Aviation Photography "The Blue Angels" #1

"The Blue Angels Winter Training"

Shot by Shoemanchu

Location: Naval Air Facility El Centro California

Aircraft Model: F/A-18E Super Hornet

Date 2-19-24

Time: 0800 am

Session one

Good evening Hive family and all the photographers lovers around the world, what I got here for you all tonight is just another new photography addiction I now seek. As I've been getting to know many local photographers in my community a couple of them ask if I would like to join them to go to El Centro California to watch the Navy's Blue Angels practice. I was like yes without a doubt I am there, as for me growing up military I have seen a lot of aviation living in three different countries, Philippines, Spain and Japan. Now that I have this camera stuck in my hand or should I say glued to my chest mount, I am open to doing any photography. So far it had to be the most awesome experience for me getting that invite, and now I am hooked. I'm ready for shows now as well, so its just going to be a different type of birding, man made metal flying birds. With that being said I now present to you some of the first shot's I took of the Blue Angels’ F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft and let me tell you about the launch of them or the take off. I am literally about twenty yards from the fence and as they go over you, it literally shakes deep into your body that honestly I cannot put into words, all I can say is no sexual relations but man boner, haha. I was just in amazement as they do their thing all around us and I have this camera shooting like I'm in the Matrix movie and what I mean by that, remember the scene in the Matrix where Neo is bending backwards moving out of the way back and forth from all the bullets coming at him? Well that was me with my camera in hand, things are fast and I am there to take a million shot's if I could. Let's just say I took about 3,000 shot's this day.

Let's get into these shot's now, the top shot, the cover I just had to go with it here, it is clean and good color, as I was going to use the last shot in the post as a cover but I had to do this one for the fact the yellow color of the U.S. Navy on the wings were way more visible in this shot to kick of my aviation photography series. As for the next shot below, it was pre-flight and I had to shoot thru the fence but tried my best to get thru the metal fencing.

Next shot up is them getting ready to take off, I got some of them taking off by the fence really didn't look good in the photo's but rest assure I actually went again and I was up higher on someones truck to get a better shot at no fence in my way. Those will take a minute to edit as I got to get thru all these shot's first, from the first trip. Expect many posts on this for I have a lot to share to you all.

Moving onto the next shot just as they started coming over the fence. The one on the bottom was on the left too but this is how they roll on take off, he dips underneath the other three. What I noticed after watching six total practices runs of the Blue Angels, that plane is always crooked at first but then he squares up with the others, it must be them G forces.

As they get closer to the rumble down thru your spine and body the bottom guy gets even within the next frame of shot's. Those Jet trails behind them are just something else, I can watch all this action a million times. Oh let me tell you too, it is a must to wear shooting Ear muffs if you would like to keep your hearing. I mean you don't have to but that's crazy to me, I actually seen many not wear them but trust me all the loud noise from your past will catch up to your hearing. Never said this before but I do suffer from tinnitus, the ringing in the ear and it is not fun one bit. For sure from the four twelve inch speakers I had in my Low riding Chevy Astro Van back in the day from the Bass.

As we get to the last shot, this was the last shot I got of them as they went over head and this shot is just plain amazing too, the reflect on these airplane's when the sun hits them is just utterly amazing. You will see these shot's, I have with so many dark and light blues due to atmosphere, jet fuel etc. To me and others, that is why aviation is so addicting and many flock to do it. All I have to say if your a photographer this is something you just might like and depending on where you live you could get shot's of things I could only dream of, like in Utah I believe it is, mountains where you can catch all kinds of aircraft's, secret ones have been spotted there too. Not sure about the location without doing research I have seen photography videos on it along time ago. Anyways hope you enjoyed these, trust me I got way more to show you all and I will try to keep the shot count up on each post because I have so many I will for sure be able to. I will also do all these shot's in order of the show too, now I don't know the names of all their tricks etc but I will keep it going forward as I saw it in real time. Also the second trip, will be the treat but that'll be awhile til I can get through those edits, just a hint, the United States Air force comes through to practice with the Blue Angels, those are called the Thunderbird's and you wont want to miss those beauties. Those are F-16 C and D fighting falcons and they are much faster, so the camera and the matrix motion you better be ready. Stay tuned as we keep rolling through my photography of everything, thank you all for stopping by, have a blessed one.

Last minute edit, I did switch out the cover shot, it was this one below but I found the other edit that I liked for the closer look shot of these Blue Angels taking off.

Anyways appreciate everyone feedback hope you have enjoyed my shots and post today' thanks for stopping by, Have a blessed one and thank you for coming in and checking out my shot's of the day. Stay tuned and enjoy my future shots in the world of photography, thru my lens.

These are all my photos of work, aka proof of work. This post represents name image and likeness. All copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without my consent.