2017 Vectren Dayton Air Show Photography F-35 F-18 F-16 Thunderbirds

June 26, 2017

Air Show Photography

Sunday, June 25, 2017, just after dawn I had near-exclusive access to a guest-less Vectren Dayton Air Show for two hours. Of the 200 images I shot, the images of the F-35 Lightning fighter jet, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, GEICO Skytypers, the B-1 Bomber, and more are my favorites. The annual event was held at the Dayton International Airport.

The best part of an air show is the aerial demonstrations. These don’t start until around noon which gives me a lot of time to photograph the static aircraft parked around the show. Since I have done this so many times and have been to various aviation museums, I have to really work hard to get new and unique images. That is all part of the fun for me each year.

I often look for leading lines and symmetry like with the F-35 below. I used a zoom lens to get in close to this beautiful fighter jet. For larger jets such as bombers, cargo planes, and tankers, I love low angles to give the aircraft an imposing appearance. One of my favorite shots below is the sunrise over the F-18 Super Hornet. Check out my other aviation photography.