RAF Hawks low level

^^Gord^^ · 13 Dec 2009 at 21:14

It's been a while since I posted, even longer since I managed to get over to the Mach Loop but on Friday I got a visit in before the end of 2009.

A couple of sections of the day provided what I was hoping for, winter sun! Giving me some great light. Aircraft wise it was quiet with most of the UK fogged in the fast jets weren't flying with the exception of 19 Sqn from RAF Valley who provided me with a good few shots.

As usual, the photos and some words on my site... http://www.fast-air.co.uk/Mach-Loop-LFA-7-Photography-091211.htm

Mr Jones · 13 Dec 2009 at 21:25

Once again, sharp sharp shots and movement. Nice one~

Tooks · 13 Dec 2009 at 21:38

Nice catch on the T2!

Yet to see one of these in the flesh, and looks like good light you had too!

PermaBanned · 13 Dec 2009 at 21:46

I won't even ask how you got the shot from above...

^^Gord^^ · 13 Dec 2009 at 22:04

Thanks for looking and the replies.

Tooks said:
Nice catch on the T2!

Yet to see one of these in the flesh, and looks like good light you had too!

I had spells of excellent light, the rest of the time it was cloud cover and a 35mph wind I couldn't hide from!

I'm doing ok with the T2s. Three passes from ZK030 and two from ZK022 on the Friday but the other passes were in clouded over. I've also got ZK013 from another visit.

They seem to like the Bwlch, they drop in, do one pass and then pull to the right to RTB. They don't often do Cad or the whole circuit.

Superewza said:
I won't even ask how you got the shot from above...

Until I managed to get a back seat ride in a Hawk at low level I'm using a bit of 'trick' photography. What you think you see you aren't actually seeing. The Hawk is actually on a knife edge as it makes a turn, the ground you see 'below' it is actually the side of a valley and the background beyond.

john_s · 13 Dec 2009 at 22:08

Great shots.

Troop · 13 Dec 2009 at 22:59

Good captures Gord,.... is that with the 7D?, I was at the exit on the Thursday, missed you by a day.

The Same T2 pair made a visit most days last week, on the Thu they arrived at 3pm.

Loop will have snow on Tue if you can make it back,............ a lot of us are out for the first half of this week, before all the bases start closing for Xmas

^^Gord^^ · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:53

Yup, my first time using the 7D in anger. Still early days with it but I'm loving the extra pixels and the 1.6x crop compared to my 1Dmk2.

I'm unlikely to make it over again before 2010

Namistai · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:18

Nice shots!

What sort of shutter speeds were you using?

^^Gord^^ · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:29

I usually leave the EXIF information in my photos but I seem to have accidently removed it from these ones.

The first two are 1/1000s and the second two are 1/640s.

Mr Jones · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:43

Gord, out of curiosity, what lens do you use?
And when you do a panning shot, do you wait for the plane to zoom and you follow from static position or do you chase after it and machine gun one you see it in frame (and passing at the same speed)?

ringo747 · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:48

Awesome shots as usual!

^^Gord^^ · 14 Dec 2009 at 07:46

Mr Jones said:
Gord, out of curiosity, what lens do you use?
And when you do a panning shot, do you wait for the plane to zoom and you follow from static position or do you chase after it and machine gun one you see it in frame (and passing at the same speed)?

These were shot with my Sigma 300 f/2.8, it's my preferred lens when I have a rough idea of what the focal length will be for what I'm shooting. If I'm not sure what it will I use my 100-400 L IS.

I try to pick up the aircraft as early as possible in the viewfinder, usually they will be coming at me at this point. Once the aircraft is filling about about 10% of the frame I'll half press the shutter release to get the AF working.

There is a big temptation to shoot early but I try to hold on until the aircraft is filling enough of the frame, usually by then the aircraft will be pointing away from my by that point.

I'll then pan the aircraft through until it's either too small in the frame or until the angle is no longer usable.

The rate I fire at is depending on the speed of the aircraft and how rare it is. If it's a gentle pace I'll try to pick my shots, if the aircraft is really moving and there is a chance of catching some vapour or it's a rare aircraft I'll shoot a burst whilst panning it.

Digital card space is cheap but it's your buffer you need to worry about. It's far from uncommon for aircraft to be in pairs. Once you've shot the first you have very little time to pick out the second one, frame it, focus it and shoot. The last thing you need is for the buffer to be full!

Mr Jones · 14 Dec 2009 at 08:38

Cheers Gord

Cosimo · 14 Dec 2009 at 10:04

Another set of amazing photos.

Namistai · 14 Dec 2009 at 20:57

^^Gord^^ said:
These were shot with my Sigma 300 f/2.8, it's my preferred lens when I have a rough idea of what the focal length will be for what I'm shooting. If I'm not sure what it will I use my 100-400 L IS.

I try to pick up the aircraft as early as possible in the viewfinder, usually they will be coming at me at this point. Once the aircraft is filling about about 10% of the frame I'll half press the shutter release to get the AF working.

There is a big temptation to shoot early but I try to hold on until the aircraft is filling enough of the frame, usually by then the aircraft will be pointing away from my by that point.

I'll then pan the aircraft through until it's either too small in the frame or until the angle is no longer usable.

The rate I fire at is depending on the speed of the aircraft and how rare it is. If it's a gentle pace I'll try to pick my shots, if the aircraft is really moving and there is a chance of catching some vapour or it's a rare aircraft I'll shoot a burst whilst panning it.

Digital card space is cheap but it's your buffer you need to worry about. It's far from uncommon for aircraft to be in pairs. Once you've shot the first you have very little time to pick out the second one, frame it, focus it and shoot. The last thing you need is for the buffer to be full!

That technique is similar to how I pictured it in my mind - thanks for sharing, really interesting! It's amazing to have picked up so much background motion blur using such a fast shutter!