Two weeks ago I attended the Jacqueline Cochran Air Show in Thermal, California. If you’ve never been to Thermal, the name is a giveaway: it’s hot. Really hot.
The day of the air show was 107°. Performers were worried the heat would keep them from flying. Maintenance crews put on gloves just to touch the airplanes. I felt particularly bad for The Patriots Jet Team and Jon Melby, who have black airplanes and uniforms. My camera got so hot you could have fried an egg on it.
In addition to the heat, the show had tough lighting conditions. In the morning the sun rose immediately in front of the crowd, backlighting the performers.
It was My first air show of the season, and I was also shooting my first air show with my new equipment: a Canon 6D Mark II and a Sigma 150-600mm C.
At Friday’s practice, I was rusty. Tracking the planes and getting stable enough for a crisp photo didn't come easy. But like a lot of things, it’s muscle memory. Shooting on Saturday’s went a lot better, with more keepers.
Overall, I was happy with the shots that I got. I’m looking forward to shooting in (hopefully) less challenging conditions at a half dozen other aviation events this year.
Here are a few of my favorites from the weekend:
