Yes, that would probably be about right - I can confirm that unsurprisingly plus 3 definitely isn't!

I almost always use centre-point for things like this as it's most consistent and you know where you need the target object to be. With some of these I reframed slightly afterwards for a better composition. I find that if you lose a fast jet for a split second the lens hunts anyway, resulting in several missed opportunities. My dad uses Nikon and I heard him uttering the same groan several times, so definitely the nature of the beast!

For me the landscapes and aerial shots of the town are great, I particularly like 6 and 12. The TDF ones give a sense of the scale of the event (the crowds lining the streets in 7 particularly), but are removed from the action so don't convey that. What an opportunity though!

A prize capture in more ways than one! Very, very nice indeed

Thank you all for your kind & constructive comments - I am most flattered, and pleased as I haven't done much PP before so was a little nervous about getting it right, and particularly in front of the discerning audience here, many of whose photographs I admire with envy!

Centre AF, no exposure compensation & multi segment metering (I had inadvertently started the day with the camera set at Ev+3.0, resulting in *slight* overexposure on some static shots I'm glad I looked at one of them before I'd taken 800+ shots!). Most shots did need some lightening in PSE to bring out the detail and colour, so perhaps a slight positive Ev adjustment may have worked too.

Coupleed with the K5iiS I do believe I have a very good example of the 55-300!

I spent another happy afternoon at the RAF Waddington Airshow this year...over 800 clicks on the K5iiS with the DA 55-300, which when it gets it right is pretty good. I've trimmed the shots down, and for the first time ever with this type of shot did some gentle PP using PSE11, mostly lightening shadows and a little contrast, with some cropping too.

Here are a few of my favourites, there are a few more on my Flickr if you're interested


BBMF Spitfires P7350 (Mk IIa) & MK356 (Mk LFIXe) by Andrew~H, on Flickr


Patrulla Aspa Aerobatic Team by Andrew~H, on Flickr


BBMF Avro Lancaster PA474 by Andrew~H, on Flickr


RAF Eurofighter Typhoon by Andrew~H, on Flickr


Avro Vulcan XH558 by Andrew~H, on Flickr


'Soloturk' F16 Fighting Falcon by Andrew~H, on Flickr

And this one is how it came out of the camera, no editing/cropping at all...


Hawker Hunter by Andrew~H, on Flickr


C&C welcome, particularly with regard to the PP...there's only one way to learn! And I'm sorry if anyone doesn't like the fact that they're watermarked - I've learned the hard way that photos get taken and passed on with no credit.

Thank you!

And thank you too - I haven't really done too much of this yet. My first efforts stuggled with lighting/DOF, these corrected both to some degree, and I've received some really helpful advice from others who have produced some stunning images. I think the best bit of advice was 'stick at it'...I will practice some more and see how I get on!

Errr...all I can say, Charlotte, is...wow! Now that's given me something to aim for, along with David's as well...

Thank you, Charlotte & Stan. I fully intend to persevere with this, and am looking forward to more experiments and learning from others whose images I aspire to get something vaguely close to!

Thanks for your constructive comments, David, they are most welcome! Bees was all I had this afternoon apart from a couple of hoverflies, and yes they certainly made me work hard. I probably have got too much DOF (from one extreme to the other), but as you say practice will help! I was focussing mostly through movement, but the wind didn't help as it made the lavender sway - I must choose a stiller day next time!

I've continued my macro learning experience this afternoon, using the K5iiS with a diffused flash (either AF200S or camera's own) and 50mm lens with manual extension tubes. Using the flash allowed me to stop down lens and increase DOF - something I knew I needed to try! The camera was set to manual, as was the focussing. C&C more than welcome as there's no better way of learning!