The NAS JAX Air Show (Naval Air Station Jacksonville) featuring the Blue Angels is on the horizon! Air shows are always exciting and fast-paced; blink and you’re guaranteed to miss something. The NAS JAX Air Show is no exception and will take place October 19 & 20, 2024.
What It Takes
Even if you are a seasoned photographer, photographing air shows isn’t particularly easy. It takes a little patience, a lot of skill, some luck and finesse, and of course, the right equipment. In this short article I’ll share some tips, tricks and what equipment I use to capture these birds in flight!
The Camera
Let’s start off with the camera. A good photographer can get good shots with any camera, even a phone camera. But let’s be honest here – with fast moving action like this, the better the camera, the better the shots. I have seen folks at air shows with nothing but their cameras, but they were just taking video. If that is all you have then go for it! But I don’t recommend it.
I’ve also seen folks with their point-and-shoot cameras. These work, but restrictions such as shots per second, smaller sensors, and long buffers on these cameras could frustrate you and limit your keeper rate. However, if you know these limitation going in and are comfortable with your camera, then you’ll get some decent shots.