Barksdale 2008 Airshow

Barksdale 2008 Airshow (with 2nd set) · 08:14 PM

Edit - Second set on another posting, down below:

The airshow mania continues

The Barksdale AFB airshow is typically one of (if not the) largest airshows in North America.

This year wasn't the best lineup ever, but lots of stunt planes and the Blue Angels and activities for people (for an air show, at least). The two-day show typically draws about 150,000 - 200,000 attendees.

Gorgeous weather on the day I shot, which was my first ever airshow shoot. I wasn't sure what I should have been looking for, so I kept the camera in burst and shot almost 900 photos. Some of the better ones below:

Pentax K200D
Tamron Di LD 70-300
Photoshop CS3

---------------------------
This shot shows about 1/4 of the crowd. Hand-held above my head and surprisingly not leveled out in PS.

One of only two pictures even close to keepers - my attempt at hand-panning:

Yeah, a few cars were there also

Hope you enjoyed! THere are actually more at my Flickr and more on the way as I process the large number of dust spots from my photos! (my cleaning kit can't arrive soon enough!)

zmatt · 05-12-2008, 10:44 PM

Nice shots, that line of B-52's is awesome.

cupic · 05-13-2008, 12:16 AM

Blue Angels are a good support act

cheers

**pentagor** · 05-13-2008, 02:28 AM

Very nice pics, but no 3 is my favorite.

**pentagor** · 05-13-2008, 02:35 AM

cputeq, I hope you don't mind... I allowed myself to use your photo and edited it a little. I think this photo is for a wall... It just tells a story...
It is an awesome picture for me!

p.s. If you mind, I'll remove it, just let me know.

KrisK10D · 05-13-2008, 06:44 AM

Hot damn... There's not an image there that I don't like. Waaaarthoooooooooooogs

And what a crowd! #'s 5 & 11 are wining by a nose, but 3 is really cool (and i like what pentagor has done with it too)

Great stuff!

Gooshin · 05-13-2008, 06:47 AM

#3 is absolutely amazing, period.

daacon · 05-13-2008, 08:15 AM

Great series cputeq - I love air shows have not been in a long time. You have some outstanding shots there. Well done.

cputeq · 05-13-2008, 03:50 PM

Thank everyone for the comments :-) My calves got pretty badly sunburned, but I think it was worth it

Pentagor: No problem! Glad you like it, and edit away! I'm surprised I like the B&W as much as I do, as I wouldn't have considered it for a conversion.

Most importantly, I got experience shooting an airshow, so I know a lot more now than before. A few things I learned (many of you may say "duh!" but hey I"m new

1) Just stick to RAW mode. I was fearful I was going to run out of space with RAW, so I switched to JPEG. Probably a good idea at the time, since I was machine gunning the shots, but next time I'll be only RAW. I don't like how the Jpegs turned out, especially on the blue skies. I have a few RAW shots of blue sky and they turn out so so much better.

2) Intentionally shooting into the sun for a sun glare shot isn't as glamorous as I thought (or maybe it's a heck of a lot harder). Even correcting exposure somewhat, it just didn't do it for me.

3) Wait for the low-lying flybys. I was doing lots of shots to zoom out and show the large smoke trails left by the jets when they did verticle climbs, but they didn't turn out as interesting as I originally thought they would.

I was very lucky that I volunteered to work from 7am - 1pm, as I had access to the flightline before the show started -- that's how I got the shot of #3. Definitely my favorite also

zmatt · 05-13-2008, 04:09 PM

Originally posted by cputeq

Thank everyone for the comments :-) My calves got pretty badly sunburned, but I think it was worth it

Pentagor: No problem! Glad you like it, and edit away! I'm surprised I like the B&W as much as I do, as I wouldn't have considered it for a conversion.

Most importantly, I got experience shooting an airshow, so I know a lot more now than before. A few things I learned (many of you may say "duh!" but hey I"m new

1) Just stick to RAW mode. I was fearful I was going to run out of space with RAW, so I switched to JPEG. Probably a good idea at the time, since I was machine gunning the shots, but next time I'll be only RAW. I don't like how the Jpegs turned out, especially on the blue skies. I have a few RAW shots of blue sky and they turn out so so much better.

2) Intentionally shooting into the sun for a sun glare shot isn't as glamorous as I thought (or maybe it's a heck of a lot harder). Even correcting exposure somewhat, it just didn't do it for me.

3) Wait for the low-lying flybys. I was doing lots of shots to zoom out and show the large smoke trails left by the jets when they did verticle climbs, but they didn't turn out as interesting as I originally thought they would.

I was very lucky that I volunteered to work from 7am - 1pm, as I had access to the flightline before the show started -- that's how I got the shot of #3. Definitely my favorite also

Good observations I would agree with all of them, my calves just starrted peeling a few days ago from the last airshow lol.

J.Scott · 05-13-2008, 04:12 PM

Fantastic! I love air shows almost as much as flying. Thanks for sharing, these are simply great.

k100d · 05-13-2008, 05:17 PM

wow ... you got some stunners there and i love airplanes!
#1 are those a huge line of B-52s? can see a B-2 back there, very nice
#3 my 2nd favourite of the bunch
those blue angel photos are super sharp, great work tracking

the F-15E taxiing, that's gotta my favourite!
oh wow A-10s, i've always wanted to see one in person...

very excellent work!!!

Mechan1k · 05-13-2008, 06:14 PM

Wow ... this is a great series ... hard to pick a favourite here ... you have done well indeed.

cputeq · 05-14-2008, 02:39 PM

A few more from the Airshow I finally processed / uploaded....I regret not having seen all of the show, as most of my keepers ended up being Blue Angels. Oh well:

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05-12-2008, 10:44 PM	#2
zmatt Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 41	Nice shots, that line of B-52's is awesome.

05-13-2008, 12:16 AM	#3
cupic Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,824	Blue Angels are a good support act cheers

05-13-2008, 02:28 AM	#4
pentagor Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia Posts: 495	Very nice pics, but no 3 is my favorite.

05-13-2008, 02:35 AM	#5
pentagor Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia Posts: 495	cputeq, I hope you don't mind... I allowed myself to use your photo and edited it a little. I think this photo is for a wall... It just tells a story... It is an awesome picture for me! p.s. If you mind, I'll remove it, just let me know.

05-13-2008, 06:44 AM	#6
KrisK10D Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,274	Hot damn... There's not an image there that I don't like. Waaaarthoooooooooooogs And what a crowd! #'s 5 & 11 are wining by a nose, but 3 is really cool (and i like what pentagor has done with it too) Great stuff!

05-13-2008, 06:47 AM	#7
Gooshin Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, the one in Canada. Posts: 5,610	#3 is absolutely amazing, period.

05-13-2008, 08:15 AM	#8
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Great series cputeq - I love air shows have not been in a long time. You have some outstanding shots there. Well done.

05-13-2008, 03:50 PM	#9
cputeq Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 464 Original Poster	Thank everyone for the comments :-) My calves got pretty badly sunburned, but I think it was worth it Pentagor: No problem! Glad you like it, and edit away! I'm surprised I like the B&W as much as I do, as I wouldn't have considered it for a conversion. Most importantly, I got experience shooting an airshow, so I know a lot more now than before. A few things I learned (many of you may say "duh!" but hey I"m new 1) Just stick to RAW mode. I was fearful I was going to run out of space with RAW, so I switched to JPEG. Probably a good idea at the time, since I was machine gunning the shots, but next time I'll be only RAW. I don't like how the Jpegs turned out, especially on the blue skies. I have a few RAW shots of blue sky and they turn out so so much better. 2) Intentionally shooting into the sun for a sun glare shot isn't as glamorous as I thought (or maybe it's a heck of a lot harder). Even correcting exposure somewhat, it just didn't do it for me. 3) Wait for the low-lying flybys. I was doing lots of shots to zoom out and show the large smoke trails left by the jets when they did verticle climbs, but they didn't turn out as interesting as I originally thought they would. I was very lucky that I volunteered to work from 7am - 1pm, as I had access to the flightline before the show started -- that's how I got the shot of #3. Definitely my favorite also

05-13-2008, 04:09 PM	#10
zmatt Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 41	Originally posted by cputeq Thank everyone for the comments :-) My calves got pretty badly sunburned, but I think it was worth it Pentagor: No problem! Glad you like it, and edit away! I'm surprised I like the B&W as much as I do, as I wouldn't have considered it for a conversion. Most importantly, I got experience shooting an airshow, so I know a lot more now than before. A few things I learned (many of you may say "duh!" but hey I"m new 1) Just stick to RAW mode. I was fearful I was going to run out of space with RAW, so I switched to JPEG. Probably a good idea at the time, since I was machine gunning the shots, but next time I'll be only RAW. I don't like how the Jpegs turned out, especially on the blue skies. I have a few RAW shots of blue sky and they turn out so so much better. 2) Intentionally shooting into the sun for a sun glare shot isn't as glamorous as I thought (or maybe it's a heck of a lot harder). Even correcting exposure somewhat, it just didn't do it for me. 3) Wait for the low-lying flybys. I was doing lots of shots to zoom out and show the large smoke trails left by the jets when they did verticle climbs, but they didn't turn out as interesting as I originally thought they would. I was very lucky that I volunteered to work from 7am - 1pm, as I had access to the flightline before the show started -- that's how I got the shot of #3. Definitely my favorite also Good observations I would agree with all of them, my calves just starrted peeling a few days ago from the last airshow lol.

05-13-2008, 04:12 PM	#11
J.Scott Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,675	Fantastic! I love air shows almost as much as flying. Thanks for sharing, these are simply great.

05-13-2008, 05:17 PM	#12
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	wow ... you got some stunners there and i love airplanes! #1 are those a huge line of B-52s? can see a B-2 back there, very nice #3 my 2nd favourite of the bunch those blue angel photos are super sharp, great work tracking the F-15E taxiing, that's gotta my favourite! oh wow A-10s, i've always wanted to see one in person... very excellent work!!!

05-13-2008, 06:14 PM	#13
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	Wow ... this is a great series ... hard to pick a favourite here ... you have done well indeed.

05-14-2008, 02:39 PM	#14
cputeq Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 464 Original Poster	A few more from the Airshow I finally processed / uploaded....I regret not having seen all of the show, as most of my keepers ended up being Blue Angels. Oh well: