great for 8x10 or 11x17, probably even get some great 13x19's out of it. My camera's only 8MPix, and still gets some great 11x17 shots. My lense is old, though, and I think the elements inside are starting to haze up a bit.

Just keep in mind the old axiom, "practice makes perfect". And with the world of digital, outside the cost of equipment, practicing is free!

 

[BikerBabe]

Exactly, RA.
I sat on my buddy's motorcycle and drooled. I can't recomend doing that in a motorcycle helmet!
If' we hadn't been riding on the motorway on our way out there, I would have taken the camera out of the sidebag and shot while we drove as I usually do, but no suck luck this time.
Things go a little too fast on the motorway for me to dare holding "My Precious" while riding. The wind speed makes it a little too precarious, especially if I put the zoom lens on the camera.
The camera house on the E-420 isn't very big, so there isn't much to hold on to, apart from the lens - and I've got small hands, so I won't recommend this camera to a guy with hands larger than mine. (- a glove size 7)
I usually wrap the camera strap around my wrist to make sure that it won't go too far if I accidentally drop the camera - it's a bit expensive to replace.
1600 x 1200 is okay for web use; apart from that I think it's way too small for anything useful - my goal is to accumulate enough good photos to someday be able to hold my own little photo exhibit - maybe at a local café or something like that, and for that I need a better resolution/image size.

 

[RabidAlien]

1600x1200 is waaaaaay too big for web-use! Usually 600 on the long side is what I set my web-shots at. I know alot of folks who use 320x480. Also keep in mind, the higher the resolution is, the larger the file size will be, therefore fewer shots per card. You'll need more high-capacity cards (RAW takes up TONS of space, but delivers the best images). its a tradeoff, whatever you're comfortable with.

Another hard-learned lesson, the neck strap is called that for a reason! Had one catch on some coral and I watched my camera bounce down the rocks into the ocean. Not a good day. If possible, slip the strap over your head....if the helmet is too big, would it be possible to sling it over one shoulder, across your chest, under the other arm, and then slip it around by your back to keep it out of the way? This'll make for a lot faster access when the need arises....or warbirds go roaring past....

 

[BikerBabe]

1600 x 1200 isn't too big for web use for me, when I arrive at the airshow - and the Spitfire is already busy at work - and I haven't had a chance to change from wide angle to zoom lens.
Okay, I changed lenses fairly quickly when we landed.
I usually use images in the size of at least 600 x 800, or - preferred - 1024 x 768, that's whu I think that 1600 x 1200 is a bit small when I prefer to edit most of my photos in Photoshop. Sometimes it's necessary, other times not.

The neck strap isn't long enough for me to wear the normal way, when I'm sitting behind my buddy on the motorcycle.
I don't want to lean too far out to the side, as it has a tendency to rock the balance slightly - and on country roads at 60-80 km's per hour, that's a bit too precarious for both of us.
Jørn is a good driver and an experienced motorcyclist, but it isn't any good with an un- or badly balanced bike, if a deer or a dog suddenly decide to cross the road in front of us.
Then I'd rather wrap the neck strap around my wrist and work with it like that.
Besides that, if we crash (God forbid!), I bet I'd feel a lot better with a broken wrist than with a broken neck, as the neck strap is fairly solid.

I like the idea with a longer camera strap - thanks for the idea - I can wear the camera like you suggest - over my shoulder, and it makes more sense safety-wise, plus I'll get easier access to the camera that way.
As it is now, it can be a bit of a problem holding on to the camera with one hand, and at the same time holding on to Jørn with both hands if necessary.
AaaAAAaah, I need three hands!

With a longer camera strap it'll be easier for me to rest my arms instead of having to hold on with just one hand. It'll make our camera-/photo-trips more safe and easy for me, and Jørn won't have to worry about keeping a low, even speed - or sudden acceleration and/or braking.
Hmmm! Me like!

 

[RabidAlien]

Heh....wonder if they make helmets with a tripod screw sticking out the top. Just screw the camera to his helmet, swivel, and shoot! On the serious side, though, I wonder if they make camera straps with a quick-disconnect breakaway point built in to them, designed to snap at a high pressure, yet below that which will snap your neck/shoulder/arm/etc? They make them for pet collars, it only makes sense to have one for a camera strap.

 

[BikerBabe]

Thanks for the idea yet again - this is something that requires a bit of planning and working.
Y'know, with a little work, I guess I can modify the strap so that it'll break in case of a crash...even better, I've got an old strap which I can modify with some of those plastic lock-like things which is being used for backpacks and such, maybe paired with some solid whaddyacallit...*points@pic*...to attach the strap to the camera, and I'll be ready to work with the camera from the back of my buddy's bike. :thumbsleft:

P.S.: Ever noticed that my posts are full of me not knowing what all kinds of things are called in english?

 

[GrauGeist]

P.S.: Ever noticed that my posts are full of me not knowing what all kinds of things are called in english?

You do alot better naming things in English than I ever could in Dutch!

So no worries!

 

[RabidAlien]

Its a carabiner (cara-bean-er), or just "beener" for short. Those guys do come in handy!

 

[BikerBabe]

You do alot better naming things in English than I ever could in Dutch!

So no worries!

...or danish...thanks, btw.
Likewise, I might add! *grins from ear to ear, then runs*

Its a carabiner (cara-bean-er), or just "beener" for short. Those guys do come in handy!

Thanks, yup - they're practical, especially if you get the kind you can buy at...here I go again, what'sitcalled...verflucht noch mal!...*thinks*...those stores where hobby sailors get their gear?
That kind of quality carabiners is really good.

 

[GrauGeist]

...or danish...thanks, btw.
Likewise, I might add! *grins from ear to ear, then runs*

Oops!!

I have no idea why I as thinking Dutch instead of Dansk, I should know better...my Bad

 

[BikerBabe]

Oops!!

I have no idea why I as thinking Dutch instead of Dansk, I should know better...my Bad

Heh, it's okay GG. *pats GG gently on the back*