F7F Tigercat captured by D5 / 180-400VR
Airshow performers use smoke to “draw” in the sky during their flight displaying their skills as well as bringing romance to their performance. Their travels also bring dynamic lines that without the smoke, it would be quickly forgotten how they got to where they are in the sky. We can use that smoke to speak of speed, flight, and romance with just a couple of simple techniques. The first is underexposure so we can see some detail in the smoke. Being white and in the sky, without some detail in the smoke, it’s more a distraction than enhancement. The other is to NOT have the camera body level to the earth. Instead, tilt the camera body to add an angle to the flight path, accentuating the flight path and bringing romance to it. Don’t be so visually tight on the aircraft, lead it in the viewfinder and make the most of smoke on.